John and Joan Hallin

Joan and John met while attending NDSU in the early 1960’s. John earned a BSCE
from NDSU in 1964 and they spent the next 50 years living and working at many
interesting places in the United States. This was a real adventure for two people
born and raised in Minnesota and North Dakota. This scholarship was created in
recognition of the opportunities that their NDSU education provided. In the
1960’s the construction of the Interstate highway system created a huge demand
for engineers in the transportation industry. John joined the Federal Highway
Administration and had the opportunity to work in variety of jobs at many
locations. In 1980 he received a mid-career graduate fellowship to study
Pavement Engineering at the University of Washington. This opened the path for
him to become a Senior Pavement Engineer with the Federal Highway
Administration. In that position, he had the opportunity to travel to and work
with engineers in many states and travel internationally as the US representative
on an international concrete pavement committee. In 1997, John joined a
consultant engineering firm where he led a project to develop an improved
pavement structural design procedure. Joan and John believe that NDSU
provided the foundation for a rewarding career. John worked with engineers
with many education backgrounds and felt NDSU provided him with an
undergraduate education equal or better than other universities. Advantages of
attending NDSU included smaller class sizes and a more personal relationship
with professors. There is a strong demand for civil, construction, and
environmental engineers today. Joan and John would like to help meet that need
and give others the opportunity to have a productive and rewarding life.