Andrew Conwell

Andrew Conwell received the Henry Ford II Award for scholastic achievement and the Kay Simmons-Kappes Award for community involvement.

The senior in civil engineering is set to graduate in May and is being recognized for his academic excellence and contributions to the Grainger Engineering community.

“Receiving these awards together makes me proud because it shows that I've been successful in not only my studies, but also in giving back to the students and faculty around me,” Andrew said. “Being recognized through these awards is an amazing way to round off my time here at Illinois.”

Andrew has kept busy in his time in school. He is a leader in the campus chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineering, having served as the Industry Chair and Vice President. He is heavily involved in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. There he has served on the Undergraduate Advisory Board, is CEE student advisor, and a course grader for CEE 300. He is also a Student Evaluator for the Academy for Excellence in Engineering Education.

Andrew is a part of Class XXV of the Hoeft Technology & Management Program, where he is on the Alumni Relations Committee. This experience has sparked an interest in areas in the industry such as construction litigation or engineering consulting.

Outside of the university, Andrew volunteers as a Sunday School teacher at Trinity Lutheran Church. He has held internships at the engineering firms Burns & McDonnell and Kiewit.

These awards will help Andrew with his next academic adventure: graduate school. He will return to Grainger Engineering for his masters degree in structural engineering.

“Scholarship awards like this mean a lot to me since they enable me to support myself through graduate school next year. I also believe that these awards reflect on my ability to make an impact in my community, which will hopefully distinguish me to employers in the future.”

Inspired by his father’s architecture career, Andrew hopes to pursue a career in structural design and analysis on historic buildings in Chicago.