Nathaniel Denham

Nathaniel Denham majored in civil engineering to be instrumental in designing resilient structures that impact people’s lives.

He chose to enroll in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, because “the connection between professionals and students in my program is top-notch.”

That connection became especially meaningful as Denham gained hands-on experience with the American Society of Civil Engineers at ASU. While mentoring teammates on the group’s steel bridge design, he had his “aha!” moment. That’s when he realized then that his structural knowledge has real-world implications.

“It’s fun to teach about structural mechanics, then see it translate to a working bridge design through the team’s efforts,” Denham says.

His leadership helped the team earn a national award, a milestone current students can continue to build on.

Denham also served as a project manager for the steel bridge design group and an officer in the ASCE student chapter.

“Outside of the classroom, I helped mentor students on welding and structural design for club activities, and I was involved in different sports and intramural teams,” Denham says.

Along with being involved in student organizations, Denham also participated in structural-related research. He credits the feedback and guidance of Fulton Schools Associate Teaching Professor Kristen Ward with helping him grow during his academic journey.

“Although we didn’t have many classes together, she was my advisor for the structural design,” he says. “She was always interested in what we were doing, and that is evidenced by her help on my thesis.”

Service also played a central role in his student experience. Through JustServe and his church, Denham volunteered weekly at local food banks, tutored and mentored students and helped at athletic events.

Denham says he’s grateful for the support he received from the ASU Presidential Scholarship and the Beus Family Scholarship.

“These scholarships allowed me to free up more time to become the student and thinker that I wanted to be,” Denham says. “I would not be the engineer that I am today without them.”

After graduation, Denham will be a structural engineer in training at Kimley-Horn in Phoenix for the next four years. After which, he will take the Principles and Practices of Engineering exam to become a licensed engineer.

“I will be focused on all types of building design, such as commercial, water-related structures and other types of essential buildings,” he says.

Favorites

• Hobby: Welding, playing volleyball, fantasy football
• TV show: Lost
• Movie: Top Gun: Maverick
• Favorite book: The Martian

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ fall 2025 class.

Written by Lisa Irish