UNL Architectural Engineering celebrates 10th anniversary

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's architectural engineering program will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an Oct. 6 event for business leaders, alumni, students, staff and faculty.

One of only 16 accredited architectural engineering programs in the United States, the program is part of the Charles W. Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction, located at the Peter Kiewit Institute in Omaha. Durham is one of only three schools in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in architectural engineering.

From its 1998 start with just two professors and 23 students, the program grew to 10 faculty and 290 students this fall. Of the students, 221 are undergraduates, 52 are master's students, and 17 are doctoral candidates.

Part of the UNL College of Engineering, the program's "living laboratory" facilities at PKI include: * Structures Lab -- used for destructive testing, it features a "reaction wall" that can resist 1 million pounds of pressure and a 25-ton movable crane, the largest in a university setting; * Building Systems Lab -- used for instruction, training and testing of the latest applications in HVAC, electrical, fire, security and plumbing systems; and * Lighting Lab -- at 1,600 square feet, this space allows students to study the spatial and spectral distribution of light in building interiors.

The "AE 10" birthday event will feature question-and-answer sessions with alumni and industry professionals, representing top architectural engineering firms, including several based in Omaha. Find more information at www.engineering.unl.edu/events/AE10Birthday.