Forty first-year students in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Engineering have been chosen for the 2026-27 cohort of the Peter Kiewit Engineering Academy.
The new cohort includes students on the college’s campuses in Lincoln and Omaha and is the fifth group for the academy.
The academy provides students with resources and support to pursue careers in engineering, computing and construction, shaping the future workforce of Nebraska.
Academy students receive a scholarship that covers full tuition and fees for up to five years. The scholars benefit from a shared living experience and meal plan throughout their time in the program, receive up to five years of room and board support through the scholarship, participate in cohort-specific first- and second-year seminars, and receive individualized success coaching from dedicated program staff. Students also receive a book stipend and a laptop for their studies.
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The academy’s work is grounded in the Complete Engineer, a College of Engineering initiative designed to ensure students participate in experiential learning in tandem with the technical expertise provided by a Big Ten degree.
Following is a list of students in the 2026-27 cohort of the Peter Kiewit Engineering Academy, listed alphabetically by hometown, with their major.
Nebraska
Bellevue:
- Anna Adams, mechanical engineering
- Catherine Chandler, civil engineering
- Grace Guchu, civil engineering
Central City:
- Jasmine Sumsion, mechanical engineering
Emerson:
- Drayden Zayas, architectural engineering
Fort Calhoun:
- Christopher Post-Whiteowl, electrical engineering
Grand Island:
- Abraham Cardoza, mechanical engineering
- Daniela Cortes, mechanical engineering
- Katherin Xicara Ramos, mechanical engineering
Gretna:
- William Burr, mechanical engineering
Kearney:
- Indi Victoria, biological systems engineering
Lexington:
- Andres Perez-Guiza, civil engineering
Lincoln:
- Mikaela Crable, biological systems engineering
- Macy Konz, civil engineering
- Bryan Mellado, robotics engineering
- Josi Montgomery, robotics engineering
- Thy Nguyen, mechanical engineering
- Tan Pham, chemical engineering
- Rouaa Tlaas, electrical engineering
North Platte:
- Asher Strecker, architectural engineering
Omaha:
- Ahmed Askar, construction management
- Tisha Borle, computer science
- Savannah Brown-Harris, environmental engineering
- Chloe Hetrick, architectural engineering
- Aditi Jaras, computer science
- Jose Lopez, computer engineering
- Christopher Martinez Alvarado, electrical engineering
- Anusha Meher, chemical engineering
- Taieb Najafi, civil engineering
- Elian Osei, mechanical engineering
- Jason Phan, chemical engineering
- Claire Savage, mechanical engineering
- Olivia Schenk, chemical engineering
- Avalon Sperry, environmental engineering
- Hailey Stigge, chemical engineering
- Ingrid Swanson, civil engineering
- Daeyonna X, architectural engineering
Papillion:
- Cooper Hall, mechanical engineering
South Sioux City:
- Angie Sanchez Lopez, mechanical engineering
Tecumseh:
- Saige Rother, construction management
The program is funded and developed in partnership with the Peter Kiewit Foundation, a private independent philanthropic trust that has awarded more than $1 billion in grants and scholarships since its founding in 1979.
The foundation was established by Peter Kiewit, a generous philanthropist and community leader. He attributed his success to the hardworking people of Nebraska and was determined to return his wealth and good fortune to its communities. After thoughtful planning throughout his lifetime, the bulk of his personal estate was set aside upon his death to create a foundation to support charitable and public purpose projects in Nebraska and other limited geographic areas. The foundation is not legally or administratively affiliated with the operating companies that also bear Peter Kiewit’s name.
