Meet Zak Hanif, the Outreach Chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers and member of the ASCE Land Surveying Team!
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) SBU Student Chapter is an organization that provides enrichment opportunities for students and exposes them to the professional world of civil engineering. Zak, majoring in Civil Engineering, serves as the Outreach Chair of ASCE, with the vital role of maintaining company relations, organizing professional developmental events, and bringing in donors to the organization. By collaborating with established companies, ASCE helps develop students into young professionals and future leaders in civil engineering.
Not to mention, Zak is a part of the ASCE Land Surveying Team, where he measures the distances and angles between points on the Earth's surface in various field tasks and uses Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software to draw topographic maps. He and his team competed in the 2024 ASCE Metropolitan Student Symposium, an annual conference with various competitions, and achieved first place overall in the Land Surveying competition.
To top it all off, Zak accomplishes this while maintaining his commitment to the University Orchestra as a violinist, demonstrating the harmony between arts and engineering.
Read the interview between CEAS Student Intern Janice and Zak below:
Janice: What led you to your current major and minor?
Zak: I initially applied to SBU as a studio art major and was interested in architecture. I took environmental design, policy, and planning classes and I felt like I wasn’t really interested in it. I decided to change to civil engineering because I wanted to open up my job prospects while still working closely with architecture. I wanted to also stay involved in art, and this tied everything together. I want to do a lot of things.
What are some fun facts about yourself?
I love fun socks (I’m currently wearing Hot Cheetos socks in this interview)
How did you come across your position at ASCE?
When I first switched to Civil Engineering and went to ASCE events, I met the previous outreach chair who encouraged me to apply for the position. I continued to stay involved and applied later on. I was scared when I applied because I wasn’t really social then, and this position really pushed me out of my comfort zone.
What are the challenges you faced being in ASCE and the University Orchestra? How were you able to balance it/work it out?
Currently, I have a class that overlaps with orchestra rehearsals. It’s hard to keep up with other violinists when I’m missing rehearsals. During sophomore year I signed up for violin lessons, in which I learned the proper techniques to build a good foundation.
And that’s something I really love, having two sides of myself, one dedicated to music and the other to engineering.
Are there any resources from CEAS/Stony Brook that you found really helpful in your involvement in ASCE and music or as a student in general?
The Stony Brook Career Center, specifically the engineering career coaches. They help you navigate the professional world. One really undervalued resource would be the university professors, especially when it comes to their research and office hours.
What is your favorite part about being in ASCE?
I would have to say the people. The best example being my friends on the Land Surveying Team.
How has being a part of ASCE shaped you and your career goals?
I never had a long-term vision for my career goals. But, ASCE has provided a lot of guidance that has given me an idea of what I want. I trust my ASCE network to lead me on the right path.
What is your biggest piece of advice for those who are also looking into pursuing similar opportunities?
Put yourself out there, even though it's not easy and uncomfortable. It’s important to embrace this. Be open-minded, lose expectations for yourself, and be down to earth. Voice that you don't know what you're doing and when you need help.
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