Reconstructing Pittsburgh

Nolan Kurtz (E'09), born and bred in Pittsburgh, was clearly shaped by the region.

Kurtz grew up knowing Carnegie Mellon. He came to rehearse on campus regularly, playing the tuba as a member of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra. His father is an alumnus of the School of Architecture.

"I'd always heard that Carnegie Mellon was a very challenging place, a place that would keep you stimulated," Kurtz emphasized. "I always wanted to come here."

The boy from the City of Bridges knew he wanted to study civil and environmental engineering, and he's headed next toward a Ph.D. in structural engineering. His goal is to make a lasting impact on infrastructure research - specifically in bridge design.

"I hope one day to fix the building codes," said Kurtz, "to help minimize the waste of materials in the building of bridges."

Kurtz was fortunately awarded two generous scholarships toward his goal, the William Elton Mott Scholarship and the Ida M. and Henry Posner Sr. Scholarship. Without these awards -- providing $15,000 in assistance -- Kurtz would not have been able to attend.

"It was extremely important," Kurtz said. "I really needed the financial assistance, and I'm thankful that people were willing to help or I wouldn't be here."

Ida Posner established the Ida M. and Henry Posner, Sr. Scholarship in 1982 in memory of her husband to provide scholarships to engineering or science students from the greater Pittsburgh area. A scholarship in honor of Mott, a former dean of the College of Engineering, was established by Theron Wasson to help children of alumni in financial need.

Thanks to the support, Kurtz has even been able to continue his music training, minoring in tuba performance in the School of Music. He hopes to pass on his good fortune.

"I hope one day to be capable of giving back to help another student," Kurtz explained. "I want to keep that legacy going."

Related Link: Student Support