In 2021, the NCSEA Foundation established the NCSEA Diversity in Structural Engineering Scholarship Program to award funds to students traditionally underrepresented in structural engineering (including but not limited to Black/African Americans, Native/Indigenous Americans, Hispanics/Latinos or Spanish, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and other people of color, those with disabilities, veterans and LGBTQIA+). Multiple scholarships are presented annually to junior college students, undergraduate students, and/or graduate students pursuing degrees in structural engineering. 

In 2022, the NCSEA Foundation awarded six scholarships, including two first-ever partner scholarships in the program. The SEA of Northern California (SEAONC) established an endowed scholarship as part of the NCSEA Foundation program, and the SEA-Metropolitan Washington (SEA-MW) established a named scholarship. Click here to view all 2022 winners.

As we begin the 2023 scholarship season, three structural engineering firms have generously provided funds to create even more opportunities for aspiring structural engineers in the form of named scholarships. 

Below is a list of the partner scholarships that will be awarded in 2023 (representing more than $17,000 in scholarships) in addition to the more than $10,000 awarded by the NCSEA Foundation.

 

 

Important Dates and Deadlines:

• 1/16/2023: Open for Applications
• 3/20/2023: Submission Deadline
• 4/30/2023: Recipients Notified
• 11/9/2023: Recipients Recognized at Structural Engineering Summit
• 11/7/2023 to 11/10/2023: 2023 Structural Engineering Summit

Past Scholarship Recipients

Establish An Endowed or Named Scholarship

 

Endowed Scholarship

SEAONC Diversity in Structural Engineering Scholarship

The Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) established a permanent endowed scholarship to financially support a student from a historically underrepresented minority in structural engineering, preferably with a desire to practice in northern California. The permanent endowed scholarship provides a recipient $3,000 toward their education to assist with tuition, fees, and other mandatory education costs. 

SEAONC was founded in 1930 with the intent of improving the interchange of technical information and business practices. With 39 charter members, SEAONC now has over 1,000 members focused on structural engineering practice in northern California, a traditional wellspring of earthquake engineering knowledge and skill. 

 

Named Scholarships

The Applied Technology Council Diversity in Structural Engineering Scholarship

The Applied Technology Council (ATC) Endowment Fund established this scholarship offering the recipient $3,000 towards their education.

ATC is a non-profit structural engineering organization established in 1973 through the efforts of the Structural Engineers Association of California. In the past 50 years, ATC has published several hundred publications that have helped shape the structural engineering profession. At ATC, we believe that intentionally designing rich, diverse, and vibrant professional environments is central to fulfilling our mission to imagine, develop, and promote the advancement of technologies to enhance societal resistance to natural and other hazards.

 

The Degenkolb Engineers Diversity in Structural Engineering Scholarship 

Degenkolb Engineers established this scholarship, offering the recipient $5,000 towards their education ($2,500 for each of the next two semesters) as well as an opportunity for a paid internship during the summer of the award in one of their offices on the west coast of the United States.

Founded in 1940, Degenkolb Engineers has more than eight decades of commitment to innovation, client service, and life-long learning. They deliver customized structural solutions in a variety of practice areas: healthcare, education, science and technology, forensics, construction engineering and federal buildings.

 

The Martin/Martin Skyrise Scholarship

Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers established the Skyrise scholarship offering the recipient $5,000 towards their education ($2,500 for each of the next two semesters) to assist with offsetting tuition, fees, and other mandatory education related costs. This scholarship also includes the possible opportunity to participate as an intern during the summer the award is given in one of Martin/Martin’s offices. 

With nine growing offices across the United States, Martin/Martin, Inc is a full-service civil and structural consulting firm built on experience and industry leadership cultivated since the 1940s. Our engineered solutions are developed through a culture of integrity, service, creativity, and quality for the benefit of our clients and the community. In 2020, Martin/Martin, Inc. founded the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee to foster an inclusive culture that celebrates uniqueness, bolsters a sense of belonging, and promotes equitable opportunity for all in the engineering community. This scholarship is part of our company’s commitment to rise above for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion within our organization and the industry.

 

The Steven B. Tipping Memorial Scholarship for Innovation and Excellence in Structural Engineering

This memorial scholarship was established by the Tipping family, and offers the recipient a $3,500 scholarship towards their education with an opportunity to participate in an externship program at Tipping Structural Engineers, Berkeley California. Emphasis will be placed on those candidates demonstrating financial need and promise as future leaders.

Candidates must be a current student in a California-based junior college, university or college, with a focused career interest in structural engineering. Candidates need to be registered in the fall term of the year of the award (Fall 2023).

For more than 35 years, Steve Tipping advanced the science and art of structural engineering, pioneering creative yet pragmatic design solutions for a broad range of projects. His inventions and accomplishments in seismic retrofit design have been especially crucial to the earthquake-prone Bay Area, while his emphasis on constructability culminated in an unparalleled expertise in cost- and resource-efficient solutions. 

To read more about Steve’s legacy, please visit the Hensolt SEAONC Legacy Project Page

 

SEA-MW Diversity in Structural Engineering Scholarship

The SEA-Metropolitan Washington (SEA-MW) established a named scholarship offering the recipient $3,000 towards their education.