Student and Young Professional Events at Ports® ’25

The COPRI Ports & Harbors Committee encourages students and young professionals to participate in the Ports® '25 Conference through the Student Paper Competition or the Young Professionals Poster Session. Both events will occur during the conference between June 1st – 4th, 2025, at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI.

The following document summarizes both events, highlighting key dates and requirements for each. Please get in touch with the Students & Young Professionals Committee at [email protected] with any questions.

Scheduled Events for Students & Young Professionals

Additional student and young professional events will occur throughout the conference, including evening gatherings and networking opportunities.  

Kayaking Outing:  Young Professionals Team Building
Sunday, June 1, 2025
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
$35.00 per person

Kick off the conference with a relaxing and engaging afternoon of team building and professional networking while kayaking on the scenic Providence River! Just a short 10-minute walk from the conference, this event offers a perfect mix of friendly competition and leisure. Participants can choose to join a race and play water games or simply float and unwind. While off the water, enjoy games and music in the adjacent park. Don’t miss this chance to connect with fellow attendees in a fun, informal setting—we look forward to seeing you there!

SYP Ice Breaker Reception
Sunday, June 1, 2025
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Free for SYP participants

This event is sponsored by Collins Engineers, GHD and Jacobs.

All students and young professionals (SYPs) are invited to kick off the conference at the SYP-focused Ice Breaker Reception, sponsored by ASCE. This event offers a fantastic opportunity to network with fellow SYPs, explore the impressive posters created by your peers, and learn more about the SYP committee and the other SYP events throughout the conference. Enjoy food, drinks, and great conversations as you make connections to start the conference on a high note! The reception will transition into the larger Welcome Reception, open to all conference attendees.

SYP Happy Hour at Trinity Brewhouse
Monday, June 2, 2025
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Trinity Brewhouse:  186 Fountain St, Providence, RI 02903
Free for SYP participants (limited spots)

This event is sponsored by HDR.

Take a break and connect with fellow young professionals at the SYP Happy Hour hosted at Trinity Brewhouse, a local favorite known for its craft brews and inviting atmosphere. Enjoy tasty food, refreshments, and plenty of opportunities to network with peers who are shaping the future of the industry. This relaxed and engaging event is the perfect chance to share ideas, build new connections, and unwind after a productive day at the conference. Plus, test your knowledge and have some fun with a trivia game, offering a great way to spark conversation! 

SYP Networking Luncheon
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
RSVP Required During Registration

Engage in meaningful conversations and expand your professional network during this interactive 1.5-hour session. Students and young professionals will have the opportunity to connect with experienced industry leaders, ask questions, and gain valuable insights. The first 30 minutes will be dedicated to lunch and casual networking, allowing for informal conversations. The remaining hour will feature a more structured format, fostering in-depth discussions and knowledge sharing. Take advantage of this unique setting to exchange perspectives and develop professional relationships.

Student Paper Competition Winners Announcement
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Wildfire Arts Center:  475 Valley St, Providence, RI 02908
Ticket for the Evening Gala Required

Support our Student Paper finalists as they showcase their research throughout the day. Presentation topics include sea level rise, port infrastructure, and ground-penetrating radar applications in the marine environment. Join us to learn from the next generation of industry leaders as they present their findings. Winners will be announced during the Gala on Tuesday evening.

Ports 101 Series
Monday, June 2 - Wednesday, June 3, 2025
During concurrent technical sessions

The Ports 101 series is a concurrent technical track designed for young professionals and those new to the industry. Carefully curated topics give attendees a comprehensive overview of the port and marine engineering industry. Sessions feature 20-minute presentations delivered by experienced practitioners, offering practical insights in an accessible format. For more details, visit the interactive program on the conference app.

Young Professionals Poster Session
Sunday, June 1 - Wednesday, June 3, 2025

Explore innovative projects led by our talented young professionals. These posters showcase diverse and impactful work, offering valuable insights into their expertise. The posters will be displayed throughout the conference, with authors available to discuss their projects whenever possible. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, ask questions, and gain inspiration!

