Emmett Konrad, junior in mechanical engineering, has received the prestigious Willis H. Carrier scholarship, a $10,000 national scholarship sponsored by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Two Carrier scholarships are awarded every year, and were originally established by The Carrier Corporation in honor of its founder, who made significant contributions to the air conditioning industry.
Konrad received a scholarship from the Iowa chapter of ASHRAE two years ago. After he didn’t receive the same scholarship this year, Konrad decided to apply for the national Willis H. Carrier scholarship.
“It’s a major blessing, that’s for sure,” Konrad said. “I knew that I could do it, but to get a national one, that’s pretty crazy.”
Konrad started the ASHRAE chapter at Iowa State, and currently serves as president. The club has grown from four members to 16 members under Konrad’s leadership, a trend he hopes will continue after his time at Iowa State.
“Without Iowa State, I wouldn’t have been able to do this. Starting the club was great, it’s awesome to say I started a club at Iowa State and hopefully I can keep it going after I graduate,” Konrad said.
After interning with MODUS Engineering in Des Moines as a freshman, Konrad has stayed with the company and is currently completing a co-op there. One service offered by MODUS is heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system design, an area Konrad hopes to pursue after graduating.
“When people go into mechanical engineering they think cars and airplanes and stuff, they don’t really think HVAC,” Konrad said, “I think it’s really important to get people involved.”