Education Foundation


About the AISC Education Foundation

Mission

To invest in the people who will drive the future of design, fabrication, and construction of structural steel.

Vision

A future where people of all backgrounds design, fabricate, and build sustainable steel structures and communities.

History

The AISC Education Foundation was formed in 1959 as an unincorporated charitable trust and began humbly with few donations received at the time. While the lasting effects of the AISC Education Foundation programs wouldn’t be seen until future years, the AISC Fellowship program throughout the 1980s awarded many people who have since made massive contributions to the structural steel industry and steel education.

Past AISC President Lou Gurthet led the incorporation of the Education Foundation, which occurred in 1998. Through contributions from AISC and generous donors over time, and under past AISC President Roger Ferch, the Foundation grew to $1.5M by the end of 2016.

In 2020, the AISC Education Foundation became registered in all 50 US states to actively solicit donations and ran its first fundraising campaign to help students who found it difficult to remain in school during the coronavirus pandemic. Upon successful completion of the first fundraising campaign, the Foundation has continued to fundraise to expand its programming, awards, and award amounts. Under current AISC President Charlie Carter’s watch, the Foundation has grown to over $4M as of late 2022!

For decades, the AISC Education Foundation Board of Directors was composed of five fabricators who sat on the AISC Board of Directors. In 2021, AISC Education Foundation Board Chair David Zalesne made the decision to expand the Education Foundation Board of Directors to also include five engineers, five educators, creating a group of 15 passionate individuals who are dedicated to furthering the AISC Education Foundation and its mission.

AISC Education Foundation Board of Directors

Fabricators

Glenn Tabolt, Treasurer, STS Steel, Inc.
David Zalesne, Past Chair, Owen Steel Company, Inc
Casey Brown, Zimkor LLC
Babette Freund, Dave Steel Company, Inc.
Dan Kadrmas, TrueNorth Steel

Engineers

Emily Guglielmo, SE, PE, Chair, Martin/Martin Inc.
Benjamin Baer, SE, Vice Chair, Sheffee Lulkin & Associates, Inc.
Jon Magnusson, PE, SE, Hon. AIA, Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Stephanie Slocum, PE, Engineers Rising LLC
Jeffrey Smilow, PE, WSP

Educators

Patricia Clayton, PhD, Wake Forest University
Gregory Michaelson, PhD, PE, Marshall University
Machel Morrison, PhD, SE, University of California San Diego
W. M. Kim Roddis, PhD, PE, The George Washington University
Andrea Surovek, PhD, PE, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

Ex Officio

Edward Seglias, Secretary
Charles Carter, SE, PE, PhD, President

AISC Staff

Charlie Carter, SE, PE, PhD, is the President of AISC and the AISC Education Foundation and leads the efforts to grow the Foundation and its activities.

Maria Mnookin is the Director of Foundation Programs and administers the AISC Education Foundation programs and activities.


Questions? Here's Who to Contact

Maria Mnookin
Director of Foundation Programs
mnookin@aisc.org
312.758.7802

AISC Education Foundation
giving@aisc.org

The AISC Education Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Every penny donated to the AISC Education Foundation is 100% tax-deductible and goes to students, educators, and education programs.