Tyler Halsey (BSCE ’06, MSCE ’08) was a talented engineer and a cherished friend, husband and family member. When Tyler lost his life in a motorcycle accident at age 30, his family and friends wanted to honor his memory and help other engineering students. In order to do this, Tyler’s parents, Mike Halsey and Janice Hull, teamed up with Richard Welcher, Tyler’s friend and colleague at Tatum-Smith Engineers, to create an endowed scholarship. The Halsey Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship. It will support promising junior and senior civil engineering students who are interested in structural engineering.
Establishing this kind of scholarship, which must reach a minimum level of $25,000, can be a challenge, but Tyler’s friends and family were eager to show their support. “The generosity that has been shown is overwhelming,” said Mike. “I think that it is in part to acknowledge our loss but even more is a testament to the person Tyler was.”
“Tyler worked hard and played hard,” remembered Janice. “He accomplished a lot in 30 years, both personally and professionally. Tyler had to work much harder than most to accomplish what he did. Born with a severe hearing loss, we were told that he would never be able to attend any mainstream schools growing up. Instead, Tyler overcame this adversity to graduate college and become a licensed Professional Engineer.”
Richard explained that as an engineer, Tyler was one of a kind. “Colleagues asked following Tyler’s death if we were going to be looking to hire a replacement soon. I told them that we would never be able to hire another Tyler Halsey and to compare engineers we’d hire in the future to him would not be fair. He was an outstanding guy and I miss my friend greatly.”
Tyler’s last and most challenging engineering project was the Janie Darr Elementary School in Rogers, Ark., which will open in the fall. Richard explained that the design of the building “posed many structural engineering challenges which Tyler handled with a degree of knowledge and skill that was uncommon to find in someone as young in the practice as he.”
Tyler’s friends and family plan to continue support for the Halsey Scholarship. In March, the U.S. Pizza company donated 10 percent of sales from their five locations to the fund.
Tyler will always be loved and missed by everyone who knew him. “He lived his life with a grace, dignity and ease that I both admire and envy,” said his father.