2017-18 Scholarship and Fellowship Winners

The Thornton Tomasetti Foundation has awarded six college students—Carlene Chow, Kathryn Eckhoff, Hayley Proctor, Siwei Ma, Michael Aronson, and Crystal Mason—with scholarships and research fellowships for use during the 2017-18 academic year.

6th Annual National Scholarship

Chow, Eckhoff and Proctor are the recipients of the TTF National Scholarship. Each will receive $10,000 to pursue graduate studies in building engineering, design, or technology.

Students were nominated by a dean or department chair, and submissions were reviewed by a Thornton Tomasetti jury of John Abruzzo, Peter DiMaggio, Anjana Kadakia, Wayne Stocks, and Peggy Van Eepoel. Winners are chosen based on academic achievements and an interest in the integration of engineering and architecture.

Chow received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering this spring from University of California, Davis. She is pursuing a master’s degree in civil engineering with an emphasis on structural engineering from University of California, Berkeley’s Structural Engineering Mechanics and Materials program.

Eckhoff is enrolled in Northwestern University’s combined bachelor/master degree program in civil engineering. She received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and an architecture engineering and design certificate in June 2017. She is expected to receive a master’s degree in structural engineering in June 2018.

Proctor graduated from University of California, Berkeley in December 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in structural engineering, mechanics and materials from University of California, Berkeley’s Structural Engineering Mechanics and Materials program, with the goal of a career in historical seismic restoration.

Student Innovation Fellowship

As winners of the second annual Student Innovation Fellowships, Ma and Aronson will each receive a $5,000 award to fund specific research projects that further innovation in the structural engineering and applied mechanics fields.

Students were nominated by a dean or department chair. The Thornton Tomasetti Foundation received submissions from five universities, which were reviewed by a Thornton Tomasetti jury of Elisabeth Malsch and Heather Reed.

Ma is completing a Ph.D. in civil engineering and engineering mechanics at Columbia University in New York, New York. His research project focuses on addressing the materials challenges inherent in 3D concrete printing, specifically concrete rheology and processing.

Aronson is enrolled in the combined bachelor/master degree program in structural engineering at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He is studying the feasibility of harvesting seismic energy using mass dampers in tall buildings.

United Kingdom Scholarship

Mason was named the recipient of the foundation’s second annual United Kingdom scholarship and will be awarded £6,000 to pursue graduate studies in building engineering, design, or technology.

She is working toward a master’s degree in structural engineering and architecture at the University of Sheffield, and is interested in how sustainable urban development can be employed to help community building and community preservation.

Candidates were nominated by a dean or department chair and evaluated on career goals, academic accomplishments, and demonstrated interest in the field. A Thornton Tomasetti jury of Tanya de Hoog, Phill Thompson and Joe Burns reviewed Mason’s nomination.

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About The Thornton Tomasetti Foundation

The Thornton Tomasetti Foundation, a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization established in February 2008, is focused on funding fellowships, scholarships and internships for undergraduate students and those planning to pursue graduate studies in building engineering, design or technology. It also provides financial support for individuals and organizations pursuing philanthropic activities related to building engineering, design or technology. Key elements of the program are college scholarships, traveling internships and grants to and partnerships with nonprofit organizations.

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