CCEE’s Steve Welton receives 2022 Blessis Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor Award

Steve Welton

CCEE professor Steve Welton was recognized with the 2022 Blessis Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor Award from the College of Engineering (COE) for his outstanding commitment to ensuring students are academically and personally supported.

The award recognizes the efforts of faculty members in routinely giving their time and effort to advising, counseling and mentoring individual students and student groups, while commemorating the memory of George H. Blessis, a faculty member whose interest in undergraduate education and advising serves as an example today.

Awardees are selected by the COE Teaching and Advising Awards Committee from nominations provided by College’s departments. They are each awarded $1,000, a certificate and a permanent plaque with the recipient’s name displayed by the College.

Since joining CCEE as a teaching professor in 2014, Welton has shown a strong commitment to his students in always encouraging them to pursue their goals and dreams.

For eight years, Welton has taught coursework in statics and steel design, and guided students during the senior capstone course in structures. He is also responsible for advising around 22 undergraduate students each year, as well as NC State’s chapters of the American Society for Civil Engineers ASCE and Chi Epsilon, an American civil engineering honor society.

Through coursework and advising, students felt that they had constant support in navigating their professional paths.

“I know I could never settle for anything less than the loftiest goal without seeing myself sitting across a desk from Mr. Welton and him telling me all the simple ways I could push further and go on to achieve so much more… I can speak for all of us when I say that without his selfless dedication, we would not be the engineers we are today,” said a student.

Welton attributes his advising and mentorship style to interactions with George H. Blessis in 1983, when he was beginning his journey in earning his B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering from NC State.

“Based upon his actions that day, I knew with certainty that I wanted to obtain my degree at NC State and learn in the welcoming environment shaped by such supportive and encouraging individuals,” Welton said. “Now, as I am provided the high honor to interact with visitors and students as a representative of NC State and as a member of the CCEE faculty, I strive to uphold the example set by Dr. Blessis.”

 

This story originally appeared in College of Engineering News.