“When I began my education in civil engineering, spaces for lab work were limited. Because of this experience, I understand the importance of having a place where you can test and build, and collaborate."
John Toups
Retired entrepreneur and civil engineer John Toups recently pledged $1.5 million to George Mason University to support the Sid and Reva Dewberry Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering.
Retired entrepreneur, civil engineer, and Northern Virginia businessman John Toups recently pledged $1.5 million to George Mason University. The gift supports the Sid and Reva Dewberry Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering Department. Toups’s generous gift provides for facility improvement and faculty support, and it will enhance Mason Engineering students’ education.
“The gift from John touches three aspects of our philanthropic efforts,” says Dean Ken Ball. “It enriches the student experience, maintains faculty excellence, and improves existing facilities. The school will benefit greatly from John’s generosity.”
The gift’s largest portion will benefit the department’s teaching laboratory, located on the first floor of the Nguyen Engineering Building. This lab is where civil engineering students test, build, experiment, innovate, and work in teams. The aid for this lab will allow for its ongoing maintenance and future improvements. In recognition of the gift, the teaching laboratory will be named the John Toups Instructional Laboratory for Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering.
“When I began my education in civil engineering, spaces for lab work were limited. Because of this experience, I understand the importance of having a place where you can test and build, and collaborate,” says Toups.
A second portion of the gift will support two faculty fellowships. The first has already been awarded to Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering David Lattanzi, who is engaged in research related to computer visioning in infrastructure and structural health monitoring.
“Lattanzi is a rising star with more than a million dollars of research, including grants from theOffice of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation,” says Liza Wilson Durant, Mason Engineering's associate dean of strategic initiatives and community engagement. “The Toups Fellowship enabled us to invest in Dave as a faculty leader at Mason.”
The third portion of the gift will enrich the school’s graduate student experience by supplementing travel to conferences, summer study, and other programs.