Charles Rackley recently graduated from the joint College of Engineering at Florida A&M University (FAMU) and Florida State University (FSU).
As a civil engineering major, he earned the highest GPA in his class, a 3.9, and was recognized by FAMU News.
The university highlighted not only his academic success but also his work organizing outreach events, doing undergraduate research, and sharing his sustainable demolition project with department visitors.
Dr. Lisa Spainhour, who leads the civil and environmental engineering department, presented Rackley with the top award.
FAMU News reports that Rackley plans to pursue a master's degree in geotechnical engineering.
As an undergraduate, he worked with a PhD student to help reduce carbon emissions from construction and demolition sites. He also ran simulations at Sandia National Laboratories to find metals that could handle the heat of a fusion reactor.
One of his most interesting projects was designing safer routes for salmon to migrate after old culverts blocked their natural path, which he worked on during an internship with an engineering and construction company in Colorado.