Advancing Opportunities for Young Engineers: Continuing the Legacy of David C.J. Peters

Key highlights

• The David C.J. Peters Scholarship supports exceptional engineering students and advances their academic and professional growth in honor of the enduring legacy of David C.J. Peters, fostering innovation and leadership in the engineering field.
• Opportunities for young engineering professionals at Southland include co-ops, internships, and mentorship opportunities that foster communication, collaboration, and teach skills in MEP design.  

Eric Fort, an architectural engineering student from the University of Cincinnati, was recently awarded the 2026–2027 scholarship. Eric reflected on the impact of this scholarship and shared his perspective on pursuing a career in engineering within the AEC industry. 

How do you plan to use your scholarship to further your academic and professional goals? 

I plan to use the scholarship to continue investing in my education and professional development as I work toward becoming a well-rounded engineer. My goal is to build a strong technical foundation while also developing the project management, communication, and leadership skills needed to effectively work with clients and diverse teams/backgrounds. Ultimately, I hope to become an engineer who can bridge technical knowledge with practical project and client needs, and this scholarship will help me continue pursuing the education and professional opportunities that move me towards this goal. 

David C.J. Peters was passionate about recruiting talented engineering students. What or who inspired you to pursue engineering?  

I was inspired to pursue engineering by a deep-rooted curiosity about how things work and a strong interest in math and science. As I explored different areas of engineering, I found a particular interest in building enclosures because they are such a visible part of the built environment and offer an opportunity to continuously learn about how buildings actually perform. My co-op experiences in building enclosure consulting have strengthened that interest and made me even more excited about understanding buildings and finding ways to make them perform better.

What excites you most about pursuing a career in engineering?

What excites me most about engineering is the opportunity to continuously learn and grow throughout my career. There is always a new problem to solve, a new technology to understand, or a different perspective to consider. I also enjoy being able to take what I learn and apply it to real-world problems, particularly in the built environment. I am excited by the idea that my career will continue challenging me to expand my knowledge while creating practical solutions to diverse problems and finding ways to improve building performance. 

Are there any specific projects or areas of focus that you are particularly excited to explore in your studies or career? 

I am particularly excited to continue working in building enclosure consulting, especially with existing buildings where challenging conditions can require creative and carefully considered retrofit strategies. I enjoy that every existing building presents a different set of conditions and problems to investigate, and that developing a successful solution requires both technical understanding and thoughtful problem-solving. I would like to continue exploring how we can use building science to address these challenges and improve the performance and durability of existing buildings. 

How have you applied your engineering degree to take innovative steps in your career, personal life, or education?  

Through several co-op experiences with RDH on the West Coast, I have had the opportunity to apply the technical knowledge and problem-solving skills I have developed through my architectural engineering education in a professional setting. While I am still early in my career, these experiences have taught me how to approach unfamiliar problems, ask better questions, and apply what I have learned in the classroom to real-world situations. I also find myself applying that same engineering mindset in my everyday life, often looking for creative and practical solutions to smaller problems/challenges. 

David C.J. Peters pioneered several engineering innovations during his career. In what ways do you aspire to contribute to the industry?  

I hope to contribute to the industry by becoming an engineer who can make a meaningful contribution to the projects I work on. As I gain experience, I want to build the technical knowledge and judgment needed to take on increasingly challenging problems and develop solutions that are practical and useful. I would be proud to look back on my career and know that the work I was part of helped create better-performing buildings and had a positive impact on the people who use them. 

What does design-build mean to you?  

To me, design-build means bringing the people responsible for designing and constructing a project together to work toward the same goal. I think its greatest value is bringing different perspectives and areas of expertise into the foundation of a project, allowing those perspectives to influence decisions from the beginning rather than being considered later in the process. That collaboration can lead to more practical and effective solutions because the project is being approached with a broader understanding of how it will ultimately be designed, constructed, and used. 

Once you're working in the industry full-time, do you plan to invest in younger generations pursuing an engineering career? If so, how?   

Yes, I would like to support younger students and engineers as I progress in my career. I have benefited from co-op experiences and the guidance of engineers who were willing to teach me, and I would like to eventually provide that same support to others, particularly through mentoring co-op students. I also hope to remain an active member of ASHRAE throughout my career and use the organization as another way to connect with and support students/young professionals entering the industry. 

Eric's passion for engineering, collaboration, and innovative solutions exemplifies the values that David C.J. Peters championed. As the 2026 ASHRAE David C.J. Peters Scholarship winner, Eric is poised to make significant contributions to the AEC industry while honoring Dave's legacy and helping build a resilient, technology-driven future for the industry's talent community and recent graduates.

Frequently asked questions about careers in engineering: