The ACI Foundation has announced the establishment of a scholarship fund in honor of the late Dr. W. Gene Corley, who passed away March 1.

The announcement was made at the American Concrete Institute’s (ACI) annual spring convention in Minneapolis, Minn. The ‘Friends of W. Gene Corley Scholarship’ will support a scholarship to be awarded to university and college students studying structural engineering and concrete.

Dr. Corley was recognized as an industry leader among those in the structural engineering community for several decades and was known for his investigation of the collapse of the World Trade Center towers after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He also led the investigation of the structural performance of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City following the 1995 bombing.  

“The structural engineering community has lost a great leader and friend in Dr. Corley,” said James Cagley, Past President of ACI.  “While we mourn his loss, we also celebrate the invaluable contributions he has made over his lifetime to the industry and look forward to helping continue his legacy through this scholarship that will award students who are the future of our industry.”

Dr. Corley most recently served as Senior Vice President of Construction Technology Laboratories, Inc., in Skokie, Ill.  He authored more than 170 technical papers and books and frequently lectured to technical and nontechnical groups on the subjects of prevention of failures, effects of earthquakes, and design and repair of structures.  Dr. Corley was an ACI Fellow and a member of the International Committee (IC), the International Relations Committee, ACI Committees 318, Structural Concrete Building Code; 341, Earthquake-Resistant Concrete Bridges; and Joint ACI-ASCE Committee 343, Concrete Bridge Design. He became an ACI Honorary Member in 2003.

In addition, Dr. Corley was the recipient of numerous awards that include ACI's Wason Medal for Materials Research, the ACI Henry C. Turner Medal, and the ACI Alfred E. Lindau Award, as well as 16 national awards, including election to the National Academy of Engineering and the Best Structural Publication Award from NCSEA.

Donations to help fund the scholarship are appreciated in any amount. To learn more or to donate online, please visit www.ACIFoundation.org. In addition, donations can be sent by mail to the following address:

ACI Foundation
ATTN: Friends of W. Gene Corley Scholarship
38800 Country Club Dr.
Farmington Hills, MI 48377
USA