Alumni

The Alumni Board of the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE Alumni Board) was established in 1987.

The VISION of the CEE Alumni Board is to establish and maintain the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as a top ten Civil and Environmental Engineering department in the United States and to continually increase the global recognition of the Department.

The MISSION of the CEE Alumni Board is to provide an advocacy role for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in pursuit of the Vision; to provide perspective on engineering trends, global issues, market factors, professionalism, leadership, communication, and needs of the students; to assist faculty in achieving their mission of education, research, and outreach; to support scholarship efforts; to serve as a resource for faculty and students; and to communicate the Vision to Virginia Tech administration, CEE Alumni and the Public.

The list of current and previous board members are below. Please note that the biographical information for each member is from the year(s) that they served on the board.

In 1998, the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and the CEE Alumni Board formally initiated the CEE Alumni Achievement Awards Program as a means of honoring both younger alumni and those who have graduated from the department years ago. Two award categories were created within this program.

Alumni may be selected for induction into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni based upon a review of their overall career accomplishments and contributions to the profession, their community, and service to Virginia Tech. Also, younger alumni (within 15 years of graduation with their BS degree) may be selected to receive an Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

Below is a list of the alumni who have been inducted into the CEE Academy of Distinguished Alumni.

Please see the Award Description and Nomination Form for more information.

Each year, candidates for these awards come from nominations submitted directly to the CEE department by our alumni. To submit a nominee for consideration for an award, please send resume, nomination letter and other supporting documents electronically or by mail to:

Courtney Sakry
csakry@vt.edu
Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Virginia Tech
200 Patton Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061

The list of Academy of Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Young Alumni are below.  Please note that the biographical information for each winner is from the year that they were recognized with the award.

The Charles E. Via Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is one of the most highly regarded civil and environmental engineering departments in the country and we remain committed to providing innovative research and a quality education.

Although the Commonwealth does provide funding to Virginia Tech, total state funding for the University is less today than seven years ago, despite the continued increase in enrollment. In fact, state funding represents only 32% of Virginia Tech’s yearly budget. State budget shortfalls have impacted all of Virginia Tech’s departments, including our own. Private giving has become a critical conduit for maintaining and improving the excellence of our programs and facilities. Student scholarships, enrichment and outreach programs, professors who are leaders in their fields, and state of the art facilities are all supported by gifts from alumni and friends of the department. In fact, your generosity is the keystone for propelling the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to even greater prominence among our peers.

You can make a pledge by clicking on our online pledge form. Here you can also request information on donating securities, making a planned gift or using an electronic funds transfer from your checking account. When completing this form, please designate your gift directly to the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering by selecting “Other” and typing “CEE” in the field below along with any other specific designation information you would like to include.

Thank you to all our alumni and friends who have donated to the CEE department in the past, present and future. Your support has been and will be an integral part of our department’s growth. We encourage you to take a trip back to campus to see the positive impact of your donations in person.

Trees have a varying abundance of gifts. And, like most any institute of higher learning, the Charles E. Via Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering largely depends on the gifts we receive from our alumni, students, faculty and friends. These gifts help us achieve our goals in the areas of undergraduate and graduate teaching, research and public service.

We have found a way for everyone to grow with us, as well as a way to recognize those who generously give through our new “Grove of Sharing” expandable tree sculpture beautifully displayed on the lobby wall of Patton Hall for all to see.

Eventually, every leaf on the tree will recognize every annual gift of $250 or more by engraving the name of individual donors. We also recognize one time gifts of $4,000 or more. Every gift makes a difference and enables us to do more, be more and give more to our students, our nation and our world.

Gifts provide critical funding for:

• Teaching
• Student fellowships and scholarships
• A distinguished lecture series and professional seminars
• Faculty and student achievements and awards
• Recruitment support
• Student chapter leadership
• Cooperative education activities
• …and so much more

Not only does the unique sculpture recognize our donors, but it becomes a part of the heritage of the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and will remain a centerpiece for all to see for many years to come.

Pledge to make an annual gift of $250 or a one time gift of $4,000 or more and we will engrave the inscription of your choice on a leaf on the tree and you will become a part of the Grove of Sharing tree and the Department’s heritage. Contact Mark Widdowson, interim Department at mwiddows@vt.edu or Courtney Sakry, Director of External and Alumni Relations at csakry@vt.edu to make your pledge today.

The Charles E. Via Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering commissioned Sanford “Sandy” Werfel to create the Grove of Sharing sculpture that now appears in the lobby of Patton Hall. The idea for Sandy’s first Tree of Life sculpture – from which the Grove of Sharing evolved – was inspired more than 30 years ago by the artist and the director of New York’s Brooklyn School for Special Children.

The artist notes, “The tree is self-explanatory and at the same time, allows for individual interpretation. It evokes positive responses, and as its leaves expand, the tree speaks of rejuvenation and constant growth.”