I hope you're staying warm and enjoying this last stretch of winter! We're used to it in Chicago, but this year it seems so many more of you are "enjoying" it with us.

If this is your first Impact Update, you're probably here because you helped us surpass our year-end goal of raising $50,000 matched in full by the AISC Board of Directors. That’s no small feat--your gift is funding the future.

We have an especially exciting update for you this month! In addition to the unrestricted gifts made by donors like you (and matched by AISC) throughout our year-end campaign, we received an extremely generous second contribution of $40,000 from B&B Welding Company, Inc.'s Dennis R. McCartney to add again to our Undergraduate Research Fellowships--this also came with a special committed match from the AISC Board.

We now have $80,000 more to invest in the undergraduates whose research will drive the future!

A 2024 recipient of the Ernest J. McCartney/B&B Welding Company, Inc. Undergraduate Research Fellowship recently shared with us just how impactful this program is, and we can't wait to see the effect it will continue to have with expanded resources and reach.

Rowan University's Michael Moschella is currently exploring how additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) could optimize the functionality and sustainability of steel structures by creating fuses that efficiently handle seismic loads.

"The Fellowship program has allowed me to dedicate more time and resources into a project I want to succeed on and am passionate about," Moschella said. "It has also allowed me to gain new insight into the world of structural engineering from my professor and graduate students, which has been helpful not only to the research project, but to my own growth and knowledge as an engineer."

We're excited to hear from more of our undergraduate research fellows this spring in Louisville, where we've invited them to join us at NASCC: The Steel Conference! Please stay tuned for a special Impact Update in April that will focus on how attending the Steel Conference became a formative experience for many Foundation beneficiaries.

The purpose of our Impact Updates is to keep you informed of all the ways your gifts change lives. Thanks to your generosity throughout the past year, our programs will have more reach than ever before in 2025--which means we get to catch up with you more often! Going forward, you'll receive this (previously quarterly) newsletter every two months.

I can't thank you enough for your continued support of the Foundation, and I look forward to updating you again soon on how your contributions materialize as life-changing opportunities for students, educators, and young professionals.

Sincerely,

Maria Mnookin
Director of Foundation Programs
American Institute of Steel Construction
mnookin@aisc.org