Contact: Maridith Geuder
Craig Prestwood
The Mississippi Department of Transportation is selecting a Mississippi State civil engineering major as the first participant in a pilot educational program.
MSU senior Craig Prestwood of Hazlehurst will receive $10,000 toward his academic studies in an inaugural effort to recruit future professionals for the state agency. He also begins earning MDOT retirement credit and medical insurance. The new program is a collaborative effort among MDOT, MSU and its civil engineering department.
Prestwood will work with the MDOT materials division for two months next summer. In accepting the education support, he commits to work at the agency for at least two years after graduation. The Copiah Academy and Copiah-Lincoln Community College graduate is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Prestwood.
"This is a visionary program that will help MDOT recruit graduate engineers to fill specific staffing needs," said civil engineering department head Thomas D. White. "Salary and benefits make it one of the more attractive aid packages available."
White said candidates must be either a junior or senior and be enrolled or planning to enroll in the civil engineering bachelor's program at MSU. In a corresponding program, graduate students who qualify will receive a basic stipend of $12,000 annually, medical and retirement benefits and the possibility of an additional $3,000 for laboratory work.
Individuals currently employed with MDOT, other agencies or graduating from a civil engineering program sanctioned by the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology may also apply.
Final selections are based on academic achievement, proven interest in the study of civil engineering and MDOT staffing needs.
Randy Battey, who heads MDOT's research division and was a member of the selection committee, said that the program will help fill a critical need in the state.
"We're confident the partnership with MSU will provide the department qualified engineers able to meet the transportation challenges of the 21st century," Battey said.