University of North Texas construction engineering technology junior Ha Tran received a total of $9,500 in scholarships for her outstanding academic achievements. The scholarships will go toward her 2018-2019 academic year.
Tran will receive four scholarships, including the College of Engineering Annual Scholarship for $1,000 from the University Scholarship Committee, Dorothy P. Morris Scholarship for $1,500 from the Society of Women Engineers, Architecture/Structural Engineering Student Scholarship for $2,000 from Simpson Strong-Tie Company, Inc., and a construction management scholarship for $5,000 from the Construction Management Association of America North Texas chapter. Simpson Strong-Tie Company also invited Tran to visit their laboratories in Pleasanton and Stockton, Calif., in July with all expenses paid.
“This is a great chance for me to network with company representatives and see how they develop, engineer, test, and manufacture new and innovative products,” Tran said.
This summer, Tran is interning for Texas Department of Transportation. In the previous school year, she worked at the UNT Learning Center as a supplemental instructions leader for general chemistry and was recognized as Super SI for being an exceptional supplemental instructor to the students she was helping. She also has been working as an undergraduate research assistant for different projects with the Department of Engineering Technology under Professor Cheng Yu. There, she uses design software such as Revit Structure and AutoCAD, conducts the technical reports, and researches through different add-ins for Cold Formed Steel framing and steel connection.
“I believe that the critical thinking process and the access to academic resources when doing research will nurture my passion in construction engineering,” Tran said.
To broaden her horizons and grow her networking, Tran attends local and national conferences and likes to volunteer. She attended conferences such as the National Steel Conference held by the American Institute of Steel Construction in Baltimore, Md. and the Women Engineers Local Conference in Tulsa, Okla. At the Women Engineers Local Conference, she volunteered for the SWE Next Design Lab as a safety and management coordinator. She has also volunteered to help celebrate Engineering Journey Days for Girl Scouts and mentored middle school and high school students at during the College of Engineering’s STEM@thePark.
“I loved such great chances to inspire young generations to pursue engineering majors and develop their potentials to become great engineers,” Tran said.
This fall, Tran will be the secretary of the UNT Association of Construction Engineering Technology, internal vice president of UNT Vietnamese Students Association, an active member of UNT’s Professional Leadership Program, a collegiate member of Society of Women Engineers and a Bentley Institute ambassador.
“I plan to bring Software Training Program supported by Bentley System to UNT College of Engineering and celebrate different events to help engineering students grow their network and develop their soft skills,” Tran said.
Tran also loves to support other Vietnamese students at UNT and bring the Vietnamese culture to the UNT Community. She helps with different resources including housing, academic services and job opportunities.
“I am continuously improving myself both professionally and socially to further develop my leadership skills and become a better leader in the future,” Tran said.
