News & Events

Merrimack to Host Summer Transportation Institute (STI) | July 2010

Professor Gary Spring will host a four-week-long intensive summer program for high school students sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Massachusetts Highway Department and Merrimack College.  The Institute seeks to aid in developing a diverse and robust workforce for the transportation industry by exposing 10th, 11th, and 12th grade high school students to transportation careers. Merrimack students Joe Giampa, Katie Gregoir, and Tim O’Toole will be counselors in this year’s program.

Merrimack Students to Participate in Research Project at Cornell | June 2010

For the third year, civil engineering students and Assistant Professor Aaron Bradshaw will participate in a research project sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The objective of the research is to develop systems that can be used to monitor the “health” of buried concrete pipelines. Two Merrimack students Joe Giampa and Tim O’Toole will assist in the preparation of a pipeline test at Cornell University, which will take one month to complete. The research is a four-year, multi-disciplinary project involving students and professors from the University of Michigan, Purdue University, Virginia Tech, and Merrimack College.

Two Seniors Receive Full Scholarships for Graduate School | May 2010

Seniors Gail daSilva and Justin Murray were awarded full scholarships to support their graduate studies this fall. daSilva received a National Science Foundation research scholarship consisting of three years of tuition and a $30,000 per year stipend. daSilva will attend the University of California Davis where she is planning to pursue a Ph.D. in geotechnical engineering.  Murray will attend Northeastern University as a graduate teaching assistant and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in structural engineering.

3rd Annual Civil Engineering Golf Tournament | May 2010

The ASCE Student Chapter and Civil Engineering Alumni Association hosted the 3^rd Annual Merrimack Civil Engineering Golf Tournament at the Far Corner Golf Course in West Boxford, MA. This year’s event raised approximately $2,000 for the Fitzgerald Fund, which was established to support student activities and projects. Thanks to all who participated!

Seniors Present Design Project | April 2010

This year’s civil engineering seniors presented their capstone design project that included the design of a bridge as part of a larger revitalization project in the City of Lawrence. An awards banquet for graduating students, their families, and alumni followed the presentation. Three students received civil engineering awards including Kris Surette (da Vinci Award), Nick Bucco (ASCE Achievement Award), and Rich Matson (Baroni Family Award).

Merrimack Takes 6th at Bridge Competition | May 2010

The ASCE student bridge team competed at the New England regional student steel bridge competition that was hosted by Tufts University. The competition was co-sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The annual competition involves the design and fabrication of a 20-foot long steel bridge that is judged based on a combination of aesthetics, performance, and cost.  This year Merrimack placed 6^th out of 11 participating schools. 

3rd Annual Civil Engineering Golf Tournament | May 2010

The ASCE Student Chapter and Civil Engineering Alumni Association will host the 3^rd Annual Merrimack Civil Engineering Golf Tournament. The purpose of the event is to raise money for the Fitzgerald Fund, which was established in honor of Francis Fitzgerald to provide funds for civil engineering student activities and projects. The event location and date is to be determined. This is a great opportunity for students, alumni and friends of the civil engineering program to connect for a day of hooks, slices, and laughs. For more information on this event, please contact Jean Reynolds at jean.reynolds@merrimack.edu or 978-837-5299.

Seniors to Present Capstone Design Project | April 2010

This year’s civil engineering graduates will present their capstone design project on April 30^th at 4:00 pm in Meeting Room B of the Sakowich Center. An awards banquet for graduating students, their families, and alumni will follow the presentation. The capstone project is intended to provide an opportunity for students to apply their learned engineering skills to an open-ended problem thus rounding out their engineering education at Merrimack College. The design problem is developed and overseen by an external practicing engineer who also serves as the student’s “client”.

Student Steel Bridge Competition | April 2010

The ASCE student bridge team will compete at the New England regional student steel bridge competition that will be hosted by Tufts University on April 9 and 10. The competition is co-sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The annual competition involves the design and fabrication of a 20-foot long steel bridge that is judged based on a combination of aesthetics, performance, and cost.  The top three finishers from the New England regional competition are typically invited to compete in the National Competition. 

ASCE Student Officers to Attend Leadership Conference | February 2010

Four student officers from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student chapter will attend a leadership workshop in Atlanta, GA on February 12 and 13. Dr. Westerling will also be attending the weekend conference as a Regional Governor of ASCE. The workshop is aimed at developing leaders within the society. Funds for student travel will be provided by the Fitzgerald Fund and from a donation from the Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section (BSCES).

Professor and Student Host Murray Symposium | November 2009

Assistant Professor Aaron Bradshaw and student Gail daSilva ‘10 presented on their research project entitled “The Shear Behavior of Clay in Relation to Submarine Landslide Kinematics”. Their laboratory study was aimed at investigating how the shear strength of soil changes from very slow speeds to very high speeds as would occur in underwater landslides. The research was sponsored by the Murray Fellowship, which is awarded annually to a faculty member from Science and Engineering to conduct research leading to improved teaching effectiveness.

Emeritus Professor Honored by BSCES | September 2009

Emeritus Professor Anthony DeLuzio, was honored by The Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section (BSCES) at the 161st BSCES Annual Awards Dinner. He was recognized for his life-long accomplishments which include, “the design, analysis and qualification testing of over a dozen telescopes for space exploration which were successfully launched; consulting on NASA’s Gemini, Mercury and Apollo programs; development of finite element techniques utilizes on the Apollo Program; and testing and evaluation of dental implants.” Many of Mr. DeLuzio’s former students were in attendance.

From left to right: Aaron Bradshaw Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering; Nick Scenna ‘06; John Collura ‘70; honoree Anthony DeLuzio; Jim D’Angelo ‘70; and Sean Homem ‘06.

