Young Professionals Spotlight: Student Chapters

Our APWA-MN Student Chapters are off to a great start this school year! With the help of the APWA-MN professional chapter, the student chapters help to grow the continued interest in and understanding of city engineering and public works and serve as a gateway to connect civil engineering students with professionals. Read below for more on our student chapters.

If you’d like to present or meet with the students to share your industry experience, career advice, or discuss a particular project, please fill out this form! 

University of St. Thomas
The APWA student chapter began in 2018, in the school’s second year of offering civil engineering courses. The chapter size has grown with the program year-over-year and consists of students of all grades (freshman to fifth-year). Historically, the students have enjoyed lunch-and-learns, site tours, and sending student members to the MPWA fall conference. Now branched within Tommie Civil, students are joined weekly by industry professionals to discuss all disciplines of civil engineering and public works. 

This past spring, the students enjoyed a lunch and learn from engineers at the City of Hastings and the City of Cottage Grove. Presenters discussed the intricacies of municipal engineering and public works, their individual career paths, APWA, and how to position yourself for your career. This broadened the students’ understanding of what their studies may apply to when they enter their career, as well as giving them a better understanding of local government, policies, and public works.

This fall, students got to hear from multiple young professionals in city engineering and public works positions. The Young Professionals shared about their career paths and lessons learned, then opened to the student group for a panel-style Q&A. Getting to learn from and interact with young professionals opens doors for students, and they can imagine themselves in the industry post-graduation.

University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Since its founding in 2012, the University of Minnesota APWA Student Chapter has been creating meaningful opportunities for students to connect with industry leaders. Each fall features a networking event and an engaging technical tour, while spring brings an insightful industry panel and a social gathering. These events are designed to foster professional growth and build lasting connections within the public works community.

The U of MN students has had an exciting start to the semester, filled with opportunities for students to connect with professionals and learn more about the field of public works. On September 19th, five students attended a guided tour of the Robbinsdale Water Treatment Plant, led by Richard McCoy, the city’s Public Works Director and City Engineer, is a state-of-the-art facility designed to improve the city’s drinking water quality and system reliability. It also received national recognition, earning APWA’s Project of the Year Award in the Small Cities/Rural Communities – Environmental category. Students gained valuable insights into the design and operation of modern treatment systems, as well as the collaboration between engineers, city staff, and contractors that makes such projects possible.

Earlier in the month, on September 10th, the chapter hosted a student and professional networking event at Goldy’s Game Room in Coffman Memorial Union. The event brought together about 30 students and several local professionals for an evening of bowling, conversation, and connection. With six lanes reserved for the event, attendees had plenty of opportunities to meet others interested in public works, share experiences, and learn more about careers in municipal and civil engineering. The chapter is excited to continue building momentum and looks forward to more events before the end of the year and into next semester!