Graduate engineering students receive IFMA Foundation Scholarships

November 1, 2024
Categories: General News
(l to r): Jake Smithwick, Graduate Program Director, Construction and Facilities Engineering; Juliana Somuah; Nada Aboelmagd; Felix Fiifi Ekuful; Nneka Ubi; and Dallas Schwerin, Treasurer, IFMA Charlotte Chapter

Four William States Lee College of Engineering graduate students were honored with International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Foundation Scholarships at the 2024 IFMA World Workplace Conference held Oct. 9-11 in San Antonio, Texas. These scholarships included a cash award along with fully subsidized travel, registration and participation in the conference.

The following students were recognized for their dedication to the field of facility management and their contributions to advancing industry knowledge and practice:

Nada Aboelmagd ’25 MSCFE
Felix Fiifi Ekuful ’25 MSCFE, ’27 Ph.D. INES
Juliana Somuah ’24 MSCFE, ’27 Ph.D. INES
Nneka Ubi ’24 MSCFE

The students also participated in the Ignite Challenge competition in which groups were given three hours to solve a complex facility management problem and create a 10-minute presentation for other conference attendees and a panel of judges. The winning team included Somuah, who was recognized during the awards luncheon.

Nada Aboelmagd (center)
Felix Fiifi Ekufu
Felix Fiifi Ekuful (second from left)
Juliana Somuah (center)
Nneka Ubi (center)
Ignite Challenge team members standing together
Juliana Somuah (fourth from left) with her Ignite Challenge teammates