Building Bridges:
Niner engineers support a community's recovery
Story by Susan Messina
Photographer: Amy Hart, Videographer: Harrison Hieb, Producer: Whitney Wilson
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Expertise in civil engineering and proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains position UNC Charlotte as a key contributor to solving specialized needs as the region continues to recover from Hurricane Helene
- Faculty, students and alumni are collaborating in a variety of ways to help communities in western North Carolina rebuild bridges damaged or destroyed by the hurricane
- The W.S. Lee College of Engineering is demonstrating its commitment to real-world ready programs and hands-on experience for students
Despite its once-in-a-century destruction, Hurricane Helene — when all seemed lost to some — brought out the best in many.
Helping neighbors. Galvanizing communities. Looking ahead.
In the Blue Ridge Mountain town of Lansing, North Carolina, a 10-foot wall of water surged through downtown in September 2024 when the banks of Big Horse Creek overflowed, destroying nearly every business on the main street. Beyond town, hundreds of Ashe County residents were cut off from food, essential supplies and medical care as the bridges that connected their homes to county roads and highways washed away. Over the past year, the paths of three Niner engineers — a determined alumna, a dedicated researcher and a motivated student — have converged, each working alongside family and friends, colleagues and classmates, to help rebuild the bridges of Ashe County.
Niner Engineers in Action
Emily Davis ‘12
Principal, Solid Earth Engineering PLLC;
cofounder, Lansing’s Bridge to Recovery
Davis, a Lansing resident, took action in the hurricane’s aftermath. A structural engineer, she reached out to her alma mater, UNC Charlotte’s W.S. Lee College of Engineering, for support and big ideas.
Shen-en Chen, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor,
civil and environmental engineering
A researcher and instructor whose academic expertise and compassionate nature are well-matched to Lansing’s needs, Chen moved quickly to develop a course to accelerate local bridge repair and replacement.
Nathan Hall
Class of fall 2025, civil and
environmental engineering major
Hall, whose hometown borders Lansing, has learned firsthand — from the bridge design course and related field work — how civil engineering is much more than a field of study; it also shapes the way people live.
