The SOM Foundation has announced the winner of the 2025 Structural Engineering Fellowship. Rebecca Henig, a spring 2025 graduate of the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, will receive $20,000 to conduct original research related to her proposal, “Reef Resilience: Designing Modular Solutions for Coastal Protection.”
During her fellowship, Henig will scuba dive at seven reef sites worldwide to research and reimagine structural solutions for threatened coral reefs, with a goal of enhancing coastal protection while protecting marine ecosystem vitality.
In 2024–2025, the SOM Foundation is supporting research that addresses the complex relationship between water, people, and the built environment through its annual research topic “Advancing Toward a Water-Secure Future.”
Rebecca Henig graduated in 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC) with an emphasis in Building Science through a cross-disciplinary program between the Viterbi School of Engineering and the School of Architecture. In her time at USC, she held leadership positions in the university’s chapter of EERI-SEAOSC, during which her team placed in the annual international Seismic Design Competition her senior year. Henig also has professional experience in BIM, construction management, and sea level rise research. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Henig developed an ongoing passion for the ocean, which she continues to explore through scuba diving, surfing, and swimming. As an Advanced Open Water Diver, she has gained a deeper understanding of the human-built environment by observing the complexities of the natural underwater world.
To read Rebecca Henig’s full proposal, “Reef Resilience: Designing Modular Solutions for Coastal Protection,” please visit: https://somfoundation.com/fellow/rebecca-henig.
