A recent donation to West Virginia University Institute of Technology is providing scholarships to help civil engineering students complete their education. New River Engineers, Inc., based in Charleston, W.Va., donated $100,000 at the end of 2024 to establish a scholarship fund for civil engineering students.
“Civil engineers design and maintain our roads, bridges, public water and sewage systems, and more. The investment by New River Engineers in the civil engineering program at WVU Tech will help ensure that our state and nation have the skilled professionals needed to maintain our way of life. These professionals are the students in our undergraduate programs who need support to continue their education and become the future of West Virginia,” said Tamara Floyd-Smith, Ph.D., P.E., Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Jessie O. Parker, Jr., P.E., the CEO and Principal Engineer at New River Engineers and a WVU Tech alumnus, played a key role in the donation. He, along with business partners Christopher D. Burford and Joshua D. Cook, P.E., PMP, collaborated to make this significant contribution.
“New River Engineers is proud to give back to WVU Tech, the place that gave us the education and helped develop the tools to build our careers. This is our way of saying thanks and helping ensure that future students from West Virginia get the same opportunities we did,” said Parker.
“We are grateful to these Golden Bear alumni who are giving back to their alma mater to ensure the next generation of civil engineers is well-equipped to complete their degrees and step into the future,” said T. Ramon Stuart, Ph.D., President of WVU Tech.
The scholarship gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.