Students with interest in bridge engineering receive scholarships

Three students in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering (CSEE) at UB have won scholarships from the Association of Bridge Construction and Design, Western New York Chapter.

Civil engineering senior Cody Coonradt received the $5,000 Philip F. Frandina Memorial Scholarship. Civil engineering undergraduates Lucas Rugar and Jacob Dominesey each received a $2,500 scholarship.

The chapter awards scholarships annually to students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in a civil or structural engineering program with an interest in bridge engineering. Applicants are scored on cumulative GPA, extracurricular activities, employment history, personal recommendations, and an essay on the subject of bridges.

Frandina Memorial Scholarship winner Coonradt is an active member of the UB Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (UB-ASCE), participating on the Steel Bridge Team and the Seismic Design Team. He is a Project Manager for Bridging the Gap Africa, which aims to improve the quality of life for communities in rural Africa by building pedestrian bridges. He has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and enjoys hiking, camping and photography.

Coonradt has worked for two geotechnical engineering consulting firms and carried out construction materials inspecting and testing for a local firm. He has participated in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program 21-11, which is related to steel corrosion in earthen materials.

Dominesey is pursuing a combined civil engineering and MBA degree. A member of UB-ASCE, he participated in the 2016 ASCE Regional Conference hosted at UB. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi and the Financial Management Association. He has held jobs at a local contracting company and the New York State Department of Transportation. He also participates in intramural hockey and soccer at UB. 

Rugar has participated in research at UB with CSEE Assistant Professor Pinar Okumus, in which he helped evaluate the performance of skewed bridges. He currently serves as Vice President of the UB chapter of Engineers Without Borders, and is also a member of UB-ASCE and Tau Beta Pi. He has volunteered in several organizations, including Habitat for Humanity.