SmithGroup awards 2019 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Scholarships
SmithGroup has named the winners of the 2019 SmithGroup Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Scholarships. This program was established in 2018 to support and mentor students from historically underrepresented demographics in architecture, interior design, planning, landscape architecture, and engineering. The program’s mission is to provide these students with the opportunity to attain their professional goals while advancing the architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) industry and improving the built environment.
Over 400 universities around the country were contacted to solicit candidates and nearly 140 applicants were reviewed by the firm’s selection committee. The five scholarship winners will begin a paid summer internship in one of SmithGroup’s U.S. offices this week. Each winner will also receive a one-time award of $6,000 to offset their tuition costs. The scholarship recipients are:
Oluwasubomi Adenuga is a senior at the University of North Texas majoring in mechanical and energy engineering. He will be working in SmithGroup’s Dallas office this summer.
Eugene Green is a senior at the University of Maryland, studying fire protection engineering. He will spend his summer at the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
Ashton Harrell is pursuing a master’s degree in architecture at Yale University. His internship will be completed in the Boston office of SmithGroup.
Mary Pinpin is a fourth-year architecture student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She will be working in SmithGroup’s San Francisco office this summer.
Nancy Valenzuela is majoring in landscape architecture at Texas A&M University. Her summer will be spent at the firm’s Phoenix office.
Rosa Sheng, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, the firm’s director of equity, diversity and inclusion, was encouraged by the large number of interested scholarship candidates.
“We had an outstanding group of talented students apply and it was inspiring to see the range of disciplines and universities represented,” Sheng said. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to engage and mentor these future leaders in our offices this summer, while also providing the scholarship to support their education.”
The EDI scholarship program is part of a broader firm strategy focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion.
“Equity is one of the core values of our firm,” said Troy Thompson, AIA, LEED AP, SmithGroup managing partner. “This scholarship program is just one example of our commitment to break through barriers and take on the industry-wide challenge of attracting the best and most diverse talent.”
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