American Concrete Institute recognizes KU chapter

LAWRENCE — Students at the University of Kansas School of Engineering are helping cement KU’s reputation as a nationwide leader in concrete research and education.

The KU chapter of the American Concrete Institute was recently named an ACI Excellent University for 2012. Only 16 universities across the country earned the distinction. KU will be recognized during ACI’s 2013 spring convention April 14 in Minneapolis, Minn.

KU earned the honor due to high levels of student participation on campus and attending various ACI events. KU’s ACI chapter has 25 members.

“Being in ACI gets you real world experience, as opposed to the theoretical problems you go over in class,” said Brian McInnes, a Topeka senior in civil engineering and president of the School of Engineering’s ACI Chapter. “You get to hear industry leaders talk about what they do on a day-to-day basis and learn details on what to expect when you graduate and get a job.”

ACI is a nonprofit technical and educational society organized in 1904 and is one of the world's leading authorities on concrete technology.