The Burg-Colman Iowa State ‘77 Fellowship was created in 2021 to award students who are studying an advanced degree in civil engineering. Caleb Stevenson, a senior studying Civil Engineering at Iowa State University, will become the first-ever recipient of this fellowship.
The fellowship is administered by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Foundation, and is awarded annually to students that have a focus on concrete structures or materials. Stevenson’s career goals emphasize working with concrete, and he couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity in front of him.
“This is a super exciting opportunity,” Stevenson said. “It is a big deal because it is a way to get involved with the American Concrete Institute, but it is also a great way of making connections and enhancing professional development.”
Not only will Stevenson gain the benefits of a $10,000 scholarship and two weeks of paid travel to the conference, but he will get the amazing opportunity to network with Ronald G. Burg and Jeffrey W. Coleman.
“The part I am most excited about regarding this fellowship is the networking opportunities with Burg and Coleman,” Stevenson said. “They were the president and vice president of ACI this last year. To sit down with one of the esteemed people in the concrete industry, especially one-on-one, is kind of crazy. That wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for the Iowa State connection and this fellowship.”
Stevenson initially wasn’t sure he would apply for the fellowship, but he had a few professors in the department convince him to apply. After nearly a five-month scholarship process and an interview in Orlando with other people that had similar American Concrete Institute fellowships, Stevenson was declared the recipient.
“I’d like to thank Dr. Sritharan, Dr. Sanders, Dr. Kejin Wang, Mr. Coleman, and Mr. Burg for making this available and reinvesting in Iowa State, giving me and other students in the future the opportunity to understand what makes up the concrete industry,” Stevenson said.
This past summer, Stevenson interned with ARCO Design/Build, who builds tilt-up warehouses in Atlanta, where he worked on things like tilt-up concrete buildings with steel diaphragms. This fall and spring, he will travel to the conference and further educate himself about the concrete industry and network with two notable Iowa State alums.