THE KINNIER AWARD

The KINNIER Award was funded by his former students.  It allows one faculty member from ENGINEERING to participate in the Mead program each year.

For over forty years, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences benefited from the energy, enthusiasm, and charm of Henry Kinnier, first as a student studying civil engineering and then as a professor. Henry graduated from the University in 1942 and returned in 1946 after serving in the Navy, working for the Virginia Department of Transportation, and earning a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. Though he had intended to only serve as a faculty member briefly in order to assist the University in offering classes to the increasing student population spurred by the GI Bill, Henry stayed for 38 years.

Among Henry’s many contributions to the School of Engineering and Applied Science, he and four others founded the Engineering Alumni Association, which served as the basis for the Virginia Engineering Foundation, an entity designed to help develop an agenda for the school’s future and support that future through fundraising. Throughout his tenure, Henry remained committed to supporting efforts to ensure the level of funding necessary to support students and academic programming.

Henry was a dedicated teacher, offering support and guidance to an increasingly diverse student body. Students remember their time with him as among the highlights of their University education.