Associate professor Stephen Muench, undergraduate Casey Hoyt, undergraduate Liz Guilford and Chair Greg Miller (from left to right)

Two UW CEE students have been awarded Beavers Charitable Trust Scholarships for the 2016-17 academic year. Undergraduates Casey Hoyt and Liz Guilford are the inaugural recipients of the scholarships. Spearheaded by alumnus Tom Draeger (BSCE ’68), the scholarships were established by the Beavers Charitable Trust in 2015. The two $5,000 scholarships are awarded to students who plan to pursue careers in the construction engineering field.

The students were selected because they are “outstanding students and have demonstrated strong interest in construction engineering,” said associate professor Stephen Muench, who holds the Tom and Marilyn Draeger – Beavers Charitable Trust Endowed professorship.

Recipient Casey Hoyt said the scholarship will allow him freedom from financial stress during his final year in school. Hoyt’s wife, who has been the breadwinner for his family since he returned to academia, is currently on maternity leave with the couple’s second child.

“This scholarship could not have come at a better time,” Hoyt said. “This scholarship will allow us to replenish our savings and relax a little for the remainder of the year.”

Hoyt first became interested in civil engineering while working as a carpenter for many years. Hoyt already has a job lined up with Clark Construction, where he interned this past summer. He was offered a position as an assistant superintendent, which he will start after graduating in June 2017.

For recipient Liz Guilford, a junior, the scholarship will enable her to focus more on her research and schoolwork and less on tuition costs. Originally from Belmont, Calif., Guilford pays out-of-state tuition.

“I was very shocked and really happy,” Guilford said. “I was eating lunch in the Genome Sciences Building and nearly fell out of my chair.”

Guilford first became interested in the construction field while enrolled in CEE 100 during her freshman year, where she learned about the various engineering specialty areas.

“I heard from the construction students who pursued careers in the industry and it sounded really exciting and worthwhile,” Guilford said.

Her interest in the construction field deepened while working with the Greenroads Foundation, a sustainability rating system for roadway design and construction, and participating in the department’s study abroad programs, Engineering in Rome and Engineering Jordan.

“I saw just how far construction could take me,” Guilford said.

This past summer, Guilford interned with Kiewit Corporation, in Honolulu County, Oahu, Hawaii, where she worked in the estimating department for special projects.