Notes from Engineering
Ragan named Engineering Unleashed Fellow
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of The Citadel Honors Program Deirdre Ragan has been named a 2023 Engineering Unleashed Fellow.
Before coming to The Citadel, Ragan worked for PPG Industries, a Fortune 500 company that specializes in glass, coatings and specialty chemicals. She holds five patents for ideas conceived and implemented while working in the industry. She previously received a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct research on electrochromic materials at Uppsala University in Sweden. Her research interests include materials science, nanotechnology and solar power.
Ragan and Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Simon Ghanat were two of 30 instructors from 24 institutions across the United States to receive the designation, which recognizes leadership in undergraduate engineering education. Engineering Unleashed Fellows are awarded a $10,000 grant that can be used to advance or promote their work.
Laughton named South Carolina Engineering Educator of the Year
Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Stephanie Laughton was named the South Carolina Educator of the Year at the annual luncheon of the South Carolina section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
“Dr. Laughton’s work ethic, collegiality, and professionalism in leading productive engagements on an array of consequential academic endeavors with civil engineering faculty is phenomenal,” said Department Head and Professor for Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering William J. Davis.
Laughton manages social media for the CECE Department, serves as chemical hygiene officer and faculty advisor to the Department Student Advisory Council. She also provided significant support during the 2020 ABET accreditation site visit.
Career fair
A record number of engineering firms – 37 in total – participated in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering Career Fair September 22. For three hours, cadet, veteran and evening students spoke with industry representatives who are eager to hire summer interns and entry-level engineers.
The fair featured networking opportunities, resume reviews and onsite interviews, allowing students to explore career options and gain insight into the latest trends in the field. This career fair played a crucial role in fostering collaboration and driving innovation in the construction and infrastructure sectors of engineering.
Civil engineering alumnus Bruce Rasmussen, PE, ’10, represented RK&K, a platinum sponsor of the career fair. The company, which employs 1,400 professionals and is ranked in the top 50 engineering firms, recruits cadet engineers, Rasmussen said, because they are “above average” and “calm during stressful situations.”
Companies sought to attract students with traditional offers as well as bonuses, like housing for interns and training on drone surveying.
Capstone Project
Forty-two civil and construction engineering students visited the Florence Regional Airport September 20 to gain an understanding of site conditions for their 2023-24 capstone design project to retrofit airport/airfield facilities to accommodate eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft. Students met with air traffic control professionals and airport security personnel, visited the proposed site of the state’s first electric airplane charging station and envisioned the airport’s future land use from the air traffic control tower. This student design project is being conducted with support from the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission, Florence Regional Airport, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Beta Technologies and other eVTOL industry leaders.