New York - September 19, 2008 - The Concrete Industry Foundation, an educational fund that fosters excellence in design and construction through a scholarship and grant program for study in the concrete built environment, presented Dr. Charles H. Thornton and Richard L. Tomasetti, founding principals of Thornton Tomasetti, Inc., with the Foundation's Humanitarian Fellow Award at its annual awards luncheon.

The Foundation's Humanitarian Fellow Award is presented to those whose dedication to the industry, community and society results in outstanding benefits to future generations. The presentation was made September 17th at the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan.

"We are honored to recognize Charlie Thornton and Richard Tomasetti for their lifetime of accomplishments and dedication to providing opportunities and guidance to future generations of architects, engineers and construction professionals," said James Halpin, president of the Concrete Industry Foundation. "Their dedication to the future of our industry is an inspiration to us all."

Charlie Thornton and Richard Tomasetti have spent much of their careers giving back through teaching, lecturing and philanthropy. They jointly established the Thornton Tomasetti Chair in Engineering at Manhattan College, the first of its kind. Richard Tomasetti serves as chairman of the New York Building Foundation and of the newly formed Thornton Tomasetti Foundation. Dr. Thornton is chairman and founder of the Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program, which has affiliates in 31 states and involves 37,000 students in learning about the design and construction industries. He is also chairman emeritus of the Salvadori Center, a nonprofit educational organization in New York.

For more than five decades, Thornton Tomasetti, Inc. has devised interdisciplinary engineering solutions for globally iconic skyscrapers, stadiums, museums, health care and airport facilities, as well as leadership in forensic engineering, historical preservation and building information modeling. The firm was charged with overseeing the rescue and clean-up operations after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York.

About the CIF (www.concreteindustryfoundation.org)
The Concrete Industry Foundation Inc. (CIF) was established in 1993 to provide financial assistance to students preparing for careers in the design and construction industry, with special emphasis on study related to concrete. The Foundation provides scholarships and grants for study at the graduate, undergraduate, technical college and apprentice levels to residents of the New York City Metropolitan Area who are studying at accredited schools and programs in the United States. Since the first scholarships were awarded in 1996, the CIF has made 65 grants. All scholarships are funded without touching the Foundation's inviolate principal. The Foundation's work is supported by contributions from the design and construction industry, in particular from those involved in the many phases of concrete design and production.

About Thornton Tomasetti (www.ThorntonTomasetti.com)
Thornton Tomasetti provides building engineering services to clients worldwide on projects of all sizes and complexity. From the tallest buildings and the longest spans, to innovative building systems and materials, the firm is committed to creating the best solutions through its technical ingenuity, pursuit of excellence, and responsiveness to client needs.

Founded in 1956 as Lev Zetlin & Associates, today Thornton Tomasetti is a 650-person organization of engineers and architects, collaborating from offices across the United States and in Hong Kong, London, Moscow, and Shanghai. Services cover structural design, building evaluation, and remediation to optimize building efficiency and performance. Thornton Tomasetti mobilizes rapidly to provide disaster response investigations, and deliver expert consulting services and testimony for legal and insurance purposes.

Contact
Great Ink Communications - 212-741-2977
Roxanne Donovan/Eric Gerard/Deborah Geiger

Thornton Tomasetti - 917-661-7800
James M. Kent, JKent@ThorntonTomasetti.com