Contact:

Dave Kauffman, 277-5521 Michael Padilla, 277-1816

November 28, 2001

Two Albuquerque Natives receive UNM Breece prize

University of New Mexico students William Tierney, construction engineering, and Chris Riley Wilson, computer science, have been selected as recipients of the Fall 2001 George F. Breece Prize for the undergraduate student with the highest grade point average (GPA) in the UNM School of Engineering (SOE).

The two will be honored at the SOE Fall Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 15, 10 a.m. at Popejoy Hall. They will each receive a plaque and a $300 check.

Tierney will be graduating with a 4.114 GPA. He is the son of Jim and Rosalie Tierney and is a graduate of St. Pius X High School. Tierney is interested in construction engineering and after graduation he plans on getting a job and one day getting his masters in construction engineering.

“I am interested in construction engineering because I am a visually oriented person, and in this field I can go from a set of plans to the actual structure, thus enabling me to get a complete picture of the building being constructed,” Tierney said.

Wilson will be graduating with a 4.103 GPA. He is the son of Richard and Christina Wilson and a graduate of Sandia High School. After graduation Wilson plans to create video games and says that’s the reason why he got into Computer Science.

“I enjoy creating things that a lot of other people will use, Wilson said.

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The University of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
Hodgin Hall, 2nd floor
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-5813
Fax: (505) 277-1981