Challenge Accepted: Donors Invest in Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Students
At Georgia Tech, some of the most consequential work happens long before a discovery is published or a patent is filed. In the laboratories and classrooms where Ph.D. students help advance the frontiers of knowledge, these doctoral students teach undergraduates, conduct research alongside faculty, and advance the overall success of top research universities.
Donors who invest in graduate student support are helping shape the future of research. This idea was at the heart of a recent giving challenge that has led to significant support for graduate education in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE).
Ph.D. students receive a stipend to cover their living expenses. Over time, CEE’s stipend offers have remained flat due to funding constraints, creating challenges related to cost of living increases. This has also made recruiting more competitive, as other top universities are able to offer students higher stipends.
To encourage giving in support of CEE’s graduate students, Jenny and Michael Messner, CE 1976, HON Ph.D. 2023, established a dollar-for-dollar challenge, matching gifts and commitments up to $5 million. CEE alumni and friends responded to the challenge, with 50 donors collectively giving $10 million and creating 16 new endowments for research assistants.
“CEE continues to rank among the top departments in the nation, and we should all strive to keep it there,” Messner said. “Ph.D. students are on the front line, doing critical research that solves problems for the world.”
This new support is already enhancing CEE’s graduate programs. Average annual compensation packages for civil engineering graduate research assistants increased from $29,500 to $40,000, strengthening CEE's ability to recruit top doctoral talent.
“This means we are able to recruit the best talent to work on important research projects,” said Lauren Stewart, associate chair for Graduate Programs. “It also provides a wage that compensates our graduate students for the vital work they do.”
Among the new endowments is one established in memory of Skylar Bernstein-Wombough, CE 2024. Diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer during her senior year, she finished her degree in August 2024 — graduating with high honors — before passing away a few months later. She had wanted to pursue a graduate degree and ultimately become a professor. To date, 36 donors have contributed $778,150 to the endowment bearing her name. This includes 15 who had never before given to Georgia Tech academics.
Giving challenges like this reflect a shared belief that investing in doctoral students is one of the most effective ways to advance Georgia Tech’s research mission. Ph.D. students are not simply beneficiaries of that mission; they help drive it forward. Through their research, teaching, and innovation, their impact extends far beyond a single laboratory or classroom.
To make a gift in support of graduate students at Georgia Tech, contact Dave Zaksheske, assistant vice president for Development, College of Engineering, at davez@coe.gatech.edu, or Ashley Coogan, assistant vice president, Unit Development, at ashley.coogan@dev.gatech.edu.