Student Paper Competition

The COPRI Ports & Harbors Committee will once again hold the Student Paper Competition during the Ports® '25 Conference. The top four papers will be presented by their lead author within the technical program, have their names and presentation titles listed in the conference program, and their papers will be published in the Ports® '25 Proceedings.

Possible paper topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

•    Environmental
•    Port Planning & Operations
•    Terminal Planning & Design
•    Navigation & Waterways
•    Landside Connections
•    Port Engineering
•    Equipment & Systems
•    Port Infrastructure
•    Port Security
•    Project Delivery
•    Blue Economy

Students interested in participating in the paper competition should submit abstracts through the main conference Call for Abstracts page and follow abstract submission guidelines found on that page. 

ASCE/COPRI membership is encouraged but not required for abstract submission. All submissions will be reviewed by members of the Students & Young Professionals Committee, and the authors will be notified of their acceptance.

Abstract submissions are due Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Following notification of abstract acceptance, draft papers will be due on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.  

Paper-winning Criteria

The top four lead authors will present their papers during the technical sessions at the conference. The final winners of the Student Paper Competition will be based on both the paper content and the presentation delivered. 

Submitted papers should address the material presented in the accepted abstracts and be written according to the ASCE Conference Proceedings Paper Formatting Instructions. Paper formatting guidelines can be found on the Call for Abstracts website page. 

The top four paper submissions will receive a complimentary registration to the Ports® '25 Conference and reimbursement for travel and/or hotel costs (up to $1,200 in total for one person on the team) to attend the conference. Professors are not allowed to present the paper on behalf of the student.  Students may submit papers as a team; however, conference and travel costs will be covered for only one author per team.  Airline and hotel receipts required for reimbursement. 

Furthermore, there will be monetary prizes for the top three participants' performances in the oral presentations. The following cash award prizes for presentation will be distributed based upon judging from conference attendees:

Oral Presentation Cash Awards

• First Place - $1,000
• Second Place - $500
• Third Place - $250

The Ports® '25 Committee will judge both the submitted papers and the presentations for originality and creativity, organization and clarity of content, results based on adequate data, and appropriate methodology. 

Evaluation Criteria: Paper Grading Rubric

• Category
• Technical content (innovation, creativity)
• Organization (grammar, structure, figures, and tables)
• Methodology (description of the steps followed, equations, etc.)
• Results (interpretation, presentation)
• Discussion (broader impact, research significance)
• References (complete, up-to-date, useful for the reader)
• Acknowledgements (if necessary)

Evaluation Criteria: Oral Presentation Grading Rubric

• Category
• Originality and Creativity 
• Organization and Neatness (i.e., logical sequence, graphs, etc.)
• Communication (i.e., eye contact, speech pace, etc.)
• Engagement (i.e., enthusiasm, inspirational talk, etc.)
• Discussion (ability to answer questions from the audience)

Young Professionals Poster Session

The Ports® '25 Conference will also host a Young Professionals Poster Session to highlight interesting projects, design solutions, case studies, or outstanding work performed by Young Professionals.

To participate, the Young Professional must be a registered member of ASCE as a Younger Member, under the age of 35, and must register and attend the Ports® '25 Conference.  Students are not eligible to submit abstracts to this poster session.

Poster topics should be relevant to the Ports® '25 Conference, and the Young Professional must have contributed to the project in a meaningful way. Contributions can vary from building a model, writing a technical report, performing calculations, aiding with construction administration and observation tasks to all design aspects. 

Poster abstracts must be submitted through the conference portal in the designated category on the Call for Abstracts website page by Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The Ports® '25 Student and Young Professionals Committee will review the poster abstracts and notify authors of the accepted posters.  Abstract formatting guidelines can be found on the Call for Abstracts website page. 

Poster Criteria

Posters should demonstrate the research information summarized in the submitted and accepted abstracts and convey the Young Professional's specific contribution to their selected topic. The maximum poster dimensions are 1.7 meters wide by 1.3 meters high.

Poster orientation can be portrait or landscape. Author names, affiliations, and the first author's email should be mentioned under the title at the top of the poster. Poster content should be legible at 2 meters from the poster. Please do not use text font smaller than 26 points. Title and headers should be at least in a 40-point font. Poster presenters must bring a printed copy of their poster to the conference.