Two CEE students to serve on Homecoming Court

Two CEE students have been selected to the University of Illinois Homecoming Court. Nishant Makhijani and Marika Nell, both seniors, were among 20 students selected by university faculty and staff through a rigorous application process that emphasizes student achievement, leadership and community service. The honor involves taking part in numerous activities during Homecoming Week, including the Homecoming parade and pep rally, football game and receptions.

Nishant Makhijani has a primary concentration in Construction Management and a secondary in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems. His activities on campus have included leadership roles in Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity; the Student Sustainability Committee; the Engineering Learning Assistant program; and the U.S. Green Building Council student chapter, for which he served as president in 2012. He is also an Engineering Student Alumni Ambassador and serves on the Student Leadership Advisory Team, the Student Leadership Awards Committee and the CEE Student Committee. His awards have included the Susan Teegarden Morrison Scholarship, the Joshua L. Grafton Leadership Award, the  John Mack Leadership Scholarship and the Greenbuild 2012 Scholarship.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized for all my work for the Illinois family for the last three years,” Makhijani said. “And it motivates me to continue to make my community a better place.”

Marika Nell has a primary in Environmental Engineering and a secondary in Toxicology. Her involvements on campus have included participation in Engineers Without Borders, the Student Sustainability Committee and the Oglala Lakota Water Project. She is a Udall Scholar, a James Scholar and has received the Fred S. Bailey Leadership Award and the Barbara Seaquist Williams Leadership Award.

“I am honored to represent CEE, the College of Engineering and my student organizations as a member of the Homecoming Court,” Nell said. “To me, my selection confirms that the university supports my efforts in international development and campus sustainability. It also provides another opportunity to help spread awareness of sustainability and water quality issues and to garner further support for these worthy causes.”