Michael Shearer, a senior majoring in the school of civil and environmental engineering at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., is the recipient of the 2008 Katharine and Bryant Mather Scholarship from ASTM International. The scholarship, sponsored by ASTM Committee C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates, is presented each year to undergraduate or graduate students who are pursuing degrees specializing in cement or concrete materials technology or concrete construction.

A 2005 National Merit finalist, Shearer entered the civil engineering program at Cornell the same year. He is treasurer of the university's student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and a member of the Tau Beta Pi and Chi Epsilon honor societies. As co-captain of the ASCE Concrete Canoe Team at Cornell, Shearer has directed his team on issues such as concrete materials and construction methods.

In addition to his scholastic work, Shearer has gained experience in the engineering field as an intern at Arup, a global design and business consulting firm in Cambridge, Mass., where he worked on concrete projects associated with LEED accreditation. After his anticipated 2009 graduation, Shearer plans to attend graduate school to obtain a master's degree in structural engineering and in the future hopes to practice as a structural engineer.

Release #8024