By Ed Rider
Jamie Krab has always loved science. Growing up in Ogallala, Nebraska, surrounded by agriculture, plant sciences were all around her. This exposure helped her develop an innate interest in environmental issues.
A member of the 2023-24 cohort of the Peter Kiewit Foundation Engineering Academy in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Engineering, Krab originally was interested in environmental engineering. But after a conversation with a UNL chemistry instructor while on a campus tour, she decided to pursue a chemical engineering degree in energy.
“I have always wanted to work to make the world more sustainable while also helping the local community,” Krab said. “In energy, both of these goals can be accomplished.”
Krab’s interest in engineering was inspired by her grandfather, 1972 UNL graduate Bill McBride, who worked as a mechanical engineer at a Nebraska Public Power District plant near Sutherland, Nebraska. She was introduced to the Peter Kiewit Foundation Engineering Academy by Jennifer Jones, her high school chemistry teacher.
“She was someone who always believed in me and worked hard to prepare me for my future. I am so glad she did,” Krab said.
The Peter Kiewit Foundation Engineering Academy annually recruits a cohort of 40 scholars who are committed to supporting and advancing women in engineering in Nebraska. The program provides students who have financial needs with the resources and support to pursue careers in engineering, computing and construction. Students are empowered to make a positive impact in their field through exclusive seminar courses, dedicated success coaching and support from a faculty fellows’ network.
Academy students receive a scholarship that covers full tuition and fees, plus student housing and meals for up to five years in a university housing residence. Academy students live together in a scholar community during their first two years in the program, enroll in cohort-specific first-year and second-year seminars and receive success coaching from dedicated program staff. Students also receive a book stipend to the university bookstore and a laptop for their studies.
“Peter Kiewit Foundation offers a scholarship and professional guidance, but most importantly it offers a community of peers. These peers have become my closest friends, and together, we have made fantastic memories,” Krab said. “This allowed me to start college with a peer support group and access to plenty of resources. I truly feel empowered and motivated to succeed in engineering and to give back to the community that built me up.”
The academy’s programming is based on The Complete Engineer ® program, a College of Engineering initiative developed to ensure students participate in hands-on learning while gaining the technical expertise a Big Ten degree provides. Beyond developing students individually, the academy nurtures an environment in the engineering community to increase the number of women in the workforce and a sense of belonging in engineering, computing and construction.
In addition to peer support, Krab said she appreciates the coaching, mentoring and professional networking opportunities made possible by the program. She said she has received great advice and has been able to build a professional network while still in college. She used those networking opportunities to secure a summer internship at the NPPD hydroelectric generating facility in North Platte, Nebraska. In addition, through the student organization Engineers Without Borders USA, Krab will travel to Madagascar this summer to help install solar panels she helped design.
“Jamie is an all-around wonderful human being to know and work with,” said Casey Leimser, Peter Kiewit Foundation Engineering Academy scholar programs coordinator. “She is not only very talented and intelligent, but compassionate as well. She creates a community everywhere she goes. She’s a student who leads by example and we are lucky to have her as a role model in the academy.”
Krab said she is indebted to the academy’s staff and the program for helping smooth her transition from a small town in western Nebraska to Lincoln.
“This program changed my college experience for the better and will continue to open doors for women in engineering like me,” she said.
“I have always wanted to work to make the world more sustainable while also helping the local community.”
