ACI Central Ohio Scholarship

The ACI Central Ohio Scholarship was created to benefit an individual looking to start a career in the concrete industry or is currently working in the concrete industry. As we all know, finding and retaining workers in our field is difficult, so we would like to provide an incentive to recruit and keep promising talent!

Scholarships ranging in value from $500 to $2,000 may be awarded on an annual basis to associates in the local concrete industry. ACICOC reserves the right to adjust the number and value of its scholarships. In addition to the scholarship, recipient(s) will receive a complimentary ACICOC membership for the next season.

Jeremy Lewis is the chair of our scholarship committee; other members of the committee include Lara Stroup, Lisa Burris, and John Doubikin.

Applications for 2027 will open in December 2026.

2026 recipients

Grace Burke (The Ohio State University)
Grace is a civil engineering student at The Ohio State University and a student intern with the City of Columbus. Through hands-on experience, she has developed strong technical skills in concrete design, testing, and quality assessment, contributing to the safety and durability of local infrastructure. Grace is deeply committed to improving the built environment in the Columbus community while promoting diversity in the engineering and construction fields by serving as a role model for women in STEM.

Jordan Ellis (Miami University)
Jordan is a finance student at Miami University’s Farmer School of Business and an Operations Assistant at Ellis Brothers Concrete. Jordan manages material inventory, coordinates logistics, and contributes to financial planning discussions, all of which provide business experience and hands-on industry knowledge. Prior experience as a Plant Laborer with United Aggregates Inc. yielded experience in equipment operation, maintenance, and team-based production.

Pedram Ghasseml (The Ohio State University)
Pedram is a PhD student and Graduate Research Associate at The Ohio State University whose work focuses on advancing the understanding of cementitious materials through a combination of experimental testing and computational modeling, with an emphasis on improving the performance and durability of layered concrete systems. His work reflects a strong commitment to bridging research and practice while supporting the continued evolution of sustainable and high-performance concrete technologies.

Victor Ibeabuchi (The Ohio State University)
Victor is a PhD student and Graduate Research Associate at The Ohio State University whose work focuses on improving the durability, sustainability, and long-term performance of concrete materials, particularly through research on chloride diffusion in calcium sulfoaluminate cements. His research aims to address critical infrastructure challenges in Central Ohio by advancing corrosion-resistant materials, refining durability modeling, and supporting the development of practical, data-driven solutions for concrete design and maintenance.