Dr. James Lowell O'Daniel Scholarship
Donation protected
Dr. James Lowell O'Daniel (Jim) died tragically August 3, 2019, from injuries he received after being struck by a vehicle during the 12th annual Bikes, Blues & Bayous Bike Ride in Greenwood, Mississippi.
Our goal is to raise $25,000 for an endowment fund that will be used to award an annual scholarship in Jim's memory to a senior at Vergennes Union High School, where he graduated in 1986. The endowment will be administered by VSAC (Vermont Student Assistance Cooperation).
Among Jim's many interests and achievements, his friends and family fondly remember the impact of the Vergennes Union High School's music department on his life. This scholarship has been formed to honor Jim’s excellence within the music program at Vergennes, and will be awarded to students who balance full academic studies with the rewards of music.
Jim was passionate about his work, about sailing, about running and especially about his cycling. He was known widely in the Mississippi cycling community as a fierce competitor and compassionate mentor to all who needed encouragement. Whether inspecting the depths of the Sago mine disaster, exploring the inner workings of the Golden Gate Bridge assessing terrorist vulnerabilities, navigating the access tunnels of Cheyenne Mountain, sailing the open ocean from Biloxi to the Bahamas, cycling Vermont's mountain gaps or just doing a "century" ride (100 miles) with his buddies on a typical Saturday morning, Jim lived life to the fullest with inspired intensity.
After graduating from high school in Vergennes, he received his BS degree in Civil Engineering in 1990 from Cornell University and his Masters and PhD. from Penn State University in 1998. He joined the U.S. Army's Engineer Research and Development Center the same year as a Research Structural Engineer where he continued to serve in ERDC's Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory, performing research and development in the area of computational mechanics for blast, impact and penetration events. He was known internationally for his work and published many refereed papers in conferences and symposiums around the world.
Our goal is to raise $25,000 for an endowment fund that will be used to award an annual scholarship in Jim's memory to a senior at Vergennes Union High School, where he graduated in 1986. The endowment will be administered by VSAC (Vermont Student Assistance Cooperation).
Among Jim's many interests and achievements, his friends and family fondly remember the impact of the Vergennes Union High School's music department on his life. This scholarship has been formed to honor Jim’s excellence within the music program at Vergennes, and will be awarded to students who balance full academic studies with the rewards of music.
Jim was passionate about his work, about sailing, about running and especially about his cycling. He was known widely in the Mississippi cycling community as a fierce competitor and compassionate mentor to all who needed encouragement. Whether inspecting the depths of the Sago mine disaster, exploring the inner workings of the Golden Gate Bridge assessing terrorist vulnerabilities, navigating the access tunnels of Cheyenne Mountain, sailing the open ocean from Biloxi to the Bahamas, cycling Vermont's mountain gaps or just doing a "century" ride (100 miles) with his buddies on a typical Saturday morning, Jim lived life to the fullest with inspired intensity.
After graduating from high school in Vergennes, he received his BS degree in Civil Engineering in 1990 from Cornell University and his Masters and PhD. from Penn State University in 1998. He joined the U.S. Army's Engineer Research and Development Center the same year as a Research Structural Engineer where he continued to serve in ERDC's Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory, performing research and development in the area of computational mechanics for blast, impact and penetration events. He was known internationally for his work and published many refereed papers in conferences and symposiums around the world.
Fundraising team (7)
Nancy Zimmer
Organizer
Vergennes, VT
Cathy O'Daniel Fuller
Team member
Nancy Zimmer
Team member
Michael O'Daniel
Team member
Molly Shipp Goodyear
Team member