This fellowship was established by the Board of Direction of the Society in 1938 and was made possible by J. Waldo Smith, past Vice President and Hon.M.ASCE, who bequeathed funds to the Society.

Recent recipients

2023–2024

  • Salma Elsherif, S.M.ASCE, Vanderbilt Univ.
  • Azadeh Mousavi, S.M.ASCE, Pennsylvania State Univ.

View all ASCE fellowship recipients

Rules

  1. The J. Waldo Smith Hydraulic Fellowship may be presented annually to not more than two graduate students, who will use the fellowship for tuition, research and living expenses.
  2. The purpose of the fellowship is to further the education of worthy civil engineering graduate students engaged in the study of experimental hydraulics.
  3. Under the provisions adopted by the Board of Direction, the scope of the fellowship should be restricted to research in the field of experimental hydraulics as distinguished from that of purely “theoretical hydraulics.” To this end, emphasis is to be placed on practical experiments designed and executed for the purpose of advancing knowledge with respect to the laws of hydraulic flow, rather than to the type of research which proceeds on the theory of mathematical based on assumptions of unknown validity. The essence of the purpose of the research is to test the assumptions which are currently made, and also to develop a better understanding of fluid flow.
  4. Eligibility:
    1. At the time of application and award the individual must be a member of the Society in good standing. Preference shall be given to Associate Members.
    2. The fellowship may be awarded only to those students who will continue their formal graduate education in civil engineering.
    3. Previous recipients of the fellowship are eligible to apply in any succeeding competition for these awards provided the other requirements of eligibility are satisfied.
  5. Application:
    1. Complete applications, following directions provided below, are to be submitted for January 15 of the year of award. Applications are required to be submitted online; mailed applications will no longer be accepted. For questions, please contact [email protected]
    2. Applications must include:
      1. completed contact information form (PDF)
        (Note: this form requires the signature of a faculty advisor in order to be considered complete.)
      2. personal 500-word essay on why the applicant should receive this fellowship and why the applicant chose to become a civil engineer, specific ASCE Student Chapter involvement, any special financial needs, and long term goals and plans;
      3. description of the proposed research and its objectives, signed by an institutional representative indicating proposed research is acceptable;
      4. completed detailed annual budget statement (PDF);
      5. minimum of two recommendation letters, one of which must be from a faculty member;
      6. official transcript;
      7. one- to two-page resume. Include honors, activities, organizations, ASCE activities (including any offices held), and any work experience.
  6. Selection
    1. All applications will be reviewed by the Society Awards Committee or its designee for recommendation to the Executive Committee for final approval.
    2. The committee reserves the right to recommend that no award be made in a particular year if no meritorious applications are received.
    3. Selection is based on (a) technical and social value of the proposed research. Preference is given to research which will contribute to the solution of conflicting engineering issues involving social, economic, environmental, or political concerns or compromises; (b) ability of the proposed research to meet the overall objective of the fellowship; (c) relevant professional experience, previous research or course of study either as a practitioner or in academia; (d) prior contribution to the engineering profession and/or the hydraulic engineering.
  7. Awards
    1. The amount of the fellowship will be determined annually by and subject to approval of the Executive Committee of the ASCE Board of Direction based on income from the fund endowment.
    2. Recipients will be notified of selection in the spring by the Executive Director of the Society.
    3. Awards funds will be sent to the recipient.
    4. Funds may be applied to tuition expenses, costs associated with research, and academic fees reasonably and logically associated with a graduate engineering program while continuing formal education.

Application Instructions

Online applications must be completed and submitted in a single session. All application materials must be submitted in English. Applications are required to be submitted online; mailed applications will no longer be accepted. For questions, please contact [email protected].

Application deadline: January 15.

To complete the online application, you must have the following:

  1. A single PDF that includes the following items:
    1. A completed contact information form (PDF)
      (Note: this form requires the signature of a faculty advisor in order to be considered complete.)
    2. A personal essay which shall be no more than 500 words on why the applicant should receive this fellowship and why the applicant chose to become a civil engineer, specific ASCE Student Chapter involvement, any special financial needs, and long-term goals and plans.
    3. A completed detailed annual budget statement (PDF);
    4. A description of the proposed research and its objectives, signed by an institutional representative indicating proposed research is acceptable;
    5. A one- to two-page resume. Include honors, activities, organizations, ASCE activities (including any offices held), and any work experience.
  2. Minimum of two (2) letters of recommendation, one of which must be from; a faculty member/research nominator. Recommendations must be submitted online by the author and must have a signature and be on letterhead.
    (Note: make sure you provide the recommendation letter submission link to your recommenders.)
  3. Official Transcripts: A digital copy of an official transcript must be sent from your institution to [email protected]. If a digital copy is not available, send a sealed copy to: ASCE Scholarships Program, American Society of Civil Engineers, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 20191.

Apply now

All application requirements must be fulfilled. Incomplete applications will not be considered.