SUNY Canton Assistant Professor Receives Competitive Fellowship

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Adrienne C. Rygel, SUNY Canton Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering Technology, recently received a competitive American Society of Civil Engineers training fellowship.

CANTON, NY (04/15/2009)(readMedia)-- A SUNY Canton faculty member has been selected for an exclusive American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) training that will enhance the hands-on career-oriented courses in the Canino School of Engineering Technology.

Adrienne C. Rygel, an assistant professor in the Civil Engineering Technology program received a competitive fellowship to the upcoming Excellence in Engineering Education program held in June at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. She was selected for her commitment to excellence in education and willingness to serve as a future role model for other faculty members at the College, according the ASCE.

"As an instructor, I need to be able to take an advanced concept or problem and approach it from a number of ways for students to understand it," Rygel said. "This fellowship will increase the creative and innovative ways that I present my material to encourage student participation and retention."

Rygel, who is currently preparing a new curriculum for a four-year bachelor's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering Technology, will be responsible for conveying the lessons and objectives she learns at the ASCE program to other faculty members. "In order to convey this advanced material effectively, we as instructors at SUNY Canton are consistently challenged to remain in the top competitive levels within the career-oriented scope of the program."

The Civil Engineering Technology program provides opportunities for students to obtain real-world experience while completing their degree and is considered among the quintessential "hands-on" programs at the college. There is a high-demand for graduates of this program and jobs are highly competitive. Last year, 100 percent of the program's graduates were either working or continuing their education at graduation.

Rygel is one of the newest faculty members at the college. She and three other faculty members draw upon their past experiences as industry professionals to aid in the specialized training for students in the program. She is a former groundwater geologist for the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and Project Manager and Project Engineering at OP-TECH Environmental Services, Inc. in Massena. She has her master's degree in Geology and her doctorate in Civil Engineering.

SUNY Canton offers a wide variety of career-driven bachelor's, associate, and certificate programs, as well as three master's degrees in conjunction with SUNYIT, Utica. Most of SUNY Canton's new four-year programs are designed so students can take them on-campus, online, or both. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 100 courses online each semester. The College offers a four-day academic week allowing students greater flexibility for work, family, or other obligations. The College's athletic teams belong to the NAIA's Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years.

-www.canton.edu-