Alex Delgado Beebe Selected for National Civil Engineering Student Leadership Award

Graduating Senior Alex Beebe remembers approximately 18 months ago when he, as new president,  and his other newly elected American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) officers sat down in Speed School’s Duthie Center to brainstorm about the chapter.

“We filled white board after white board with our plans and goals, and ideas about how we would achieve them,” said Alex. Fast forward to today, and under Alex’s leadership, the chapter has experienced phenomenal growth in involved membership from 35 to 110+ students. The chapter was recently recognized with an ASCE certificate of commendation, letter of significant improvement, and was named by University of Louisville as the student organization of the year.

Now Alex’s individual accomplishments and leadership have also been recognized nationally as he was named one of only six winners of the 2020 ASCE Student Leadership Award.

Beyond the growth spurt in membership, Alex and his team have brought an unprecedented evolution to the ASCE chapter. Alex has been responsible for overseeing a variety of successful socials, speakers, meetings and field trips, as well as sending more than 30 students to local and national conferences.

“I am incredibly happy to see the trajectory of the chapter and proud to know what I have done to help set that,” said Alex.

Alex attended the 2016 national education convention as a student ambassador, was selected as a 2018 North American Semifinalist for the Schneider Electric Go-Green-in-the-City competition, attended and competed in the 2019 ASCE conference, selected as a team captain for the 2019 Construction Institute (CI) Student Days competition, and was then invited as a ‘best speaker’ award winner to attend the 2020 CI Summit.

“These conferences have only grown my love for our civil industry,” said Alex.

The graduating senior has published and presented two co-authored research papers on the transitional effects of engineering co-ops, and served as Speed School Student Council Director of Community Relations, where he led new fundraising initiatives, and piloted and directed the new Speed School Mentoring Program.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor and ASCE Faculty advisor Mark French, who wrote a letter supporting Alex for the Student Leadership Award, said the chapter’s transformation has been directly related to the tremendous efforts coordinated and led by Alex.

“A model of leadership, Alex moved the bar to a higher level for all civil engineering students at the University of Louisville in terms of engaging with the civil engineering profession and bridging from a student view into engineering practice through ASCE,” said French.  “He committed tremendous energy in dedicated and focused work to develop an inclusive and supportive community for senior classmates and underclass students,” he said.

French also noted Alex’s ability to coordinate the strengths of his chapter officers and other student leaders to increase ASCE visibility, and to demonstrate how ASCE benefits student members and serves as a stepping stone to the professional world.

Zhihui Sun, Ph.D. Professor and Chair Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, said Alex also demonstrated a commitment to community service, leading the student chapter to help host E-Expo with the CE Department. “During the event, they helped many young kids to get hands-on experience with balsa bridge design, concrete mixing, land surveying, etc., exposing these young kids in our community to STEM discipline,” she said. “He also worked with his chapter members to design and build a wheelchair ramp for a handicapped low income resident in Louisville as part of the annual “Repair Affair” community event that assists our underserved and underinvested communities,” said Sun.

Next for Alex is a three-year management Leadership Development Program at Schneider Electric beginning in August 2020.  “I see myself developing my management skills, then returning to civil engineering in Louisville to further my career locally, with aspirations to one day own my own company or serve in a high position in an existing company,” said Alex.

“I love civil engineering, and hope to one day give back to Louisville for how much the city has given me since I was born here; helping fight whatever challenges the city faces in the near future.”