WKU News

Western Kentucky University’s American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student chapter brought home an array of accolades from the 2026 ASCE Indiana-Kentucky Student Symposium.

WKU was among 14 teams composed of civil engineering students in the competition held April 9-11, hosted by the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville in Lexington, KY.

In canoe contests, WKU swept the leaderboard, placing first in nine categories.

In steel bridge contests, WKU placed first in the categories of Stiffness and Efficiency. They also placed in the top three in the categories of Aesthetics, Lightness, and Overall.

The theme for the canoe, named USS Alliance, was chosen by the team members and selected to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. 

”We chose the 250th anniversary to celebrate America and recognize the veterans who served our country,” Sophia Adams, a senior from O’Fallon, Missouri, and co-captain of the concrete canoe team, said. “It gave us a meaningful way to reflect and appreciate in our canoe and display design.”

The WKU ASCE is again a finalist for the Robert Ridgway Student Chapter award, which recognizes the most outstanding Student Chapter of the ASCE. The WKU ASCE won the award in 2025. The 2026 winner will be announced in May.

In addition to Adams, concrete canoe team members include Solomon Bawi of Bowling Green, Camden Carpenter of Russell Springs, Emarie Cates of Gallatin, Tennessee, Ben Clouse of Somerset, Luke Evans of Owensboro, Chase Fleenor of Scottsburg, Indiana, Kaya Goertz of Defiance, Missouri, Larissa Hernandez of Nashville, Tennessee, Nicholas Holenstein of Spring Hill, Tennessee, Keaton Kessler of Columbia, Sam Reader of Edwardsville, Illinois, William Reeves of Owensboro, Alex Reyolds of Jamestown, Jackson Rodgers of Bowling Green, Hector Santiago of Bradenburg, and Jaxon Williams of Owensboro.

The Steel Bridge Team includes Sarah Bradder of Santa Clara, California, Derek Croxton of Beechmont, Rylee Gaffin of Glasgow, Trenton Hamilton of Prestonsburg, Dathan Jolly of Edmonton, Nat Love of Bowling Green, Andrew Martindale of Louisville, Russell McKenney of Beaver Dam, Jack Rhody of Lawrenceburg, Lucas Romine of Bowling Green, Gabe Suiter of Trenton, Luke Southard of Beaver Dam, Thang Tung of Bowling Green, and Jaden Wilson of Louisville.

The Concrete Canoe Team will compete at the ASCE Civil Engineering Student Championships held on June 25-26, 2026, at Fairmont State University in Fairmont, West Virginia.

Contact: Jason Wilson, jason.wilson@wku.edu