Civil engineering student Gabe Camposagrado received a $20,000 fellowship from Portland Cement Association in September. Portland Cement Association’s Education Foundation recently distributed its first round of fellowships for concrete- and cement-related research. Four universities within the United States and three in Canada each had one student receive $20,000 grants Jim Repman, PCA Education Foundation Chairman of California Portland Cement Company, presented the fellowships on Sept. 16 at a ceremony in Chicago.
From Mississippi State University, Campasogrado was selected to work on this joint proposal, along with Shane Buchanan. Camposagrado received the grant for his study called “Investigation of the Cause and Effect of Air Void Coalescing in Portland Cement Concrete Mixes.”
According to Buchanan, Camposagrado’s research will deal with concrete. “He will be trying to evaluate the air-void system in concrete to improve durability,” Buchanan explained. “With concrete mixes, you have to put air voids, or very, very small air bubbles, inside the mix so it will accommodate freezing and thawing of water.
“This is a big step for civil engineering research,” Camposagrado said. “I hope that my research will gain recognition for MSU and open opportunities for other students.”
Buchanan came to MSU in February. He will work alongside Camposagrado, serving as his adviser during his graduate studies.
Universities within the United States and Canada send in proposals to PCA, who then determines whether the proposal is worthy of funding. This year, MSU had one of the seven proposals selected.
“This is one of the first times that a university in Mississippi has received one of these fellowships. It’s very exciting to work on this project because it offers the chance to solve a real world problem,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan selected Camposagrado because he “had expressed interest in attending graduate school and wanted to focus in construction materials.
“The number one reason I selected Gabe Camposagrado is because he is a very smart young man with great leadership potential and an ability to work on his own.”
Camposagrado is a senior at Mississippi State University. He is from Gulfport and will graduate in December. He will remain at MSU to conduct his research and attend graduate school. Camposagrado is currently the president of the American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapter, a member of Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society and a soil mechanics lab instructor.
Portland Cement Association, located in Skokie, Ill., represents cement companies in the United States and in Canada. It performs research, public affairs programs, market development, education and engineering.
In order to help pay for educational programs in the United States and Canada, the company established the Education Foundation in 2001.