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Civil Engineering Students Dunk Professors in Good Fundraising Fun
September 16, 2011
On Wednesday, civil engineering students lined up for the opportunity to ‘dunk’ their professors at a fundraiser for an annual CE competition. The event, hosted by UNM’s student chapter of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and Chi Epsilon, an engineering honor society, made a big splash on campus.
Photo: Civil Engineering Assistant Professor Mark Stone watches the ball as it's about to hit the target, all set for another dunking. See other photos from the event
Students set up a high-tech dunk tank – complete with copper pipe, a 30,000 BTU barbeque grill set at 650 degrees, and a pump circulating at about 3,200 gallons per hour – on which brave members of the CE faculty and a handful of ASCE officers perched, awaiting the inevitable dunk.
Ten CE professors and four students were willing to get wet in support of fundraising efforts towards the ASCE Rocky Mountain Regional Competition, which involves designing and constructing a steel bridge and building and racing a concrete canoe.
This year, ASCE will compete in the steel bridge competition. Teams are judged on their design, presentation, and the construction and performance of their canoe. The club is always looking for enthusiastic and interested students to join the effort. Although the project demands a lot of time and resources, the work is fun and highly rewarding.
Wednesday’s event also gave CE students and faculty a chance to mix and mingle, eat lunch in the sun, and enjoy a break from the rigor of research and homework. CE Department Chair Dr. John Stormont stepped up to the tank wearing his hard hat, while Dr. James Brogan came prepared with goggles and a foam water gun. UNM’s CE Department fosters a friendly and supportive community, which was certainly exemplified at the fundraiser.
A big thanks goes out to all those who supported the fundraiser, which was a great success on many levels. No participating professor or student volunteer was spared a dunk (or two or three) in the tank!