ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Two New Mexico Tech seniors received accolades at the annual N.M. Society of Professional Engineers luncheon in Albuquerque on Friday, Feb. 16. Matthew Davenport is the 2018 Engineering Student of the Year, while Jonathan Burwell is the runner-up.

The engineering faculty at New Mexico Tech solicited nominations from each of the nine engineering programs. Dr. Tom Engler of the Petroleum Engineering Department introduced the winners and presented the awards, as selected by professional engineers at New Mexico Tech.

Davenport came to us from Los Alamos and will complete his bachelor’s in chemical engineering with a minor in mathematics this May. Davenport won the Macey Scholarship for 2017-18, Tech’s top academic scholarship.

Davenport worked as a student intern for Los Alamos National Laboratory, a teaching assistant, and a learning coach that tutored and mentored students in all majors. He is an active member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ student chapter where he served in leadership roles and was active in outreach such as weekly tutoring at the Boys and Girls Ranch near Belen.

He is planning to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and will soon be visiting The University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan, and University of California-Santa Barbara. He also hopes to hear back from his first choice, the University of Wisconsin.

Matt was nominated by Dr. Corey Leclerc (chair of the department of chemical engineering).  Dr. Michaelann Tartis represented the department at the banquet.

Jon Burwell came to the Land of Enchantment from the small town of Zanesville, Ohio. He is an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ student chapter where he served in leadership roles and was a key person responsible for the chapter receiving the “Outstanding Student Chapter of the Year Award” in 2017, outperforming over 350 student chapters from around the world.

Burwell has volunteered for a variety of public services, including food drives, fundraising for the Socorro County Historical Society and assisting to maintain and restore the Hammel Museum. He will complete his bachelor’s in petroleum and natural gas engineering this May. Jon will stay in New Mexico and work as a field engineer for Elite Well Services in Artesia.

Burwell was nominated for the award by Dr. Tan Nguyen, the associate chair of the department of petroleum and natural gas engineering.