Civil and Environmental Engineering Student Voices

Hear from current students and recent graduates about how they made the most out of their time on campus.

Stone Canoe

UMass engineering students are designing and building the sustainable and equitable infrastructure of the future—and you can, too. 

We believe the best education doesn’t end in the classroom. Our students learn deeply through close interactions with our world-class faculty, research experiences in a variety of fields, and engagement in internships, co-ops, service-learning opportunities, student groups, and more. 

As you plan your own academic journey, we invite you to draw inspiration from some of students, who share their UMass experience in their own words below.

In the spotlight

Alex Stencel

“Studying sustainability in Civil Engineering here at UMass gave me the confidence to pursue and land an internship at a global innovator like Tesla. I was able to work with the strongest minds in the field, live in Northern California for a summer, and bring my experiences back to the University.”

Alex Stencel , Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering 24
“I had an internship with the Fish and Wildlife Service with the fish passage engineering team. We designed fish ladders, dam removals, and culvert replacements, which combine structural, geotechnical water resources, and transportation engineering, so the Civil and Environmental Engineering curriculum set me up perfectly for that experience.”

Raul Vera '24

During his time at UMass Amherst, Raul Vera was a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, conducted research with the Energy Transition Institute as well as watershed hydrology research with Dr. Christian Guzman, and interned with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Learn more about the Energy Transition Institute at UMass Amherst
“UMass Amherst has a vibrant campus life, with a wide variety of clubs, organizations, and activities available for students to get involved in. There are so many opportunities to create new initiatives and take on leadership roles outside of the academic curriculum. As a Civil Engineering major, I found all of these opportunities in SASE (Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers). It is truly a rewarding experience to be a part of the executive board and take part in its growth over the years.”

Lucia Pan '23

Lucia did internships at J.Ottman Consulting and Suffolk Construction, worked as a data analyst for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and spent a summer conducting water quality research on campus. She also served as President of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers.
Learn more about the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers
Footbridge project

Building Bridges and Beyond

Rehabilitating a campus footbridge is just one example of the many hands-on projects our student chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America undertakes. Other student design experiences include the Concrete Canoe Team, Steel Bridge Design Team, and Seismic Design Team.
Learn more about the campus footbridge rehabilitation project
Eureka

In the Community

The Soil & Water Lab recently ran a workshop for 9th graders in the Eureka! Program. Led by CEE students, the 9th graders were given water samples from local steams, practiced using water quality test strips, and learned about how water quality can affect both themselves and aquatic organisms.
Learn more about the Soil & Water Lab

In the spotlight

Engineers Without Borders in Kenya

Over Spring Break 2024, the UMass chapter of Engineers Without Borders traveled to Kenya. In collaboration with colleagues from the University of Nairobi, students applied their knowledge of clean water technology to help address the water crisis in the small village of Imale. 

Engineers Without Borders