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Student of the Year Award
2008-2009 Recipient

Chad Stripling

Chad earned his M.S. degree in civil engineering from South Dakota State University (SDSU) in August 2008, and his B.S. degree in civil and environmental engineering from SDSU in December 2006. He currently holds a position of a Design Engineer at S.A. Miro, Inc., a structural engineering firm in Denver, Colorado.

Chad was a graduate research assistant in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at SDSU from January 2007 until June 2008. His research focused on the structural performance of prestressed self-consolidating concrete (SCC) bridge girders made with limestone aggregate. The main objective of the study was to assess the performance and feasibility of SCC for use in South Dakota bridges. For his research, Chad tested until failure three full-scale bridge girders with composite decks in the Lohr Structures Laboratory at SDSU. In his thesis, Chad analyzed the performance of the SCC girders including camber, transfer length, prestress losses, flexural stiffness and strength, and shear strength, and compared the results to those obtained from testing identical prestressed girder made with conventional concrete. A final report and two manuscripts that are based on Chad?s research study are currently being prepared for publication.

Chad achieved a stellar academic performance at SDSU, graduating with a GPA of 4.0/4.0 in both of his B.S. and M.S. degrees. He received numerous awards and recognitions including SDSU Outstanding Senior, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention, Phi Kappa Phi Outstanding Scholar Award, John A. Focht National Chi Epsilon Scholarship, Minnesota Public Works Association Scholarship (twice), Minnesota County Engineers Association Scholarship (four times), and Golden Key International Honor Society Scholarship.

In addition to his research duties, Chad assisted with teaching undergraduate courses by substituting for professors on numerous occasions. While working towards his B.S. degree, Chad held a position of Project Engineer Assistant at Daktronics, Inc. in Brookings, SD, where he designed and modeled structures for scoreboard display systems. Between 2003 and 2006, he worked as a summer intern with Lyon County Public Works in Marshall, MN, where he performed surveying work on highways using total station and GPS equipment.

Chad has been recognized by his instructors and supervisors as an individual of great intellect, solid work ethics, high aptitude, and genuine personality. His research work in no doubt will result in significant advancement of bridge engineering.

NDSU Dept 2880P.O. Box 6050Fargo, ND 58108-6050
(701)231-7767ndsu.ugpti@ndsu.edu