This fellowship is a memorial to Jack E. Leisch, M.ASCE, and his outstanding professional accomplishments and contributions to the fields of highway design, traffic operations, and transportation planning. The award consists of a certificate and a monetary payment of approximately $5,000.

The Jack E. Leisch Fellowship is made possible by generous donations. To contribute to the fellowship, donate here.

Recent recipient

2024–2025

  • Francisca Kasubi, S.M.ASCE, Florida International University

View all recipients

Rules

  1. The fellowship will apply to full-time students enrolled in or admitted to a graduate degree program (master’s or doctoral) at an accredited university emphasizing transportation planning, roadway geometric design, traffic operations, and safety performance.
  2. Applicants must be an ASCE or T&DI member in good standing at the time of the award.
  3. Previous fellowship recipients are not eligible to reapply.
  4. The application deadline is March 28, 2025.
  5. Incomplete application packages or applications received after March 28, 2025, will not be reviewed. See the “Applications” section below for a list of required documents.
  6. Selection is based on an appraisal of the applicant's academic program, educational plan, academic performance, post-graduate intentions, leadership capacity, and financial need.  

Applications

To apply, submit a complete application package by March 28, 2025. Applications must include:

  1. Cover letter (one page)
  2. Statement of interest (1000 words or less) detailing:
    1. Applicant’s understanding of Jack E. Leisch’s career and how their work correlates with his. 
    2. Applicant’s focus area and long-term interests, and how they apply to the fellowship. 
    3. How the fellowship will support the applicant’s career efforts and long-term goals.
    4. Any learning experiences or unexpected insights the applicant experienced during the application process. 
  3. Resume (two pages or less) indicating:
    1. Academic experience
    2. Undergraduate and graduate grade point average (GPA)
    3. Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores
    4. Work experience
    5. Extracurricular activities including professional society student chapter memberships.
    6. Other pertinent information
  4. Official transcripts from graduate and undergraduate institutions.
  5. A list of completed or planned graduate coursework in the areas of highway design, traffic operations, and/or transportation planning.
  6. A confidential letter of recommendation.
  7. Statement of financial need (250 words or less).

Please read the following section carefully. Failure to follow the instructions listed below may result in disqualification. 

How to apply

  1. Submit a complete application by the stated deadline.
  2. Applications must be submitted online. The link to apply will be available on this page during the application period. 
  3. All documents must be uploaded in PDF format in separate files.
  4. Please have all documents (except the letter of recommendation and transcripts) available when starting an application.
  5. File names are limited to 248 characters. 
  6. Official transcripts must be emailed directly from the university to [email protected]. 
  7. Letters of recommendation must be emailed directly from the reference to [email protected]. The reference should include the email subject line Jack E. Leisch Fellowship Nomination Reference for [applicant’s name].

Tips for a successful application

  • Get started early. We open this award annually on November 1st. This allows plenty of time for applicants to start and refine their applications, order their transcripts, and ask for recommendation letters. Please do not wait until the week the Fellowship closes to get started. We cannot stress this enough. 
  • Request transcripts and recommendation letters first. The turnaround time for transcripts, particularly for international students, can sometimes take weeks. Your professors need time to craft a beautiful recommendation letter personalized for you, which can make a huge difference as to whether or not you're a finalist. We cannot accept either of these documents from an applicant. They must come directly from the source. 
  • Take your application seriously. We can tell how much time and effort you put into your application. Show that you care about this award, what it means to you, and how it relates to your career path. Please send your documents as Word or PDF files. We will not accept .jpgs or other photo images of required documents. All documents must be received before the deadline for full consideration.

If you're having trouble or receiving an error message when logging back in to complete your application, please follow the steps in this PDF. 

Nominations

Nominate a candidate