The Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering advisory council has established the R.L. Autenrieth Environmental Engineering Endowed Scholarship in honor of Dr. Robin L. Autenrieth, who has served as department head since 2013. Distributions from this endowment will provide one or more scholarships to full-time students in good standing pursuing an undergraduate degree in environmental engineering at Texas A&M University.
Autenrieth will return as a full-time faculty member in fall 2021. During her tenure, she oversaw the growth of the department and academic programs, increased endowments and recruited highly talented faculty. The environmental engineering degree program was developed under her direction.
“It is such an honor that this scholarship will benefit students pursuing environmental engineering degrees, which is my area of specialization,” she said. “Words fall short in expressing my appreciation to the advisory council chairs who initiated this scholarship and other council members and former students who also contributed. I am so grateful.”
Initial contributors to this endowment include Stephen H. Lucy ’82, Fiona McCracken Allen ’82, Juan Contreras III ’85, John Doucet ’81 and David Zachry ’85.
Lucy graduated from Texas A&M with his bachelor’s degree in 1982 and master’s degree in 1983, both in civil engineering. He comes from a family of fellow Aggies, including three other Aggie civil engineers, and felt like he was predestined to attend Texas A&M.
“My A&M experience launched my career and has continued to support and expand my professional and personal opportunities,” he said. “I was also fortunate to be a President's Endowed Scholar with a donor who mentored and supported me personally, in addition to financially. That experience laid the groundwork for all the philanthropic giving my family and my firm have done with A&M in order to pay it forward.”
Lucy served as the civil engineering advisory council chair when Autenrieth was first named interim department head by College of Engineering Dean Dr. M. Katherine Banks.
“She provided insightful and thoughtful leadership when the department needed it and oversaw numerous improvements in the operations of the department,” he said. “She was also always focused on the student experience and how the department could better serve the students.
“Given she is an environmental engineer, Dr. Autenrieth was instrumental in the development of that program within civil engineering and was focused on the student experience,” he said. “I and my fellow chairs felt that it was appropriate to establish an endowed scholarship to support that program at Texas A&M.”
Similarly, McCracken Allen graduated from Texas A&M with her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1982. “Texas A&M gave me more than a great education, it gave me the Aggie network, more specifically the Aggie engineer network, which connected me to my first job,” she said. “I have been fortunate to work for and with some outstanding former students.”
As Autenrieth transitions out of the department head role this year, all of the advisory chairs who served during her tenure wanted to honor her for her service. “Dr. Autenrieth helped grow and improve the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering during her tenure as department chair,” McCracken Allen said. “She has always been a strong advocate for students, and this is a way to thank her for her leadership.”
Contreras, who was also captain of Squadron 7 in the Corps of Cadets during his time at Texas A&M, also wanted to honor Autenrieth with this scholarship. “Serving on the advisory council afforded me the opportunity to work with Dr. Autenrieth over the last five years and witness her dedication and commitment,” he said. “We believed an endowed scholarship bearing her name would be a proper way to memorialize the impact she has made at A&M. I believe this scholarship will serve as an inspiration to other women and men who aspire to make a difference in the world through our civil engineering profession, much like Dr. Autenrieth has.”
Doucet graduated in 1982 with a civil engineering degree and soon after started Doucet & Associates with his wife, Amy, also a Texas A&M civil engineering graduate of 1982.
“In honor of Robin Autenrieth and her dedication to the education of civil and environmental engineering students, Doucet & Associates is pleased to contribute to the R.L. Autenrieth Environmental Engineering Endowed Scholarship,” Doucet said. “We are confident that the R.L. Autenrieth scholarship will help future engineers find their success, accomplish great things and continue the cycle of giving back to their communities.”
These individuals, along with many others, are the driving force behind the R.L. Autenrieth Environmental Engineering Endowed Scholarship and the pursuit to honor her.
How to Give
The College of Engineering is one of the leading engineering programs in the United States, ranking first in undergraduate enrollment and ninth in graduate enrollment. Endowments supporting the students in the college have an immeasurable impact on their education. If you are interested in supporting the College of Engineering and its departments or would like more information on how you can give, please contact Patrick Wilson, director of development.