The UBC CSCE Student Chapter came first in a nation-wide selection of the best student chapters of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE), an organization that aims to unite civil engineering communities across Canada. Having won the same award in 2015, this is another year of great success for the Student Chapter.
After thorough review and evaluation of 25 student chapters across Canada, the UBC CSCE was chosen to receive the President’s Best Student Chapter as the top CSCE Student Chapter in the 2017/2018 school year. Incoming president Arjun Prihar had the honour of accepting the prestigious award on behalf of the UBC CSCE at the CSCE Annual Conference in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where he was excited to meet industry professionals and other student chapter leaders from across Canada.
Recognized for its diversity of events, UBC’s student chapter strives to help students see beyond their degree by connecting students with industry professionals. This year, under the leadership of Co-Presidents Megan Norwick and Kevin Parrish, the UBC CSCE held a total of 24 events that offered a wide range of professional and personal skills development opportunities for civil engineering students at UBC. For instance, the UBC CSCE Industry Night, one of the highlights of the year, brought together over 300 participating students, professionals and researchers at UBC. Other events like panel discussions, guest lectures and workshops provided excellent opportunities for students to connect with the civil engineering community and learn about the world beyond their classrooms.
Prihar was a second-year student when he was introduced to the student chapter by former president, Antonio Castro. He quickly realized the valuable opportunities and flexible environment the student chapter had to offer. When asked about his future plans for the UBC group, Prihar hoped to carry on the efforts of Co-Presidents Norwick and Parrish to break barriers between students and professionals. Eventually, he hoped to go beyond the institution to connect student chapters across Canada. Students are encouraged to initiate and organize events using resources from the student chapter. “I’d like to see it as an opportunity for students to give back to the civil engineering community by means of professional development,” he says. The award-winning student chapter will kick start the 2018/2019 academic year with several events to engage students with the rest of the civil community. See what they have in store or get involved by visiting their website or following them on Facebook.