The American Institute of Steel Construction Education Foundation will soon expand its Undergraduate Research Fellowship program thanks to a generous contribution of $200,000 from Dennis R. McCartney of B&B Welding Company, Inc.
This gift will allow the Education Foundation to offer larger awards for projects with a broader array of timeframes. Applications are now open and the deadline is Friday, April 26.
The expanded fellowship program honors Dennis McCartney's father, the late Ernest J. McCartney, who founded B&B Welding Company, Inc. in 1971, and accordingly awards will now be called the AISC Ernest J. McCartney/B&B Welding Company, Inc. Undergraduate Research Fellowships.
Awarded students will now receive $8,000 for projects spanning a full academic year (two semesters or three quarters) or $4,000 for projects spanning a single semester (fall, spring, or summer). The Foundation will award between two and four projects annually.
"With this generous gift, we will award additional fellowships annually and attract more future researchers who will discover tomorrow's innovations," said Director of Foundation Programs Maria Mnookin. "We are thrilled with the recent growth the Education Foundation has experienced, and the Undergraduate Research Fellowship program is a prime example of how our donors directly impact the future of our industry."
These fellowships provide funding to undergraduate students working under the direction of a faculty sponsor to research structural steel design and construction topics for one term (semester or quarter). The Foundation had previously earmarked $6,000 to be awarded this fall through two $3,000 Undergraduate Research Fellowships. With the additional funding, they now have $16,000 to award this year.