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Meet The Via Scholars

The Via Scholarships are made possible through the generosity of the late Mrs. Marion Bradley Via of Roanoke, Virginia, and her family. In 1987, Mrs. Via contributed $5 million each to the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering. Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors subsequently named the ECE department in honor of Mrs. Via’s deceased father, Harry Lynde Bradley, and the CEE department in honor of her late husband, Charles E. Via, Jr. Mrs. Via died in 1993.

Both departments use a portion of the endowment to award scholarships to qualifying students. These scholarships are among the most competitive in the country. Since the Via endowment was created in 1987, the department has received more than $20 million in support.

We are proud to acknowledge that this is the 34th year of the Via endowment and the Via Report. We want to take this opportunity to recognize the current Via scholars as well as alumni that have come through the program for the last 33 years and continue to fulfill the mission set by the Via family.

Justice Forster
Justice Forster

Justice Forster

Hometown: Salem, Virginia
Career Goals: Following graduation, I would like to serve as a structural design engineer and eventually earn my PE. Long term, I would like to start and manage my own construction firm that focuses on infrastructure development in communities that lack the resources to meet their needs. With this basis, I would also like to optimize the process in which the community can become involved in this development.

Sarah Helms
Sarah Helms

Sarah Helms

Hometown: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Career Goals: My desire for pursuing civil engineering comes from my passion for helping people through construction. I plan on pursuing a career in the construction industry as a project engineer working in residential or commercial construction.

John Stern
John Stern

John Stern

Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Career Goals: I aspire to approach the next generation of civil engineering challenges with a focus on efficiency, sustainability, and the human consequences of my work. America’s road network is critical infrastructure and I would like to maintain and improve it. Transportation also motivates me because it connects people, places, and opportunities.

Heather Brouwer
Heather Brouwer

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS

Heather Brouwer

Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Location of Undergraduate Studies: University of Michigan
Career Goals: My goal is to pursue a career in forensic stuctural engineering. I particularly wish to focus on the restoration and preservation of historic buildings. I also plan to earn my professional engineering license.

Riley Doyle
Riley Doyle

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Riley Doyle

Hometown: Olney, Maryland
Location of Undergraduate Studies: Bucknell University
Career Goals: After earning my degree, I hope to earn my PE license by working at a consulting company or government on projects evolving around wastewater management.

Caitlyn Harris
Caitlyn Harris

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Caitlyn Harris

Hometown: Midlothian, Texas
Location of Undergraduate Studies: University of Texas at Austin
Career Goals: I would love to continue to study water and wastewater treatment for as long as I can before moving into a career of engineering consulting or humanitarian work for the benefit of underdeveloped societies.

Elise Hummel
Elise Hummel

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Elise Hummel

Hometown: Wallingford, Connecticut
Location of Undergraduate Studies: Lafyette College
Career Goals: After earning my Master’s degree, my goal is to work for a geotechnical design company focusing on large-scale and challenging coastal resiliency projects. I plan on obtaining my professional engineering license and being actively involved in professional organizations.

Hunter Hutton
Hunter Hutton

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS

Hunter Hutton

Hometown: Marianna, Florida
Location of Undergraduate Studies: The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina
Career Goals: After earning my Master’s Degree my goal is to work for a Structural Engineering firm that specializes in complex bridge or building design while also pursuing my Professional Engineering License. I also hope to become an adjunct professor later in life.

Harrison Jaehn
Harrison Jaehn

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCESS

Harrison Jaehn

Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Location of Undergraduate Studies: Virginia Tech
Career Goals: After earning my Master’s degree, I plan to work as a climate adaptation engineer and develop resilience solutions for urban coastal communities grappling with climate change.

Olivia Janney
Olivia Janney

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Olivia Janney

Hometown: Wenatchee, Washington
Location of Undergraduate Studies: Franciscan University of Steubenville/Catholic University of America
Career Goals: I plan on obtaining my P.E. license and working for a geotechnical design firm, providing technical support for innovative geostructural engineering projects. I aspire to be a leader in my field and a mentor for young engineers.professor later in life.

Alexandra Miller
Alexandra Miller

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Alexandra Miller

Hometown: Smithsburg, Maryland
Location of Undergraduate Studies: University of Maryland, College Park
Career Goals: After getting my master’s degree I hope to work for a company as a water resources engineer, focusing on pollutant remediation in our waterways as well as watershed and stream restoration while working towards obtaining my P.E. licenses.

Morgan Oehler
Morgan Oehler

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Morgan Oehler

Hometown: Elkridge, Maryland
Location of Undergraduate Studies: University of Maine
Career Goals: My goal after completion of my Mater’s degree is to work in the industry or a government agency on projects involving stream restoration and watershed management.

David Provost
David Provost

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

David Provost

Hometown: Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Location of Undergraduate Studies: University of Pittsburgh
Career Goals: Upon completion of my Master’s degree, I aim to resume my career as a geotechnical engineer working on highway, bridge, and other transportation infrastructure projects while gaining enough experience to earn my Professional Engineering license.