Professor Named “2009 ExCEEd Teaching Fellow” | July 2009 

Assistant Professor Marc Veletzos was awarded a fellowship to attend the prestigious Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) teaching workshop hosted by the US Military Academy at West Point, NY. The workshop is held annually and is intended to promote teaching excellence in the field of civil engineering.  Dr. Veletzos will lead a seminar in January 2010 to share the ExCEEd teaching methods with other Merrimack College faculty.

Students and Professor Participate in Research Project at Cornell | June 2009

For the second year, civil engineering students and Assistant Professor Aaron Bradshaw participated in a research project sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The objective of the research is to develop systems that can be used to monitor the “health” of buried concrete pipelines. The research involves burying and testing full-scale pipes in a specialized testing facility developed at Cornell University. The students assisted in the preparation of the pipeline tests, which took approximately one month to complete. The research is a four-year, multi-disciplinary project involving students and professors from the University of Michigan, Purdue University, Virginia Tech, and Merrimack College.

Student participants on the research project at Cornell University. From left to right: Gail dSilva ’10; Richard Matson ’11; Stephanie Kearns ‘12; John Davis (Cornell technician).

2nd Annual Civil Engineering Golf Tournament | May 2009

The ASCE Student Chapter and Civil Engineering Alumni Association hosted the 2nd Annual Merrimack Civil Engineering Golf Tournament. The purpose of the event was to raise money for the Fitzgerald Fund, which was established in honor of Francis Fitzgerald to provide funds for civil engineering student activities and projects. The event took place on May 11, 2009 at the Far Corner Golf Course in Boxford Mass. This was a great opportunity for students, alumni and friends of the civil engineering program to connect for a day of hooks, slices, and laughs.

Alumnus Receives the 2009 Engineering Center Leadership Award | May 2009

Merrimack ’74 Alumnus Thomas J. Kinton Jr., Massport CEO and Executive Director, received the distinguished Engineering Center Leadership Award for 2009. The award was presented at an awards dinner on May 6 at the Park Plaza Hotel Boston.  The Engineering Center Leadership Award is presented annually to leaders in the planning, designing, constructing, or maintaining of the built environment. A number of Merrimack Alumni, Students, Faculty and Administrators were in attendance.

Back row left to right: Joseph Kelley, Vice President of Mission and Advancement; Kristopher Surette ’10; Richard Matson ’11; honoree Thomas Kinton ‘74; Jim D’Angelo ’70; Aaron Bradshaw, Assistant Professor; Stephen Mallory ’07; Nick Scenna ’06. Front row left to right: Leanna Martin ‘09, Ale Kuncatis ’09; Gail daSilva ‘10

Student Steel Bridge Competition | April 2009

The ASCE student bridge team competed in the New England regional student steel bridge competition on April 4 at Wentworth Institute of Technology. The competition was co-sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The annual competition involves the design and fabrication of a 20-foot long steel bridge that is judged based on a combination of aesthetics, performance, and cost.

Students and Professor Participate in Research Project at Cornell | June 2008

Civil engineering students and Assistant Professor Aaron Bradshaw participated in a research project sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The objective of the research is to develop systems that can be used to monitor the “health” of buried concrete pipelines. The research involves burying and testing full-scale pipes in a specialized testing facility developed at Cornell University. The students assisted in the preparation of the pipeline tests, which took approximately one month to complete. The research is a four-year, multi-disciplinary project involving students and professors from the University of Michigan, Purdue University, Virginia Tech, and Merrimack College.

Professor to Study Longfellow Bridge | May 2008

Associate Professor Dr. David Westerling spent the past year studying the condition of the Longfellow Bridge in Boston. This well-known and historical landmark, spanning the Charles River, has received attention because of concerns regarding its structural condition. Dr. Westerling's work focuses on the engineering and cost issues associated with the maintenance and rehabilitation of bridges.

Civil Engineering Golf Tournament | May 2008

The ASCE Student Chapter and Civil Engineering Alumni Association hosted a Civil Engineering Golf Tournament to raise money for the Fitzgerald Fund. The fund was established in honor of Francis Fitzgerald to provide money for civil engineering student activities and projects. This was a great opportunity for students, alumni and friends of the civil engineering program to connect for a day of hooks, slices, and laughs.

Students Design Residential Housing for Dominican Republic | February 2008

Through funding provided by the Davis Grant, six civil engineering seniors: Moises Camilo, Joseph Fitzpatrick, Franklin Miguel, Dennis Rugg, Colin Temple, and Joseph Terranova are studying ways to design safe and economical housing for the poor communities of the Dominican Republic. Franklin Miguel, who is a native of Santo Domingo, identified the need for housing from the director of his community school. This region, which is particularly susceptible to hurricanes and earthquakes, will present difficult design challenges. It is hoped that the team will develop an innovative design model that uses sustainable building materials and construction methods. The directed study course, which was developed Dr. Aaron Bradshaw, included a research trip to Santo Domingo over spring break.

From left to right: Aaron Bradshaw, Assistant Professor; Joseph Fitzpatrick; Franklin Miguel; Colin Temple; Dennis Rugg; Joseph Terranova; Moises Camilo.

Professor and Colleagues Awarded NSF Grant | September 2007

Assistant Professor Aaron Bradshaw and four other professors from the University of Michigan and Purdue University have been awarded a $1.6 million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The team will spend the next fours years researching ways of determining damage to buried pipelines caused by an earthquake. Dr. Bradshaw will direct the laboratory program that will take place at a specialized testing facility at Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.). The laboratory program will be completed over the next four summers where Merrimack College civil engineering students will assist in the research at Cornell.