<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=32AHnR_1H0JvmRk00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=32AHnR_1H0JvmRk00" width="1763" height="1175" ><figcaption>A brick “N” logo outside Kiewit Hall on Oct. 26, 2026 in Lincoln. Photo by Justin Diep</figcaption></figure>Each year, the materials and specifications class at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln would build a wall, tear it down and send the materials to the landfill. But this year, Emmeline Watson, an engineering professor, decided students should create something more sustainable. “There's always things that we can improve, so we started to look around and figure out if there is any way we can do a permanent job, and that way, the students could do it, but then it'll be there forever,” Watson said.While looking to make this shift, she noticed that each year during move-in time, a patch of grass in front of Abel Hall would get destroyed by cars driving over it, making it a costly annual fix. The solution she and industry partners came up with was to replace the area with not just normal concrete, but a brick-laid walkway that takes the shape of the Nebraska Block “N”.“It makes it more fun, but also makes it more of a challenge for the students,” she said. Industry partners donated around $40,000 in materials and time from experts who helped oversee the project. In the months leading up to the build, students learned about compaction, soils, masonry and pavers; then they built. By mid-October, the class of 130 students celebrated the installation after a week-long build. For Iyah Aguer, a sophomore construction management major, the project meant a hands-on lesson that introduced her to the real day-to-day of her future career. Aguer handled logistics, logging the hours students clocked in and out on an Excel spreadsheet. “The project helped me understand just how so many people can work together,” Aguer said. “Just learning about it all and then actually getting to do it, I think, is really unique and cool.”The project also helped Aguer connect with industry professionals, such as members from Hawkins, an Omaha-based construction company. Watson said she hopes students come out of the experience with a desire to do work that helps their community. “Not only are we graduating amazing engineers with so many good skills, but also they need to be this complete person and have these eyes for the world, and what we can do to leave the world in a better place,” she said. The finished product brought a lot of pride to students, Watson said, adding that they brought parents and took photos upon completion. “There is something about when you build something with your own work and your own hands, that is one of the best feelings,” she said.Engraved in one of the last few bricks laid is the class code, CNST 251.“When they are my age, they can bring their own kids and say, ‘Hey, I built this. You see, that's my class number right there,’” Watson said. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0qVfO0_1H0JvmRk00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0qVfO0_1H0JvmRk00" width="1763" height="1175" ></figure></div></body>

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Each year, the materials and specifications class at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln would build a wall, tear it down and send the materials to the landfill. But this year, Emmeline Watson, an engineering professor, decided students should create something more sustainable. “There's always things that we can improve, so we...

UNL engineering students pave a fix for destroyed green space

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Each year, the materials and specifications class at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln would build a wall, tear it down and send the materials to the land

UNL engineering students pave a fix for destroyed green space

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