Education Foundation

Programs

How does the AISC Education Foundation help students and faculty?

AISC supports students and educators by funding programs that bring steel to life for the next generation of industry leaders and by offering scholarships, grants, and other funding.

AISC Scholarships

For the 2022-2023 academic year, the Foundation and its industry partners provided $275,500 in scholarships to 73 full-time undergraduate and master's-level graduate students studying civil engineering, architectural engineering, construction engineering, construction management, or architecture at colleges and universities in the U.S.

The Foundation also makes sure that the people who make our industry so special can help their own children go to college through the David B. Ratterman Fast Start Scholarships. In 2022, the Foundation awarded $76,000 in scholarships to children of (or who share a permanent residence with) those who work at distribution or fabrication facilities of AISC Full Member companies. Freshmen and sophomores studying full time at two- or four-year colleges are eligible.

The Foundation also supports the future of our trades through the Rex I. Lewis Fast Start Scholarships. In 2022, $9,500 in scholarships were provided to students to attend the welding program at their local community college.

Funding the Future

Planning for the Next Century

The AISC Education Foundation is very proud of the work we do to provide scholarships and fellowships to help the next generation of industry leaders reach their dreams. That remains a central tenet of our efforts to foster innovation to ensure a bright future for our industry.

But there’s so much more we can contribute! More recently, the Foundation has worked to expand our impact in new ways for college-level faculty and students. As we look back on the last century and plan for the next, we’ve launched a variety of exciting new programs that will help both students and faculty explore the structural steel industry and understand steel’s full potential.

Student Travel Grants

The Foundation makes grants available for students to use for travel costs to actively participate in AISC and industry events. Our activities are exciting, and what better way to engage students by letting them fully experience these events with outstanding networking and learning opportunities first-hand!

2022 AISC Student Travel Grant Recipients

NASCC: The Steel Conference in Denver, April 12-14, 2022

Katelyn Davis, University of Kansas
Samuel Calhoun, Georgia Tech

“I am very thankful that this student travel grant created those opportunities to meet with these people and learn from their experiences.” - Katelyn Davis

AISC Task Committee Meetings in Chicago, November 15-18, 2022

Ahmad Hassan, University of California, Davis
Timothy Kohany, Manhattan College
Matthew Phillips, Georgia Institute of Technology

Undergraduate Research Fellowships

We know great things happen when promising students have the space to be creative and pursue their individual interests. The AISC Education Foundation now funds undergraduate research grants, giving undergrads the rare opportunity to spend a term studying structural steel design and construction under the direction of a faculty sponsor.

Adopt-a-School Activities and Course Development

Faculty and fabrication companies can take their Adopt-a-School relationship one step further with additional funding for expanded activities. These activities could range from shop tours and lab material donations to the development of a full course such as a capstone project or an architecture studio focused on steel design and fabrication. This program offers endless possibilities for faculty who know how their students learn best.

And, there’s more to come!

Stay tuned for a new faculty internship program designed to give educators who haven’t worked in the industry some valuable hands-on experience to draw on when they teach.

We’re also launching a travel program for our industry ‘All Stars’ to bring the biggest names in the industry into the classroom to develop stronger connections between students and industry.

You can get in on the ground floor and help us build a strong foundation for these programs. We’re raising funds not just for the year, but for years to come. A larger fund at the core of the AISC Education Foundation will return more interest, compounding the effect of every dollar in perpetuity.

After all, the legacy of structural steel is built on generations of compounding hard work and ingenuity. The current generation stands on a foundation built by those who came before us, and now it’s our turn. It’s up to us to provide great shoulders for future generations to stand on.

If you’re in a position to do so, please consider investing in the future of our industry. Help us forge a bright future for our industry’s next century.

New Reidar Bjorhovde Outstanding Young Professional Award

Reidar Bjorhovde was a consummate professional, researcher, leader, and enormous contributor to the world’s knowledge of steel structures. He had a life-long passion for mentoring bright young professionals, whether in graduate school or just starting out in an engineering career.

The AISC Reidar Bjorhovde Outstanding Young Professional Award will give the recipient a broad look at the world of steel.

The annual award will go to a graduate student who is within one year of graduating or is within 5 years of having graduated.
The winner will receive a travel grant and complimentary registration to attend NASCC: The Steel Conference.
Other special activities include tours of mills and fabrication shops and attendance at the Chicago meeting of the Committee on Specifications.
The goal is to introduce the winner to steel industry leaders who will act as mentors and “connectors”, much as Reidar did for so many.

Congratulations to our 2023 Reidar Bjorhovde Outstanding Young Professional Award winner, Cristopher Montalvo!

The AISC Education Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Every penny donated to the AISC Education Foundation is 100% tax-deductible and goes to students, educators, and education programs.