The NCSEA Special Awards are presented at the NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit to members who have provided outstanding service and commitment to the association and to the structural engineering profession. 

The deadline for nominations is June 17, 2024.

NCSEA Service Award

This award is presented to an individual who has worked for the betterment of NCSEA, Member Organizations and the profession, to a degree that is beyond the norm of volunteerism. It is given to someone who has made a clear contribution to the organization and therefore to the profession.
Nominees can be submitted by any SEA Member. NCSEA Board members are not eligible.

Robert Cornforth Award

This award is presented to an individual for exceptional dedication and exemplary service to a Member Organization and to the profession. The award is named for Robert Cornforth, a founding member of NCSEA and treasurer on its first Board of Directors, and a member of OSEA.
Nominations can only be submitted by SEA Leadership (any Delegate, President, Executive Director, or someone acting on behalf of the organization as a whole.) NCSEA Board members are not eligible.

Susan M. Frey NCSEA Educator Award

The Susan M. Frey NCSEA Educator Award is presented to an individual who has a genuine interest in, and extraordinary talent for, effective instruction of practicing structural engineers. The award was established to honor the memory of Sue Frey, one of NCSEA's finest educators.
Nominations can be submitted by any SEA Member.

Susan A. Jorgensen Presidential Leadership Award

The Susan A. Jorgensen Presidential Leadership Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership potential through their activities within NCSEA and/or their SEA (even if they did not serve in a formal leadership role). The award is bestowed on candidates who embody Susan’s passion, vision, and legacy of leadership in at least one of the following:

• mentorship and support for younger engineers, women engineers and/or underrepresented engineers;
• demonstrated leadership skills and/or visionary leadership in a particular initiative such as SE licensure;
• active engagement at multiple levels within the profession, whether formal or informal.

This award was created to honor the late NCSEA Board President and advocate for the profession, Susan A. Jorgensen, who passed away in November 2020. Its intention is to award increased participation of emerging leaders and encourage recipients to engage (or continue to engage) in formal leadership. In addition to free registration to the NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit, the recipient of this award will be granted a $1,000 travel stipend. During the Summit, there will be a dedicated time scheduled for the recipient to meet and interact with current NCSEA leadership, ideally providing the opportunity to discuss future leadership roles within NCSEA or within the recipient’s SEA.
Nominations can be submitted by any SEA Member.
Special Award recipients will receive complimentary tickets to the Awards Celebration

Judging Criteria

The NCSEA Board of Directors reviews all nominations to determine the recipient(s) each year.
All awards are based on worthy recipients and may not be awarded each year.