Professor of Civil Engineering at Cedarville University
Dr. Ayers joined the faculty of the School of Engineering and Computer Science in 2018 as the inaugural civil engineering professor. Previously, he was chair of the engineering department at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, where he also taught civil engineering courses. Prior to that, he worked in Australia as a research engineer, developing new products for the structural engineering market using advanced composite materials. For the past six years, Ayers has worked in various villages in Senegal, Africa, developing water resource projects. His focus has been on tailoring engineering solutions to the environment in Senegal.
Cedarville Village is a community with 4,300 permanent residents located between Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton, Ohio. In recent decades, Cedarville has experienced a decline similar to many smaller, farming-oriented communities in the state. Today, the village has relatively limited business activity, and many residents regularly travel to larger nearby cities, such as Xenia, Dayton, and Springfield, for work, shopping, medical appointments, entertainment, and other daily activities. An exception to this decline is Cedarville University. This private educational institution has steadily grown over the past twenty years and now serves over 4,000 on-campus students and around 800 staff and faculty members. The university campus lies within village limits and occupies much of the northern section of Cedarville. While most students live on campus, many university employees reside outside the village. The presence of this 5,000-person entity within the village boundaries significantly impacts Cedarville. As the university has expanded, there has been an increased need for housing and services for additional students. This growth has also placed strains on village infrastructure, including roads, sewers, and stormwater systems. Consequently, tensions have arisen at times, as the interests of village residents and the institution do not always align. Ideally, the relationship between the university and the village would be seen as mutually beneficial. However, change is often challenging, and university expansion is frequently viewed in terms of its negative consequences rather than its positive impacts. In 2024, Revitalize Cedarville was formed to facilitate and encourage the revitalization of the village. As a key element within the village, it was natural for the university to engage in this process. The goal was to foster a relationship based on open communication, positive municipal development, and mutual benefit. In August 2024, Dr. Stephen Ayers, a board member of Revitalize Cedarville and the Dean of Engineering and Computer Science at Cedarville University, initiated a senior capstone project involving a group of civil engineering students. This project aimed to assist the village in identifying potential improvements to its transportation infrastructure. The objective was to develop concepts for potential traffic enhancements that could increase pedestrian safety, improve walkability, and generally create better public spaces within the village. During the 2024-2025 academic year, the students worked on identifying issues with the current village infrastructure, gathering objective data on system performance, and developing preliminary improvement concepts. Public consultation was an integral part of the process, with the project team regularly gathering feedback from Revitalize Cedarville, Cedarville Village Council, the university, and village residents. An open public feedback session held in March 2025 generated significant community excitement for proposed infrastructure improvements. Several concepts developed by the students are now being further advanced by the village toward full implementation. A follow-on project at the university is also underway, seeking to address areas not covered in the initial project. This panel discussion will outline the project's background, key outcomes from the first year, and plans for ongoing work. Panelists will discuss the project's impact on the village and those who participated directly in the initiative. The students involved have since graduated and are now working as practicing engineers in various states. This project has significantly contributed to their development as engineers and is expected to positively influence their future interactions with communities across the country. The hope is that attendees will recognize the potential for similar collaborations between educational institutions and communities, which can play a strategic role in achieving immediate outcomes and nurturing a new generation of development professionals capable of transforming their communities into great places to live.