Department celebrates 50-year anniversary of CEE alumni board

9/10/2013

50th anniversary of CEE Alumni Association Board marked by by social events, establishment of scholarships.

Written by

CEE alumni returned to campus September 6-7 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the CEE Alumni Association (CEEAA) board. The celebration began Friday night with a reception in the M.T. Geoffrey Yeh Student Center. On Saturday the department hosted a pre-game brunch at the Activities and Recreation Center, followed by the football game against Cincinnati, at which CEE alumni enjoyed the game together in a reserved block of seats.

students help at the entry
students help at the entry

CEE students (l to r) Nishant Makhijani, Ryan Chan, Marika Nell and Athena Patras help out at the entry table for the cocktail reception Friday night.

Elaine and Bill Hall visit with Daniel Halpin
Elaine and Bill Hall visit with Daniel Halpin

Elaine and Bill Hall (left) visit with Daniel Halpin.

To mark the occasion, the current CEEAA board established a scholarship to be awarded each year to a student with a record of service to the department. To make a gift in support of this scholarship, please contact John Southwood, Director of Advancement, jfswood@illinois.edu, (217) 300-5480.

The CEEAA board was established in 1963, when Nathan M. Newmark was head. The department alumni association at that time was called the Civil Engineering Alumni Association (CEAA), because the department did not add the word “Environmental” to its name until 1998.

At that time, $2 of the $5 annual dues to the University of Illinois Alumni Association was credited to the department Alumni Association to support its activities. Scheduled events that year included a pre-game luncheon before the Homecoming football game and social events in conjunction with various annual professional meetings, including the American Society of Civil Engineers in San Francisco, the Highway Research Board in Washington, D.C., the American Concrete Institute in Houston, Texas, and the Institute of Traffic Engineers in Toronto, Canada.

That year the CEAA Executive Committee included Paul F. Kent (BS 20), president; Frank K. Veasman (BS 39), first vice president; Thomas D. Wofford Jr. (BS 46), second vice president; Edward E. Bauer (BS 19), secretary; and Milton O. Schmidt (PhD 50), CEE professor, assistant secretary.

alumni enjoy breakfast on game day
alumni enjoy breakfast on game day

CEE alumni gather at the ARC for brunch on game day.

fred and paul garrott at the brunch
fred and paul garrott at the brunch

Fred and Paula Garrott show off some Illini style at the brunch.

Dan Work, Barry Dempsey
Dan Work, Barry Dempsey

CEE Assistant Professor Dan Work (left) and Professor Emeritus Barry Dempsey.

Dave Daniel, Vicki Olson, Joseph Abruzzo, Gabriel Wiede
Dave Daniel, Vicki Olson, Joseph Abruzzo, Gabriel Wiede

From left, former CEE department head and dean of engineering Dave Daniel, Vicki Olson, Joseph Abruzzo and Gabriel Wiede.

imad al-qadi and Amr Elnashai
imad al-qadi and Amr Elnashai

CEE Professor Imad Al-Qadi, left, and Professor and Head Amr Elnashai.

Helen and Joel Maurer
Helen and Joel Maurer

Helen and Joel Maurer

marshall thompson, james hanlon
marshall thompson, james hanlon

CEE Professor Emeritus Marshall Thompson, left, and James Hanlon.

John Kos, Andrew Richardson and Greg Cargill
John Kos, Andrew Richardson and Greg Cargill

From left, John Kos, Andrew Richardson and Greg Cargill.

Ray and Margaret Ackerman and John Witter
Ray and Margaret Ackerman and John Witter

From left, Margaret Ackerman, CEE senior John Witter and Ray Ackerman.

paul koch and john carrato
paul koch and john carrato

From left, Paul Koch and John Carrato.


Share this story

This story was published September 10, 2013.