CEE Student Awards
The CEE Department recently celebrated our amazing undergraduate and graduate students with student scholarship and fellowship awards. Congratulations to all our awardees!
Undergraduate Awards:
Department Citation 2024-25
Given to graduating seniors in recognition of their outstanding academic achievement. This year we have ten recipients:
- ➢ Emmett Rayhill
- ➢ Garett Hawes
- ➢ Brandon Ng
- ➢ Daniel Grimes
- ➢ Lindsey Hollandsworth
- ➢ Jerry Dai –
- ➢ Curtis Lee NOT
- ➢ JP Piro
- ➢ Nika Self
- ➢ Dana Alkhunaizi
Citation for Outstanding Performance
This Undergraduate Student Award is presented to an individual who have demonstrated excellence in overall academic and departmental performance throughout their undergrad.
- ➢ Natalie Dennis
Outstanding Senior Award
This Undergraduate Student Award is presented to graduating seniors who have demonstrated excellence in overall academic and departmental performance. This year we have two recipients:
Dutra Scholarship Award
Established by Bill Dutra and Harry Stewart of the Dutra group in 2018, the Dutra Award supports one student heading for a career in the heavy construction industry. This year, the UC Davis recipient is:
- ➢ Anthony Magana
Beaver’s Charitable Trust Awards
Established in 2005 by the Beavers Organization, the Beaver’s Charitable Trust Award supports student’s interest in pursuing a career in the heavy construction industry. This year we have three recipients:
- ➢ Jose Luis Martinez Lopez
- ➢ Cassie Blaufus
- ➢ Kiana Chi
Amorocho Memorial Prize
Established in 1987 as a memorial to UC Davis Professor Jaime Amorocho for a civil engineering student in the field of water resources. This year we have two recipients:
- ➢ Hannah Kench
- ➢ Kristen Wojciechowski
Gary E. Hackney and Natalie A. Poole Scholarship
Established by Gary Hackney and Natalie Poole in 2016. Meant to provide support to students pursuing an academic curriculum related to infrastructure. The award will be presented to a student interested in educating youth.
- ➢ Sushmeen Kaur
Walter D. Buehler Scholarships
Established by his wife, Carol, in 1986 in honor of his 60th birthday, this scholarship recognizes the founder of the Buehler, Buehler & Associates structural engineering firm. Mr. Buehler was the structural designer of Bainer Hall. This year we have two recipients:
- ➢ Clifton Heatlie
- ➢ Helena Kwon
Risken Environmental Engineering Award
Given to a student working on a project related to air/water/environmental quality improvement. This year’s recipient is:
- ➢ Keira Folkers
High Tide Award
We would like to recognize the following student for receiving the High Tide Team Award for Preconstruction as the best team leader in the Associated Schools of Construction Competition.
- ➢ Ann Lu
ITE Western District Outstanding Student Award
We would like to recognize the following student for receiving the ITE Western District Outstanding Student Award for showing exceptional dedication to the transportation profession through ITE service, research, mentoring, or real-world experience.
- ➢ Brandon Ng
ASCE & Competition Teams
We also want to acknowledge the many student teams that competed this year, who did exceptionally well in their competitions!
- ➢ Steel Bridge Team:1st place in Student Steel Bridge at MidPac 2025
- ➢ ITE: 2nd place in Transportation Competition at MidPac 2025
- ➢ Environmental Project: 3rd place in Water Treatment Competition at MidPac 2025.
- ➢ Concrete Conoe: 2nd place in Concrete Canoe at Midpac 2025
- ➢ Construction Management VDC: 3rd place in Virtual Design in Construction at the 2025 Associated Schools of Construction Competition
- ➢ CM Sustainability Building: 1st place in Sustainability at the 2025 Associated Schools of Construction Competition
Takashi and Holly Newcomb Asano Scholarship
Established by the Takashi and Holly Newcomb Asano Scholarship fund to support undergraduate and graduate students.
- ➢ Aatefa Rahimi
- ➢ Aaliyah Silva
- ➢ Savannah Villalobos
- ➢ Amrita Kaler
Graduate Student Awards:
Takashi and Holly Newcomb Asano Fellowship
- ➢ Delbert Truong
- ➢ Matthew Liu
- ➢ Aditya Jhunjhunwala
- ➢ Maziar Mivehchi
- ➢ German Spadari
Johannes “Joe” DeVries Graduate Student Award –
Established by David Ford and Lynne Cannady in 2013, this award is given to an outstanding graduate student studying water resources engineering. We have one recipient this year:
- ➢ Jorge Vargas Lara
Dennis L. and Patricia K. Salisbury Award –
This award was established by Mr. Dennis L. Salisbury and Ms. Patricia K. Salisbury in 2013, and is given to an outstanding MS or PhD candidate with research or studies in the area of water quality. We have two recipients this year:
- ➢ Eleanor Fadely
- ➢ Mel Johnson
George and Rosemary Tchobanoglous Graduate Fellowship
This award was established to support a Master’s graduate student in the environmental area. We have one recipient this year:
- ➢ Natalia Salazar
UC Davis Prize for Excellence in Geotechnical Engineering
This award was established by Professor I. M. Idriss in 2003 to be given to an outstanding student in the geotechnical area. We have one recipient this year:
- ➢ Dora de Melo
Fugro West Fellowship
Established by a gift from the Oakland, CA office of Fugro, this award is given to an outstanding M.S. or Ph.D. graduate student in geotechnical engineering. We have two recipients this year:
- ➢ Damon Nguyen
Patrick C. Lucia Geotechnical Engineering Scholarship
Established in 2019, this gift is to award individuals who have demonstrated academic excellence and a strong potential for contributions in engineering practice. We have one recipient this year:
- ➢ Maziar Mivehchi
ChihKang “CK” Shen Engineering Fellow
The Fellowship will support graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in civil and environmental engineering, with a preference for those studying geotechnical engineering/soil mechanics. Recipients shall be known as the “ChihKang Shen Engineering Fellows. We have one recipient this year:
- ➢ Jose Luis Caisapanta
ConeTec Education Foundation, held at Vancouver Foundation Award
Established in 2016, this gift was granted to the Geotechnical Graduate Student Society to support graduate students and undergraduate students, under the direction of Prof. Jason DeJong.
- ➢ Sam Luft
