Peter Kiewit Foundation Engineering Academy announces 2024-25 cohort
LINCOLN — Forty first-year students in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Engineering have been chosen to the 2024-25 cohort of the Peter Kiewit Foundation Engineering Academy.
The new cohort includes students on the college's campuses in Lincoln and Omaha and is the third group for the academy.
Among cohort members are Chelsea Betancourt of Grand Island, computer engineering, Grand Island Senior High School (Omaha campus); and Bekah Evans of Hastings, architectural engineering, Hastings High School (Omaha campus).
The academy seeks to recruit and retain students committed to supporting and advancing women in engineering in Nebraska and to provide students who have financial need with the resources and support to pursue careers in engineering, computing and construction.
Academy students receive a scholarship that covers full tuition and fees and may receive funding for a fifth year on a case-by-case basis. The scholarship also covers students' housing and meals for up to four years in a University Housing residence. Academy students have a common living experience during their first two years in the program, enroll in cohort-specific freshman and sophomore seminars, and receive success coaching from dedicated program staff. Students also receive a $600 book stipend to the university bookstore and a laptop for their studies.
The academy's work is grounded in the Complete Engineer, a College of Engineering initiative designed to ensure students participate in experiential learning in tandem with the technical expertise provided by a Big Ten degree.
Beyond developing students individually, the academy will foster an environment in the engineering community at large to increase gender diversity in the workforce and a sense of belonging for women in engineering, computing and construction.
The program is funded and developed in partnership with the Peter Kiewit Foundation, a private independent philanthropic trust that has awarded more than $750 million in grants and scholarships since its founding in 1979.
The foundation was established by Peter Kiewit, a generous philanthropist and community leader who believed that Omaha was the best place to live in the United States. The foundation is not legally or administratively affiliated with the operating companies that also bear Peter Kiewit's name.
For the full list of the academy's 2024-25 cohort, visit .
