May 30, 2024

By Jeff Williford

TYLER—Each summer, the Texas Department of Transportation welcomes students for the summer intern program, which has helped hundreds of engineers find their career path, leading to success down the road.

In Tyler, one intern has not only had success in the classroom, he also has found it while floating in a concrete canoe.

Chris McMillan, who is now in his sixth summer with TxDOT, is a member of the University of Texas at Tyler’s concrete canoe team, which finished sixth nationally at the 2023 American Society of Civil Engineering National Concrete Canoe Competition.

The top-10 finish was the highest in school history, and just the third top-10 finish by a Texas-based institution.

“It was really exciting to make history at last year’s event. I was filled with pride and a real sense of accomplishment,” McMillan said. “There were countless hours of hard work and unforeseen issues that we ran into, but we came together as a team and overcame those issues to make history.”

The process to make a concrete canoe is not an easy one. McMillan said their first concrete canoe meeting was on Sept. 4, and the canoe was finished and ready to complete in April.

According to the ASCE, the concrete canoe competition provides students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on practical experience while testing their skills with concrete mix designs and project management challenges.

The first ASCE concrete canoe competition was held in 1988, but the history of concrete canoes goes back to the 1960s, when a small number of ASCE student chapters began holding intramural concrete canoe races.

In early May, McMillan and his team finished first at the 2024 ASCE Texas-Mexico Region 6 competition, UT Tyler’s first back-to-back regional championship.

“Taking part in this competition is great experience for me and my team. We have to work together to design and construct a canoe that is lighter than the weight of water,” McMillan said. “We have to do the structural analysis, find a mix design, as well as putting together a presentation team. The aesthetics of the boat, the stand that we make for it, and the technical paper are all part of the scoring system.”

McMillan says he got his inspiration to be an engineer from his older brother Alex, who currently works for a Houston consulting firm.

“My brother actually was a TxDOT intern for a couple of summers while he was a student at UT Tyler. I was really interested in the experiences he had while working here, and that led me to pursue a future with TxDOT right out of high school”, McMillan said.

This summer is McMillan’s sixth with TxDOT, and he says the previous five have given valuable experience in his professional career.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far,” McMillan said. “I can now visualize what needs to be done when putting together maintenance contracts. That will definitely help me in the future.”

After he graduates in May 2025, McMillan has his eyes set on the future. He plans to begin an engineer training program with TxDOT, focusing on his goals for the future.

“In 10 years, I see myself as a licensed professional engineer, hopefully at a TxDOT area office,” McMillan said. “When we work on the concrete canoe, we are focusing on making it structurally sound. That is something I also love doing here at TxDOT. I am fascinated with bridges, so I have learned about all the aspects of bridges. Learning what needs to be done to make them structurally sound.”

When asked about his internship with TxDOT and what he would tell someone who might be interested in TxDOT, McMillan said, “It is a great internship to help you get started in the professional world. It gives you great insights on how contracts are developed, and gives you experience using software that you will use in the future. The whole experience gets you ready for the real world and what to expect. I have really enjoyed my time here.”

From crafting award-winning concrete canoes to shaping the future of Texas roadways and bridges, Chris McMillan is paving the way for a career built on innovation and excellence.

To learn more about TxDOT internships, visit txdot.gov.