ACEC NE Honors Three as Engineering Champions

Three UNL professors named Nebraska Champion for Engineering Award winners

helping the state maintain and increase our engineering workforce, and it’s a great recognition to celebrate our department’s role in assisting with this initiative.” edges that the association’s partnership with the College of Engineering is pivotal for solving the current workforce challenge.

As part of their effort to support Nebraska’s engineering workforce, ACEC NE launched the Let’s MEET – Mentoring Emerging Engineers Together Program in collaboration with the University of Nebraska College of Engineering’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2022. MEET’s mission is to support engineering students through their undergraduate years with mentoring and educational opportunities.

“The MEET program is a partnership that will help foster the development of students into professionals, and the engagement of the college’s leadership is invaluable. Our hope is that this program will soon be implemented in all areas of the College of Engineering,” McClure says. “We’re excited to continue growing our partnership and for the opportunity to recognize three faculty members who have helped us establish the program.”

University of Nebraska Professors of Civil Engineering Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, George Hunt and Matthew Williamson were awarded the 2023 Nebraska Champion for Engineering Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies Nebraska (ACEC NE) for their collaboration with the association and dedication to the profession.

“It was an incredible honor to receive this award,” says Bartelt-Hunt. “As chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, I have worked closely with ACEC Nebraska on workforce development. ACEC is critical in

Professors Bartelt-Hunt, Hunt and Williamson were integral in liaising with UNL freshmen and sophomore engineering students and faculty and ACEC NE members to get the MEET program up and running.

“This program shows how much support there is for Nebraska’s future engineers from the professional community – it’s just unparalleled,” Bartelt-Hunt says. “The mentorship for our students is invaluable, and I hope this program helps us to retain more diverse engineers to help us solve the state’s future engineering challenges.”

ACEC NE Executive Director Jeanne McClure acknowl-

ACEC Nebraska established the Nebraska Champion for Engineering Award to recognize outstanding individuals and teams who have collaborated with the association to support the state’s engineering profession. The organization represents 48 consulting engineering firms in Nebraska, and its mission is to improve the quality of life in the state by strengthening the business environment for the consulting engineering profession.