CCEE alumnus Dan Pleasant (BSCE 1972, MCE 1973) and wife, Barbara, recently established a full-tuition scholarship to NC State for aspiring engineering students from North Carolina’s rural Caswell and Person counties. Person County, with a population of 39,386, is located about 50 miles north of Raleigh, while Caswell County, population 22,614, is about 65 miles northwest of Raleigh.

Dan grew up in Caswell County and graduated from Bartlett Yancey High School, and Barbara grew up in Person County and graduated from Person County High School. 

Dan, who serves on CCEE’s industry advisory board, was inducted into the CCEE Alumni Hall of Fame in 2022 and received the NC State College of Engineering Distinguished Engineering Alumnus award, said he and Barbara are driven by the desire to help students see an engineering degree as a possibility without being hampered by the cost of a four-year degree. 

“I graduated in 1968 from Bartlett Yancey High School in Yanceyville, North Carolina,” Dan said. “So why did I decide to pursue an engineering degree? I was encouraged by my math teacher, Nellie Strader, to attend engineering school because she said I was good at math. Well, I did attend NC State and received my B.S. and master’s in civil engineering. 50 years later, I am so glad I listened to Mrs. Strader. Engineering has proven to be a rewarding experience and career.” 

Dan worked at engineering firm Dewberry for more than 40 years, beginning as manager of a startup office in Danville, Virginia, and ultimately serving as Dewberry’s chief operating officer and president for 12 years. Dewberry has more than 50 locations, more than 2,000 professionals nationwide and consistently ranks as a top 35 design firm in Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms. 

Dan and Barbara have been and continue to be active in local and regional civic and charitable organizations. Beyond the CCEE industry advisory board, Dan’s activities include serving as a board member and chair of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, as a director for the publicly traded American National Bank and Trust Company, and on the board of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Applicants for the Dan and Barbara Pleasant Scholarship must be admitted to the NC State College of Engineering to be considered. Scholarship applications are submitted through NC State’s scholarship application portal PackAssist. Applications received by February 15 will receive priority consideration. To learn more about applying for scholarships, visit https://www.engr.ncsu.edu/academics/undergrad/scholarships/. To apply, visit ncsu.academicworks.com/.