Local student takes second place in national competition

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Members of the Architectural Engineering Institute student chapter at MSOE

MILWAUKEE, WI (05/18/2012)(readMedia)-- MSOE's Architectural Engineering Institute student chapter took second place in the construction management category at third annual ASCE Charles Pankow Foundation Architectural Engineering Student Competition at the AEI National Student Conference in Omaha, Neb. in April. Josh Szmergalski, from Wauconda, Ill., was part of the team.

The competition project challenged the student teams to provide a design development submittal for a new Government Office Building with significant building security requirements in Omaha along the Missouri River. The student participants were encouraged to work together in multi-disciplinary teams and consider how the engineered systems work with or enhance the architecture of the building. Space programming for the building was shown on the schematic plans. Additionally, the design submittals were required to address the challenge to integrate and optimize on a life cycle basis all major high performance attributes, including energy conservation, environment, and safety, building security, durability, accessibility, cost-benefit, productivity, sustainability, functionality and operational considerations.

Nine teams participated in the competition from the University of Nebraska, Tennessee State University, Drexel University, Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Milwaukee School of Engineering and University of Wyoming.

Congratulations to the team, pictured above. Back row, left to right: Steve Reed, construction management, Glendale, Wis.; Josh Szmergalski, architectural engineering, Wauconda, Ill.; Jordan Borst, architectural engineering, Wauwatosa, Wis.; Eric Rybold, architectural engineering and construction management, Oconomowoc, Wis. Front row, left to right: Thomas Martin, architectural engineering and structural engineering, Wausau, Wis.; John Eggert, architectural engineering and construction management, Milwaukee; Jessica Phillips, architectural engineering, Freedom, Wis.; Eric Schmidt, architectural engineering and environmental engineering, Kaukauna, Wis. Not pictured: Jake Roberts, construction management, Pontiac, Ill.; and Zane Witt, architectural engineering, Albuquerque, N.M. Professor Mike McGeen was the team's faculty advisor.

MSOE is an independent, non-profit university with about 2,500 students. MSOE offers 18 bachelor's degrees and nine master's degrees in the engineering, engineering technology, building and infrastructure engineering, health-related engineering, computer, business and nursing fields. The university has a national academic reputation; longstanding ties to business and industry; dedicated professors with real-world experience; and extremely high placement rates and the highest starting salaries of any Wisconsin university according to PayScale Inc. MSOE graduates are well-rounded, technologically experienced and highly productive professionals and leaders.