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Billy Roy Prochaska ‘61 Scholarship in Civil Engineering

This scholarship was established in loving memory of Mr. Billy Roy Prochaska. Billy Roy attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute (SLI), now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1961. Billy proudly served our country in the United States Navy (1961-1965). After completing Officer Candidate School and a U.S. Navy civil engineering course, he served as the Public Works Officer for the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Mississippi until his discharge in 1965.

In 1964, while stationed in Gulfport as a lieutenant, Billy met the love of his life, Maria Truxillo, to whom he has been married for over 57 years. Billy then continued his education at the University of Florida, completing his Master of Engineering. He was a practicing land surveyor and civil engineer for 50 years. During that time, he worked for Louis J. Capozzoli, Soil Testing Engineers, and Woodward-Clyde Consultants. In 1983, Billy took a leap of faith and opened his own engineering firm in Baton Rouge, Soils and Foundation Engineers, which he successfully ran with the help of his  family until his retirement in 2004. Some of Billy's proudest accomplishments during his successful engineering career include: being the President of the Louisiana Groundwater Association and President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); his work on the levee failures from Hurricane Katrina; and his time teaching at both his alma mater, UL Lafayette, and LSU.

Billy was the epitome of a professional geotechnical engineer with a passion for high standards. He was a die-hard UL Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns fan, holding season tickets for the Cajuns' football team for 30-plus years. Every Friday was Cajun red shirt day!

Eligibility Requirements

  1. Student recipient must be admitted to the University and enrolled as a full-time student.
  2. Student recipient must have and maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
  3. Student recipient must be majoring in Civil Engineering.
  4. Student must be classified as a junior or senior.
  5. Preference given to a first-generation student, i.e., neither parent nor legal guardian(s) have earned a college degree, who is a resident of a rural community in Louisiana and resident of the United States.