The Daniel V. Terrell Paper Competition

 

The Region 4 Assembly of the American Society of Civil Engineers is proud to conduct the Daniel V. Terrell Paper Competition for Younger Members. This prestigious competition has been held for over 60 years and commemorates Dean Terrell's many years   of work and service to the Society and especially his leadership in the establishment of the District Council System, the predecessor of the Region 4 Assembly. All members, associate members or affiliates of ASCE (not including student members) who are 35 years of age or less on February 1, 2024, residing in Region 4, are eligible to submit papers in this competition. 

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 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 March 22, 2024 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 Little Rock, Arkansas.  
  • Contestants are encouraged to seek financial support from their Sections and Branches for associated travel expenses.
  • Reference citations of the papers should conform to official ASCE Journal Submission Guidelines, which can be found on the ASCE Publications website: http://ascelibrary.org/page/authorservicesjournals. Plagiarism is not acceptable and reference citations will be considered under scoring for Originality.
 
AWARDS:
• First Place - Bronze plaque (see picture on front) + $500 cash prize
• Second Place - $250 cash prize
 
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%) 
 

Click here for Past Terrell Paper Winners.

DV Terrell Paper Competition Rules