COVID couldn’t stop some engineering students from getting hands-on experience Tuesday.

Professor Rajeev Ruparathna, who teaches the second-year course “Civil Engineering Information Systems,” held a workshop for the cohort who took the surveying portion of the class as a video demonstration while instruction was online in Winter 2021.

Participants tried their hands at the equipment taking measurements at campus sites. They wore masks throughout, completed the self-assessment on the Safe Lancer app, and used disinfecting wipes to clean the shared apparatus between users.

“I want to acknowledge and thank Dr. Ruparathna for organizing and executing this activity,” said Paul Henshaw, head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “For those students, I think the experience was well worth the effort.”

Grace Santin, who just began third-year studies in civil engineering, agreed.

“I had an excellent time returning to campus and being able to have a hands-on learning experience,” she said. “Being able to talk in person and use the course materials in real life made all the difference for my understanding.”