Katherine Scott
Katherine Scott

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Katherine Scott

Hometown: Wall, New Jersey
Location of Undergraduate Studies: Rutgers University
Career Goals: I hope to find a career applying research in water reuse to solve large-scale problems such as groundwater depletion.

Chantaly Villalona
Chantaly Villalona

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Chantaly Villalona

Hometown: Newark, New Jersey
Location of Undergraduate Studies: Wellesley College
Career Goals: I am pursuing a graduate degree in order to gain entry to and work in the drinking water industry. Once in the drinking water industry, I aspire to aid in strengthening national water security and public understanding of our water systems.

Benajmin Winter
Benajmin Winter

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Benajmin Winter

Hometown: Chesapeake, Virginia
Location of Undergraduate Studies: Virginia Military Institute
Career Goals: I hope to eventually obtain my P.E. licensure and work for a public entity where I can help develop sustainable water infrastructure for our communities and environment.

Ann Albright
Ann Albright

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS

Ann Albright

Hometown: Louisville, Colorado
Location of Undergraduate Studies: University of Washington
Career Goals: I hope to continue within the field of academia. I plan to investigate reinforced concrete structures under variable loading through field and laboratory research while teaching and mentoring aspiring civil engineering students.

Megan Beever
Megan Beever

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Megan Beever

Hometown: Stratham, New Hampshire
Location of Undergraduate Studies: Virginia Tech
Career Goals: I hope to explore research opportunities in coastal resilience by working for the federal government or a university. After gaining work experience I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in civil engineering with a coastal engineering focus.

Brook Baugher
Brooke Baugher

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT

Brooke Baugher

Hometown:  Charlottesville, Virginia
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Virginia Tech
Career Goals:  Once I finish my Ph.D., I want to work on international development projects and teach engineering students about international engineering practices. My goal is to help create a more effective system within engineering which benefits student learning and impacts communities around the world.

Matthew Blair
Matthew Blair

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Matthew Blair

Hometown:  Clear Spring, Maryland
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Mississippi State University
Career Goals:  After graduation, I would like to continue my work with water reuse systems and ultimately work in both industry and academic settings.

Nick Brilli

Nicola Brilli
Nicola Brilli

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Nick Brilli

Hometown:  New Orleans, Louisiana
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Virginia Tech
Career Goals:  Obtain an M.S. and Ph.D. in civil engineering and eventually make a career doing research in coastal engineering.

Nick Brilli

Thomas Carnes
Thomas Carnes

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS

Thomas Carnes

Hometown:  Lake Milton, Ohio
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Youngstown State University
Career Goals:  After graduating, my goal is to continue in academia as a professor. As a professor, I would like to positively impact the civil engineering community by furthering the understanding of structural engineering through research and teaching future generations of civil engineers.neering.

Nick Brilli

Zachary Coleman
Zachary Coleman

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS

Zachary Coleman

Hometown:  Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Lafayette College
Career Goals:  After obtaining from Ph.D. my Virginia Tech, I aim to work in the engineering industry for a company specializing in the forensic analysis and repair of civil infrastructure. After this time, I may pursue a career in academia to help educate the next generation of young engineers.

Nick Brilli

Cullom Abraham
Abraham Cullom

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Abraham Cullom

Hometown:  Leawood, Kansas
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  University of Pittsburgh
Career Goals:  I want to pursue an academic career through teaching and researching environmental microbiology.

Amanda Darling
Amanda Darling

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Amanda Darling

Hometown:  Aurora, Illinois
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Career Goals:  After earning my degree, I hope to pursue research opportunities applying technologies for sustainable development of water infrastructure, including systems for wastewater treatment and water supply. 

Fred Falcone
Fred Falcone

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Fred Falcone

Hometown:  Pembroke Massachusetts
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Wentworth Institute of Technology
Career Goals:  After completing my Ph.D. I want to continue work in research. My plan is to either continue in academia and work as a professor, or to work for a research facility.

Megan Harris
Megan Harris

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Megan Harris

Hometown:  San Antonio, Texas
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  The University of Texas at Austin
Career Goals:  I want to work internationally and locally for city governments on water resources models and eventually return to academia.

Steven Hoagland
Steven Hoagland

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Steven Hoagland

Hometown:  Lexington, Kentucky
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  University of Kentucky
Career Goals:  I would like to perform research and help educate young engineers as a university faculty member.

James Hurley
James Hurley

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

James Hurley

Hometown:  Durango, Colorado
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  University of Colorado at Boulder
Career Goals:  Research scientist or engineer focusing on air pollution and air quality

Joseph James
Joseph James

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT

Joseph James

Hometown:  Columbia, South Carolina
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Clemson University
Career Goals:  After graduate school, I would like to stay in academia, become a professor, continue researching my field of interest, or travel the world to help people visualize their data.

Rebecca Kriss
Rebecca Kriss

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Rebecca Kriss

Hometown:  Landenburg, Pennsylvania
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Johns Hopkins University
Career Goals:  After earning my doctorate degree, I would like to pursue a career in research, potentially in academia or the public sector.

