Thornton Tomasetti Announces 2022 Lee Petrella and Daniel A. Cuoco Scholarship Winners

Thornton Tomasetti has provided two college students – Xiaoxiao Zhang and Samuel Landesman – with scholarships for the 2022-23 academic year.

Lee Petrella Memorial Scholarship

The 2022 Lee Petrella Memorial Scholarship was given to Xiaoxiao (Eva) Zhang. The award provides a $5,000 scholarship and paid internship to a civil engineering student at the City College of New York’s Grove School of Engineering in Manhattan.

The scholarship, established in memory of Thornton Tomasetti Vice President Lee Petrella, provides financial assistance and professional experience to a civil engineering student who is focusing on structures at CCNY, Petrella’s alma mater. During his more than 30 years with Thornton Tomasetti, Petrella was a leader in the firm’s Structural Engineering practice and was involved in many of its signature projects, including Shanghai Tower in China, New York’s World Financial Center and Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.

Eva is a senior at CCNY and is on track to receive a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with specializations in structural and construction engineering at the end of this year. This past summer, she interned with our Structural Engineering practice in New York. Eva is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers CCNY chapter and Tau Beta Pi (the engineering honor society). In February 2023, she will start CCNY’s Ph.D. program in mechanical engineering, and her doctoral research will focus on the fundamentals of fluid mechanics and flow transfer using 3D printing techniques.

“The next five years will be a tremendous learning experience for me,” Eva said. “I hope to become a better engineer; one who is passionate, shows great respect for public safety and the environment and is curious about the unknown.”

Daniel A. Cuoco Endowed Memorial Scholarship

Samuel Landesman is the 2022 recipient of the Daniel A. Cuoco Endowed Memorial Scholarship, which awards $5,000 annually to a structural engineering student at City College of New York’s Grove School of Engineering.

The scholarship fund was established by Thornton Tomasetti in 2015 in memory of former President and CEO Daniel Cuoco, whose career with the firm spanned 40 years. Cuoco, a CCNY graduate, was essential in the company’s growth from a 15-person, single-office firm to one that now employs more than 1,500 people in offices around the globe. He helped establish the firm as a world leader in structural design and forensics and was an early adopter of emerging technologies, including building information modeling. In addition to serving as a role model, Cuoco was an active mentor to young engineers.

Sammy is studying civil engineering at CCNY and expects to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in spring 2023. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers CCNY chapter and Tau Beta Pi. His goal is to pursue a career in transportation engineering.

“I find the optimization of transportation networks fascinating and believe I can make a contribution to society by helping people move around safely and efficiently,” he said. “I am also committed to ensuring that infrastructure plans are environmentally sustainable.”

Thornton Tomasetti is proud to continue to celebrate the lives of Lee Petrella and Daniel Cuoco by providing opportunities for talented students like Eva and Sammy. We wish them much academic and professional success.