Campus & Beyond Civil Engineering Course Builds Bridges—Literally and Figuratively Stories You May Like Brrr! Test Your Knowledge of East Hill’s Winter Readiness Exploring the Widening Chasm Between Urban and Rural Voters For Mark Tatum ’91, the NBA Is his Dream Team A doctoral alum who’s on the faculty spearheaded a way for students to learn key skills while contributing to the community Editor’s note: This story was adapted from a feature in the Cornell Chronicle. By Diane Tessaglia-Hymes Several years ago, Charlie Trautmann, PhD ’83, and his wife were walking on the footbridge that crosses Fall Creek in the Flat Rock area of the Botanic Gardens. Noting how the bridge had fallen into disrepair, Nancy Morton Trautmann, MS ’81, PhD ’05, posed an innocent question: “Can’t you do something about this?” That was the spark that spurred her husband—who directed Ithaca’s Sciencenter for 26 years and now holds dual appointments as an adjunct professor in civil and environmental engineering in the Duffield College and in psychology in Arts & Sciences—to work with students on honing their skills by designing and building community bridges, with their fourth completed in mid-June 2026. After that auspicious walk across the Flat Rock footbridge, Trautmann began working on repairs with Todd Bittner, director of natural areas for the Botanic Gardens. The Botanic Gardens' Todd Bittner at work on one of Trautmann's bridge projects. Keeping the bridge open was critical, because it provides access to miles of trails along Fall Creek. But cost was a concern, and there was no dedicated funding for the project, making student involvement essential. After more than two years of obtaining permits and six weeks of building, Trautmann and members of the Cornell student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) completed the 180-foot bridge in spring 2023. Trautmann directed Ithaca’s Sciencenter for 26 years and now holds dual appointments as an adjunct professor in civil and environmental engineering in the Duffield College and in psychology in Arts & Sciences. Bittner reached out to Trautmann again in 2024, and they collaborated to build a new 45-foot truss bridge in the Monkey Run Natural Area along the Cayuga Trail in the Town of Dryden. It was around then that Trautmann started thinking about creating a course so students could get credit for their work. The Flat Rock footbridge, which reopened in 2023. “Working on these as a service project of ASCE was great,” observes chapter president Jackie Rohrbacher ’27. “But Charlie recognized that we were doing a substantial amount of work on these projects, and he also wanted us to learn more about planning, organizing, and permitting skills.” Engineering in the Community (CEE 3090) debuted in spring 2025, offering students hands-on experience designing and building infrastructure that benefits local communities. The course was meant to teach students not only the skills to create infrastructure, but also the interpersonal skills needed to be successful in public projects. Charlie recognized that we were doing a substantial amount of work on these projects, and he also wanted us to learn more about planning, organizing, and permitting skills. Jackie Rohrbacher ’27 “As an engineer, you will be called upon many times during your career to help your community with technical needs, such as advising a local government or nonprofit organization,” Trautmann wrote in the course description. “This course will introduce you to that part of engineering in which hard and soft skills merge, where you are the expert to whom those in your community turn for help.” That’s exactly what happened in fall 2024, when the Dryden Rail Trail Task Force reached out to Trautmann and his students. As the group explored how to expand the trail east to Route 366, it encountered a major obstacle: a section had washed away, leaving a steep, impassable gap 16 feet deep and 45 feet wide. Stories You May Like Brrr! Test Your Knowledge of East Hill’s Winter Readiness Exploring the Widening Chasm Between Urban and Rural Voters Trautmann at work on the Dryden Rail Trail bridge. The Dryden Rail Trail bridge thus became the first to be designed in the Engineering in the Community course. Eleven students worked on the bridge, learning about project management and teamwork during class time and building components on weekends. They drafted a site plan, completed the design, and finalized structural drawings. They also handled the extensive permitting process, working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation to secure wetland permits and determine if endangered species were on the site and obtaining permission from New York State Electric and Gas, the local utility that owns the land. Students sourced cost estimates from steel suppliers, coordinated with the Dryden Department of Public Works (DPW) for earthwork, and reported plans and progress to the Rail Trail Task Force. “The best part of this project was the amount of learning that came from the design process itself,” says Ulises Balbuena Figueroa ’25. “Since we were responsible for developing the steel design from scratch, every design iteration taught us something new.” This course will introduce you to that part of engineering in which hard and soft skills merge, where you are the expert to whom those in your community turn for help. Charlie Trautmann, PhD ’83, in the class description Because of the time needed for obtaining permits, the project could not be completed in one semester. Most of the students who worked on it graduated in 2025, leaving detailed drawings and notes for the next class. In spring 2026, a new group resumed the project—reassembling the formwork, cutting and bending rebar, and prefabricating the guardrails. And while they waited for permits, the students spent the rest of the semester designing and building another bridge, this one for the new Water Tower Park in Interlaken, about 18 miles north of Ithaca. charlie trautmannMeasure twice, cut once: Engineering in the Community students at work. When that was completed, the Dryden DPW and local volunteers worked together to finish the Rail Trail project, placing the final touches on the bridge in mid-June. “So much of our schoolwork happens on paper or on a screen, and actually building something changes how you think about the work,” says Julius Pieper ’27, president-elect of the ASCE student chapter. “When we finished the Water Tower Park bridge, I was so proud of what our ASCE members accomplished together: making a real change for the community while applying skills from our coursework, both the technical side and the project management side.” So much of our schoolwork happens on paper or on a screen, and actually building something changes how you think about the work. Julius Pieper ’27 Trautmann notes it was that kind of community-minded attitude that originally led him to believe that it wouldn’t be difficult to find students who would step up to the challenge. “When I thought about rebuilding that first bridge, at Flat Rock, I thought, ‘I guess I should, because this bridge is important to the Cornell and local community, and it looks as if it’s not on anyone else’s radar,’” he says. “That’s been my approach all along: spearheading projects that might not otherwise get done.” Top: The bridge in the Monkey Run Natural Area. (All images by Diane Tessaglia-Hymes / Duffield Engineering, unless otherwise indicated.) Published June 26, 2026 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like In the President’s Words ‘Because Cornell Matters—to Us, and to Our Nation’ 6 Questions For ... Sick and Tired of Politics? Here’s Why It (Really) Matters Campus & Beyond ‘LaFeber Posse’ Gears Up to Honor Legendary Professor