Two New VIKA Scholarships Support Civil Engineering Students

At the University of Maryland, College Park, the VIKA Companies Endowed Scholarship in Civil and Environmental Engineering honors Founding Principal Chuck Irish Jr. ’74, and at the Virginia Military Institute a second scholarship is named the John Francis Amatetti '75 Engineering Scholarship in honor of his role as a Founding Principal. Inaugural awards for both scholarships were made in 2025.

These endowed scholarships provide financial support to make civil engineering degrees more accessible and reflect the vital role that merit awards play in shaping educational success. Says Nii Attoh-Okine, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Chair at the University of Maryland, “Scholarships are more than financial aid; they are a vote of confidence in the future of civil and environmental engineering. By supporting our CEE students, you empower those with talent and determination to focus on learning, innovate without financial worry, and ultimately design the infrastructure our communities depend on.”

Since founding VIKA in 1980, Irish and Amatetti have provided the leadership and vision to position VIKA’s Maryland, Virginia and DC offices in the Top 10 Civil Engineering Design Firms headquartered in the Washington, DC region. Their careers exemplify the profound impact civil engineers can have on communities, the built environment, and the profession itself. With these merit scholarships, VIKA hopes to continually inspire students in future generations to seek meaningful, sustainable solutions to complex real-world problems.

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