College of Engineering students earn second NCEES Engineering Education Grand Prize

For the second time in four years, graduate students in The Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln won the Grand Prize and $25,000 in the 2019 NCEES Engineering Education Award. Nebraska is the only repeat Grand Prize winner since the competition’s inception in 2009.

A total of 51 entries were submitted in this blindcompetition, which this year also included seven additional winners. The award was established by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying to recognize college engineering programs for engaging their students in collaborative projects with licensed professional engineers.

For the team’s project, architectural engineering master’s degree students worked with architects, professional engineers and others to design the structural, mechanical and electrical systems for the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts on the Hope College campus in Holland, Michigan. The design included superior acoustics, integrated timber or engineered wood throughout 25 percent of the building, and a rooftop amenity space for use year-round. The project was praised by the NCEES jury for involving different engineering disciplines and a practical design solution.

In 2016, an interdisciplinary team from Nebraska was awarded the Grand Prize for a proposed 17-story mixed-use high-rise building, working closely with more than 50 licensed professional engineers and architects, faculty and other mentors. The project was noted for its “strong interaction with professional engineers as well as improving the quality of life in this community.” Durham School student teams also were recognized in 2015 and 2018.