PACIFIC SOUTHWEST SYMPOSIUM
What is PSWS?
The Pacific South West Symposium (PSWS) is ASCE’s annual student chapter competition that puts civil engineering skills to the test. It is a three day event hosted by ASCE student chapters that encourages industry learning and friendly competition between schools. The competition involves a wide range of events including, but not limited to, concrete canoe, steel bridge, environmental design, geotechnical design, surveying, trivia, technical paper, concrete sports, and several sports tournaments. The competition features three full days of events with an awards banquet on the last day.
PSWS is the culmination of the year for our design teams where they present and demonstrate their designs and abilities. Widely attended by undergraduate students, the conference offers ASCE members an opportunity to represent USC by competing against and meeting other students from across the southwestern US. The days are busy, but offer fun opportunities to bond with classmates and the chapter encourages all civil engineering students to come!
Major engineering design competitions and miscellaneous events both earn schools points at PSWS, and USC aims for a high level of achievement each year. Among the high level of competition, USC’s efforts have earned 3rd place overall finishes at PSWS 2014 and 2015. Past highlights have included first-place finishes in Technical Paper, Scavenger Hunt, Ultimate Frisbee, and Mystery Event. For more information, check out the results page.