University of Iowa civil and environmental engineering (CEE) students working on their senior design project spent last fall designing a trail that would make a busy business corridor safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicles in West Burlington, Iowa. When the next phase of the project began, community leaders discovered the students’ efforts had also saved the town’s taxpayers $60,000 for work already completed.

While senior design projects often lead to solutions for clients, they don’t always have such a direct financial benefit. The students – Emma Oelmann and Blake Misfeldt – not only addressed a critical safety issue but also earned the city a $60,000 credit from its consulting firm, Bolton & Menk.

“The students’ work reduced the scope and cost of what future engineering or consulting firms will need to do,” said Gregg Mandsager, city administrator of West Burlington, a city of 3,200 people 75 miles southeast of Iowa City. "It’s been a high-impact, low-cost collaboration that’s helping move West Burlington forward.”

Mandsager said the students “gave us professional-level planning, design, and research that will directly inform future projects.”

The student team collaborated with West Burlington officials. They conducted a site visit, gathered on-site elevation data, and developed a comprehensive design that included horizontal and vertical alignments, trail cross-sections, pedestrian crosswalk layout, adjustments to traffic light timing, material quantities, and cost estimates, according to an overview of the project. Their final product – a preliminary design – included a trail along the north side of Agency Street with pedestrian-friendly intersections and connections to existing trails.

“It pays off to do your due diligence and research,” said Oelmann, the project lead and liaison to city staff. “Understanding the site and the client’s needs really strengthens the design process.”

Oelmann, a fall 2024 graduate from Williamsburg, Iowa, with a degree in civil and environmental engineering, now works for Foth, a Cedar Rapids engineering firm. Misfeldt, a fall 2024 graduate from Erie, Illinois, joined the United States Army. 

Senior design is a rite of passage for Iowa engineering students, who spend a semester or more examining a complicated problem for a client. The client gets high quality work and a fresh set of eyes, while the students get experience with a real-world project and feedback from working professionals. 

A unique aspect of CEE’s approach to senior design is that the clients are always communities throughout Iowa, and the students work with the city and town leaders and community stakeholders.

Paul Hanley is CEE’s senior design lead instructor and served as faculty advisor on the Oelmann and Misfeldt project. CEE students have completed 150 projects in more than 40 communities. Hanley partners with the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities, a community engagement partnership program housed at the University of Iowa. 

Learn more about the CEE senior design program.