STUDENT COMPETITION ON COLD-FORMED STEEL DESIGN

2026 COMPETITION WINNERS

The Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) has announced the winners of the 2026 CFSEI Student Competition on Cold-Formed Steel Design. The winning students hail from the Milwaukee School of Engineering,  Lindenhurst UFSD, and George Mason University. 

The CFSEI Student Competition on Cold-Formed Steel Design promotes higher education in cold-formed steel structural design and encourages students to use creative thinking skills to solve engineering problems. 

This year’s competition attracted entries from universities across the United States, Canada and India. To ensure their success, participants were paired with industry mentors who have expertise in cold-formed steel design and construction. A panel of industry professionals judged and ranked all entries based on the design’s quality, constructability and presentation. 

The winners are:

• First Place - Michael Keegan, Milwaukee School of Engineering

• Second Place - Luke Albert, Lindenhurst UFSD

• Third Place - Maihan Ali, George Mason University

“This is the only competition of its kind in the cold-formed steel industry,” said Jeffrey Klaiman, P.E., CFSEI managing director. “It promotes CFS in higher education and requires participants to apply creative engineering solutions to develop a cold-formed steel design, addressing a specific challenge they may encounter in the workplace.” 

Tammy Gleed, P.E., general manager at ClarkDietrich Engineering Services, LLC, and a CFSEI competition organizer, said: “This year’s participants were tasked to design a cost-effective, dignified tiny home that can be mass-produced and rapidly deployed to provide transitional housing, offering safety, comfort, and stability for families displaced by wildfires.”

The winners receive monetary awards and award plaques. They also have the opportunity to attend the 2026 CFSEI Expo in Long Beach, California, with their Expo registration fees covered. 

Click here to view the competition details