Five CEE students named Knights of St. Patrick

By Stephanie H. Kim

Five Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) students have been named 2013 Knights of St. Patrick by the College of Engineering. One of the highest honors an engineering student can receive, the award is given to students who demonstrate leadership, excellence in character, and outstanding contribution to the college and its students. Out of the eight total students selected for this honor across the College of Engineering, five were from CEE. They are: Elena Antonakos, Gilberto Chaidez, Ugwem Eneyo, Savannah Goodman and Jill McClary.

The Knights of St. Patrick tradition originated at the University of Missouri, Columbia, in March 1903 when several engineering upperclassmen named St. Patrick the patron saint of engineers for ridding Ireland of the snakes and cut classes in his honor. Eventually the tradition evolved into an honorary society. In 1950 the University of Illinois adopted this tradition with the selection of its first set of knights. 

This year’s honorees will be inducted at the annual Knights Ball on Saturday, March 9. An engraved plaque listing each class of knights is permanently hung in the main hallway of Engineering Hall.

CEE’s 2013 Knights of St. Patrick are: 

Elena Antonakos 

Elena Antonakos is a CEE senior from Glenview, Ill., with a primary in Environmental Engineering and a secondary in Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering. Antonakos has been heavily involved in the Engineering Council, Engineers Without Borders’ Guatemala Water Project and the Engineering 100 Program. She has also conducted undergraduate research with CEE Professor Helen Nguyen. After graduation, Antonakos will be working full time as an Environmental Engineer at Exxon Mobil in Houston, Texas.

Gilberto Chaidez

Gilberto Chaidez is a CEE senior from Aurora, Ill., with a primary in Construction Management and a secondary in Transportation. Chaidez is primarily involved in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the Concrete Canoe team. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in civil engineering/construction management. He hopes to work for a global construction firm during his first few years out of school and eventually starting a construction firm of his own. Chaidez will be graduating in May 2014.

Ugwem Eneyo

Ugwem Eneyo is a CEE senior from southern Illinois with a primary in Environmental Engineering and a secondary in Hydrology. Eneyo is involved in the National Society of Black Engineers, Engineering Council, the Provost’s Student Advisory Board, the Dean’s Student Advisory Committee, and the Morrill Engineering Programs. She is also an Engineering Learning Assistant in the Illinois Engineering First-Year Experience program and a member of the Committee for Environmental Sustainability of the Illinois Student Senate. Eneyo is applying to graduate school with hopes of earning dual master’s degrees in environmental engineering and either law or public policy.

Savannah Goodman

Savannah Goodman is a CEE Junior from Highland Park, Ill., with a primary concentration in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems, a secondary in Environmental Engineering and minors in Electrical Engineering, and Technology and Management. Goodman is involved in the Society of Women Engineers, Illinois Biodiesel, Engineering Council, U.S. Green Building Council and the Solar Decathlon. Her activities include CEE student advising, CARE tutoring, the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and the Pan-Hellenic Sorority Pi Beta Phi. After graduation, Goodman plans to get a master’s degree in civil engineering with hopes of starting her own company that provides sustainability consulting with a focus in alternative energy. 

Jill McClary

Jill McClary is a CEE senior from Hinsdale, Ill., with a primary in Environmental Engineering and a secondary in chemistry. She is involved in the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, Engineers Without Borders and Engineering Student Alumni Ambassadors. Her activities include being a WaterCAMPWS undergraduate researcher, an Engineering Learning Assistant for ENG100 and a volunteer for the University YMCA and To Write Love On Her Arms. McClary is applying to graduate schools with plans to earn a master’s degree and Ph.D. in environmental engineering.  She hopes to be involved with professional research in water quality either in a university setting, public agency or private industry.