Team Members: Justyn Delli Veneri, Jacob Hardin (Team Leader), Colin O’Hara, Olivia Wilkens, and Matthew Wunder

Advisors: Dr. Andrew Bechtel and Dr. Michael Horst

Team Leader

Jacob Hardin is the team leader for the 2019-2020 TCNJ Concrete Canoe Team. Jacob will oversee and manage all aspects of project: Mix design, hull design and the construction of the canoe. The Team Leader will be responsible for understanding the rules and regulations of the ASCE competition, registering the team for the competition, take charge of budgeting and fundraising, and assist other team members with their individual tasks if help is needed.  Jacob is responsible for creating a timeframe for the project to be completed and adjusting that timeline accordingly through the semester. The team leader will take the lead role in any project presentations, creations of reports and proposals. In addition, he will be designing the construction process for the canoe, and use the design team’s plans to create section cuts of the build.

Jacob is a senior civil engineering student at The College of New Jersey. He has experience working for Van Cleef Consulting and Whiting-Turner Contracting as a summer intern. This past summer Jacob held the title of Field Engineer on projects in Hackensack and Bridgewater, NJ. Jacob is a member of TCNJ’s Ski and Snowboard Club and an on campus student tutor in the Mathematics and Science Department.

Mix Design Team

Colin O’Hara is a member of the mix design team. Colin will be part of the making, designing, and testing various different types of concrete mix designs. Colin will be concentrated on designing concrete that is able to float in water. In order to determine this, a series of laboratory experiments and research will be completed. The final aspect of Colin’s role will be to create the final mix that will be applied to the canoe mold during construction period.

As a senior at The College of New Jersey, Colin is heavily involved and holding executive board positions in several organizations, including Chi Epsilon, ITE, and ASCE. Colin has interned for Maser Consulting PA the past two summers in the Traffic & Transportation group, and will return as a full-time employee after graduating in May. Additionally, Colin is looking into the possibility of attending graduate school part time, as well as pursuing a Professional Engineering License.

Olivia Wilkens is a member of the mix design team. Olivia will be tasked with testing various samples, taking into consideration the different properties, and adjusting them to create the ideal mix. The concrete mix must be durable and as it will be thinly spread to create the canoe, it must be strong enough to maintain its shape and hold four members during the competition. Olivia will complete laboratory tests to make necessary improvements to the design, and once the ideal mix is finalized, Olivia will use the mix to construct the canoe using the canoe mold.

As a senior at The College of New Jersey, Olivia is currently involved in organizations both in and outside of the engineering department. Olivia is the current Vice President of TCNJ’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, an ASCE member, and a member of the TCNJ Women’s Club Basketball team. She also works as a Soil Mechanics Laboratory Assistant, and this past summer worked as a Project Assistant Intern at Atlantic Infrared. Post graduation, Olivia is seeking full-time employment while working towards Professional Engineering Licensure.

Hull Design Team

Justyn Delli Veneri is a member of the hull design team. Justyn will conduct research and look into different possible hull designs for the concrete canoe. With the information gathered from his research, Justyn will use a computer program in order to assess the different hull designs for the concrete canoe. Justyn plans to pick various hull designs, each one with a different advantage in order to see which hull design will work best for the concrete canoe. Justyn also plans to make a decision matrix to help the team pick the most efficient hull design. The hull design of the canoe consists of many parts including the thwarts, rocker, gunwale and tumblehome. Based on the analysis of the designs, Justyn plans to use the decision matrix to choose the hull design with the best score.

Justyn is a senior at The College of New Jersey, and plans to get his Master’s Degree in Business Administration while also gaining civil engineering industry experience at the same time. He is a member of ASCE, AWWA, and is the President of TCNJ’s Club Baseball team. Justyn has held Project Engineer and Project Manager intern positions with Lendlease for two summers and most recently, Engineer Assistant and Construction Management intern positions with Neglia Engineering Associates for two summers.

Matthew Wunder is a member of the hull design team. Matthew will be tasked with completing a structural analysis of the boat’s hull. This will be done to ensure that the final design’s strength is adequate enough for the competition. Analyzing the strength of each hull design is crucial in determining which one will be able to hold the load of four group members during the race. Any designs that passes the analysis will be considered for the final design.

Currently a senior at The College of New Jersey, Matt is involved in some clubs and organizations on campus. He is a member of American Society of Civil Engineers, Club Baseball, Humanitarian Engineering, Institute of Transportation Engineers, and holds the position of Senator of Engineering in Student Government. This past summer, Matt worked as an intern for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, where he planned and supervised projects. In the near future Matt hopes to obtain a job, where he can get a Master’s degree and work towards PE certification.