2024 Daniel V. Terrell Paper Competition
2024-03-22 Update: The due date has been extended from March 1, 2024 to March 22, 2024.
The Region 4 Assembly, which includes members of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in the states of Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, sponsors an annual competition and award for a Younger Member who resides within Region 4. A Younger Member is defined as a member, associate member, or affiliate of ASCE (not including student members), not over 35 years of age on February 1, 2024.
The award is named after Daniel V. Terrell of the Kentucky Section. Terrell was Dean of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering and President of ASCE on the Society level in 1954. This award is presented annually for the outstanding paper submitted on a topic established by the Region 4 Assembly. The winner of the D.V. Terrell award receives Society and peer acclaim as well as an impressive bronze plaque and cash prize in recognition of the time and effort put into this competition.
If one chooses to enter the Daniel V. Terrell competition, the paper must be submitted to the Terrell Committee, by the entrant’s Section President, by March 22, 2024. Two (2) papers per Section may be entered in the Daniel V. Terrell Paper Competition. The entrant must then present their paper during the Spring 2024 Meeting of the Region 4 Assembly tentatively scheduled for April 26 & 27, 2024 in Arkansas. Financial assistance to travel and attend this meeting (i.e. travel stipend) may be available from the entrant’s Section and/or Branch, and should be requested by the entrant to their respective Section/Branch (entrant’s registration and award dinner is covered by Region 4). Travel arrangements to the meeting should be coordinated with the entrant’s respective Branch and/or Section.
The Daniel V. Terrell competition topic (same as the topic for the society’s Daniel W. Mead Contest) must address professional ethics with respect to the following question or statement:
Per ASCE’s Code of Ethics, engineers govern their professional careers on fundamental principles that, above all else, protect and advance the health, safety, and welfare of the public through the practice of Civil Engineering.
Civil engineers are responsible for planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting and advancing the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Technology, particularly the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), has the potential to change engineering in the future and design the built environment for generations. Ethical responsibilities of an engineer may or may not align with the use of AI on engineering projects.
Discuss how engineers need to evaluate their ethical responsibilities as they determine whether or how to use AI to aid in their work.
The first place award is a bronze plaque and $500. The second place prize is $250.
Competition scoring:
Presentation of Paper - 35% (Delivery and Effectiveness - 20%, Choice of Words, Literary Style Pronunciation and Enunciation - 10%, Timing - 5%)
Content of Paper - 65% (Material - 40%, Acquaintance with subject - Scope - 10%, Originality - Independence - 10%, Arrangement - 5%)
The following rules apply to the Daniel V. Terrell Paper Competition:
No individual may submit more than one paper in a given year.
Please include your ASCE member ID number, your name, and Section/Branch on the paper.
The paper shall be of such length that it can be presented orally in not more than fifteen minutes and contain no more than 2000 words.
Submit one electronic copy of the paper, preferably a PDF, with a cover letter to your Section President so that he/she can meet the submittal deadline. Entrants should coordinate with their respective Section well in advance of the submittal deadline, as the official submittal to the competition must come from the Section. Late submittals will not be accepted. Each Section is limited to two entries.
The paper must be presented orally, by the author, during the Region 4 Assembly at the Spring 2024 meeting, tentatively scheduled for April 26 & 27, 2024 in Arkansas.
Reference citations of the papers should conform to official ASCE Journal Submission Guidelines, which can be found on the ASCE Publications website. Plagiarism is not acceptable and reference citations will be considered under scoring for Originality.
For complete rules and information on the Terrell Paper Competition, visit the Region 4 website.
For additional information on the Daniel V. Terrell competition, please contact Jon Keeling or Monica Sartain.
Travel arrangements to the meeting should be coordinated with the entrant's respective Branch and/or Section. Financial assistance may be available.