The Structural Engineers Foundation is an independent, non-profit charitable organization dedicated to one goal: the advancement of structural engineering. To attain this goal, and thus prepare for tomorrow's horizons, the SEF has committed itself to sponsoring and funding scholarships, lectures, awards, publications and research - all aimed at improving structural engineers and structural engineering.

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                            Thanks to our 2022 Corporate Partners

                                           

 

 

Donate to SEF

You can help SEF with their mission by donating through SEAOI. Visit the SEF Donation page to make your donation today.            

SEF Board of Directors

Stephanie Crain

 

SEF Research Grant

Congratulation to ​Edvard Bruun, the recipient of this year's SEF Research Grant.Edvard Bruun is a 3rd year PhD Candidate in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Princeton University. Before his PhD, he completed a BASc and MASc at the University of Toronto, and then worked for a few years as a structural engineer at Arup.

Edvard’s research interests lie at the intersection of structural engineering and architecture, in the nascent field of robotic fabrication. He is currently exploring how large-scale general-purpose robotic arms can be utilized in a cooperative way – specifically, how best to sequence multiple robots when assigned the dual functions of: placing structural elements, and providing temporary support to a partially completed structure. The goal is then to design discrete element structures (i.e., trusses and space frames) that explicitly utilize such a cooperative fabrication sequence to avoid the need for external scaffolding or temporary formwork during both their assembly and disassembly. The design methods being developed use a novel graph-theoretic framework, based on rigidity theory, to evaluate the impact of topology, fabrication sequence, and robotic support constraints, on the stability of a structure during all stages of fabrication.

SEF Scholarship Awards

The Foundation strongly believes that the future of structural engineering depends on today's students. Without them and their vision, there literally is no future for our profession. The Structural Engineers Foundation is privileged to provide merit-based tuition scholarships to encourage undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in structural engineering programs. 

Six scholarship categories are available:

  • Undergraduate engineering scholarship, for students who will be entering the third or above year of an undergraduate program during the 2021-2022 academic year.
  • Graduate engineering scholarship, intended for students who will be entering or continuing a graduate program during the 2021-2022 academic year.
  • Max Zar Scholarship, awarded to an outstanding student pursuing his or her engineering studies in the State of Illinois
  • Rubinos-Mesia Scholarship, named for Teresa Mesia Rubinos and Jacinto Rubinos, is awarded to an outstanding engineering student of Hispanic descent
  • The Fred Haas Scholarship, named for Fred Haas, is awarded to an outstanding graduate student who demonstrates interest in structural steel design and construction (launched 2020)
  • SEF Diversity Scholarship (Junior standing or above as of Fall 2021. Open to students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the profession, including students who identify as female, African American/Black, Indigenous, or Hispanic/Latinx.)

 

2022 - 2023 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

 

SEF is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021-2022 Scholarship Awards

The Structural Engineers Foundation is privileged to provide merit-based tuition scholarships to encourage undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in structural engineering programs. Congratulations to the Scholarship Winners!

The Undergraduate Scholarship is awarded to Charlotte Guyer, Oklahoma State University.

The Graduate Scholarship is awarded to Mohammad Syed, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.

The Max Zar Scholarship (open to students attending Illinois universities) is awarded to Jamie Griggs, Illinois Institute of Technology.

The Rubinos and Mesia Scholarship (open to students of Hispanic descent) is awarded to Luan Barbosa, Missouri University of Science And Technology.

The Fred Haas Scholarship (open to students that demonstrate an interest in Structural Steel Design and Construction) is awarded to Tyler Kleinsasser, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

The SEF Diversity Scholarship (open to students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the profession, including students who identify as female, African American/Black, Indigenous, or Hispanic/Latinx.)  is awarded to Destini James-Bryant, Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

SEF ACTIVITIES

Scholarships:

The Foundation strongly believes that the future of structural engineering depends on today's students. Without them and their vision, there literally is no future for our profession. The Structural Engineers Foundation is privileged to provide merit tuition scholarships to encourage undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in structural engineering programs. 

Sponsored Lectures

The Structural Engineers Foundation sponsors lectures in April and November designed to broaden the mind and heighten awareness of excellence in structural engineering. Foundation-sponsored lectures by prominent leaders in the field of structural engineering keep attendees informed with vital cutting-edge information.

Awards

SEF bestows awards and honors to recognize outstanding achievements. The John F. Parmer Award is presented annually by SEF and SEAOI. This award, in recognition of lifelong contributions in the field of structural engineering, is presented to an individual whose distinguished career is acknowledged by his or her peers to be an example of excellence.

Research

SEF understands the importance of research, knowing that it advances our profession by broadening its horizons and expanding our knowledge base. The Foundation offers grants to support graduate and post-graduate research projects. 

Nihar Shah, President

Position: Project Engineer, RME, Inc.

Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.S. Civil Engineering, M.S. Civil Engineering

Licensure: S.E., P.E., Illinois

Societies: SEAOI, ASCE

Stephanie Hautzinger, Vice President 

Position: Associate Vice President, CannonDesign

Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.S. Architectural Studies, M. Arch. (Structures Option)

Licensure: S.E., Illinois; Architect, Illinois; LEED AP

Societies: SEAOI, SEAOI WiSE, AIA, AISC

John Viise

Position: Managing Principal, DeSimone

Education: University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, M.S. Civil Engineering; Virginia Tech, B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Licensure: S.E., Illinois; P.E., Illinois, SCEng, MIStructE, LEED AP

Societies: SEAOI, ASCE, ACI, IStructE

Jeremy Kirk, Treasurer

 

 

 

 

 

Position: Project Engineer, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLC.

Education: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, M.Eng.; Geneva College, B.S.E.

Licensure: S.E., Illinois; P.E., Illinois

Societies: SEAOI, ASCE


Jan Blok (SEAOI President-Elect)

Position: President, The Structural Group, Ltd.

Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.S, M.S., Structural Engineering

Licensure: SE, Illinois; PE., CT, IN, MI, MN, MS, MO, NY, OH, WI

Societies: SEAOI, SEPAC, AISC, M.ASCE, AWC, CFSEI, PCI

Scott Wojteczko

Position: Vice President: Structural Group Manager, Alfred Benesch and Company

Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.S. Civil Engineering; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, M.S. Civil Engineering

Licensure: S.E., Illinois; P.E., Illinois

Societies: SEAOI, ASCE, SEI, IRTBA

Chelsea Zdawczyk

Position: Senior Structural Engineer, Arup

Education: Cornell University, B.S. Civil Engineering; UCLA, M. Arch.; Princeton University, M.S. Structural Engineering

Licensure: P.E., Illinois

Societies: SEAOI, ASCE

Jonathan Lewis

Position: Principal and Unit Manager, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.

Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.S. Civil Engineering; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Master of Science, Structural Engineering

Licensure: S.E., Illinois

Societies: SEAOI, ASCE, AEI, IABSE, SEI

Eamonn Connolly, Secretary

Position: James McHugh Construction Co., Director of Engineering

Education: BS Civil Engineering Structures, Illinois Institute of Technology, MPhil Civil Engineering , University of Aberdeen

Licensure: SE, IL; PE , FL, IN, MN, OK, TN, TX, WI

Societies: ASCC, ASCE, ACI, PTI, SEAOI

Mehdi Modares

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Position: Associate Professor and Director of Structural Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology

Education: Case Western Reserve University, Ph.D. Civil Engineering

Licensure: PhD

Society: ASCE

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