Krista Liguori
Krista Liguori

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Krista Liguori

Hometown:  King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Penn State University
Career Goals:  I hope to become a professor to continue working with motivated students and formulating original research with global impact.

Alexandra Longest
Alexandra Longest

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Alexandra Longest

Hometown:  Oakland, Maryland
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Bucknell University
Career Goals: After earning my doctorate, I would like to work at a national laboratory to continue to pursue research into issues concerning public health and the air.

Lopez Kathryn
Kathryn Lopez

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Kathryn Lopez

Hometown:  Miami, Florida
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Florida State University
Career Goals:  I plan to become a professor to continue conducting research on aquatic contaminants and shape the learning experiences of young engineers. I also aim to become involved in environmental policy.

Christian Lytle
Christian Lytle

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Christian Lytle

Hometown:  Liberty Township, Ohio
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Case Western Reserve University
Career Goals:  I plan on conducting research in academia or the private sector after completing my doctorate degree. My end goal is to teach and mentor the next generation of environmental engineers.

Maile Moskowitz
Ayella Maile-Moskowitz

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Ayella Maile-Moskowitz

Hometown:  Mount Rainier, Maryland
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  University of Maryland, College Park
Career Goals:  I plan on continuing my research in academia or in a national laboratory.

Clayton Markham
Clayton Markham

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Clayton Markham

Hometown:  Syracuse, New York
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  University at Buffalo
Career Goals:  I would like to be a professor of environmental engineering, concomitantly performing cutting-edge research and educating the next generation of environmental engineers to protect both planet and people.

Frank Mazzola
Frank Mazzola

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Frank Mazzola

Hometown:  Sterling, Virginia and Aiken, South Carolina 
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Virginia Tech 
Career Goals:  To work in the drinking water industry and help provide clean drinking water to communities in a safe and equitable manner.

Lilian McIntosh
Lilian McIntosh

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Lilian McIntosh

Hometown:  Abilene, Texas
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Abilene Christian University
Career Goals:  Upon completing my degree, I plan to pursue constulting as a wastewater treatment process engineer. My goal is to help communities on the municipal scale to have access to sutainable wastewater treatment. Later in my career journey, I hope to become a professor in an effort to lead future generations of rising engineers.

Tolulope Odimayomi
Tolulope Odimayomi

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Tolulope Odimayomi

Hometown:  Westfield, Indiana
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Purdue University
Career Goals:  My interest in researching water quality improvement and sustainability in the built environment is geared towards fostering safe and informed communities, both domestically and globally. As a professor, I hope to address modern environmental concerns and equip rising engineering professionals to do the same.

Kase Poling
Kase Poling

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS

Kase Poling

Hometown:  Beckley, West Virginia
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Virginia Tech
Career Goals:  I hope to work as a professor, legislator, and Christian apologist.

Benjamin Roston
Benjamin Roston

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Benjamin Roston

Hometown:  Newport News, Virginia
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Virginia Tech 
Career Goals:  I hope to explore opportunities in flood hazard management to improve the safety, welfare, and wellbeing of communities impacted by hazardous floodplains and coastal zones. I look forward to exploring new perspectives on the relationships between water and society throughout the M.S. program and my future career.

Alan Smith
Alan Smith

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS

Alan Smith

Hometown:  Buena Vista, Virginia
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Virginia Tech
Career Goals:  I would like to work in either a research setting or structural forensic analysis

Joshua Trump
Joshua Trump

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT

Joshua Trump

Hometown:  Manassas, Virginia
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Virginia Tech
Career Goals:  My interests are split. I’m very interested in continuing research but I’m also considering my future in industry. I’m excited to see where this year takes me as I explore more of my research and experience academia.

Kory Wait
Kory Wait

ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Kory Wait

Hometown:  Seymour, Indiana
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Purdue University
Career Goals:  Continue my Ph.D. research investigating potential sources of groundwater contamination and specifically focusing on the effects of contamination on drinking water supplies from private wells.

Lucas Walshire
Lucas Walshire

Geotechnical Engineering

Lucas Walshire

Hometown:  Kalona, Iowa
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  University of Iowa
Career Goals:  Contribute to the US Army Corps of Engineers mission by providing technical support through practical and cost effective means

Kaleigh Yost
Kaleigh Yost

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Kaleigh Yost

Hometown:  Princeton, New Jersey
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  University of Notre Dame
Career Goals:  I plan on dedicating my career to furthering the understanding of earthquakes and reducing earthquake risk worldwide. I aspire to become a leader in the field of geotechnical earthquake engineering and plan to pursue a career in academia.

Abril Yu-Shan Chevez
Abril Yu-Shan Chevez

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS

Abril Yu-Shan Chevez

Hometown:  Lexington, Virginia
Location of Undergraduate Studies:  Virginia Tech
Career Goals:  I plan on continuing in academia as a professor so I can perform research as well as teach and mentor future engineers.