Rusali Awarded SAF Italo V. (Ody) Mackin Achievement Award
CEE sophomore Ryan Rusali was recently awarded the Italo V. (Ody) Mackin Achievement Award, presented by The Student Award Foundation (SAF) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Pittsburgh Section. Rusali will receive the commendation during ASCE Pittsburgh’s annual Engineers’ Week awards banquet.Rusali has shown great leadership during his time at the university. He’s currently a board member of the ASCE student chapter, will serve as chapter communications chair during the next academic year, and is responsible for planning many successful ASCE student chapter events. “[This award] will mark a milestone on Rusali’s path to becoming a leader in our profession,” says ASCE chapter advisor professor Jim Thompson.
Alongside professor Sarah Christian, Rusali is researching non-typical construction materials. For his project, Rusali is looking at bamboo, which he believes could replace wood as a sustainable building resource. Unlike most wood, bamboo doesn’t require months of preparation and treatment before it may be used—making it a potential environmentally-friendly and strong material for creating structures.
Rusali has also served as a summer resident assistant and an orientation counselor for incoming first-year students. He is active in the CMU community as a member of the Kiltie Band and provides technology assistance for Scotch’N’Soda student theatre.
The SAF Italo V. (Ody) Mackin Achievement Award is given annually to an outstanding student of civil engineering who resides in or attends an engineering school within the bounds of the ASCE Pittsburgh Section. The award is named after Ody Mackin, a World War II veteran who took advantage of the G.I. Bill to attend Carnegie Institute of Technology. Mackin graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.
CEE congratulates Ryan Rusali for earning this award!