Department of Defense names civil engineering senior a SMART scholar
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
MANHATTAN — Chad Olney, Kansas State University senior in civil engineering, Winfield, has been awarded a Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation, or SMART, Scholarship for Service for the 2017-18 academic year.
The program, established by the U.S. Department of Defense, supports undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, disciplines. Along with his civil engineering major, Olney is pursuing a secondary major in natural resources and environmental sciences, and a minor in Spanish.
Awardees receive full tuition payment for the year of the award, a $25,000 per year stipend, and guaranteed employment at a sponsoring DOD facility upon graduation. Olney's sponsoring facility is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office in Kansas City, Missouri.
Olney serves as president of the university's student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, is in charge of large fundraising for Engineers Without Borders, and is a member of the civil engineering honor society, Chi Epsilon.
In 2016, the most recent year of completed data, 239 students were awarded DOD SMART scholarships, 12 percent of all applicants reviewed. Of those selected, the average GPA was 3.7.
Olney is the son of Mark and Pam Olney, Winfield.
