Environmental engineering student receives Mathews Medal

Justin Michael Boucher, an environmental engineering senior at North Carolina State University, has been selected to receive the Mathews Medal from the NC State Alumni Association.

The Mathews Medal honors graduating seniors who have made significant contributions to NC State during their academic careers. The medal is modeled after the Watauga Medal, the highest non-academic award bestowed by NC State.

A University Scholar and Engineering Ambassador, Boucher has held many positions across campus. He has served as president of the GLBT Community Alliance and as site coordinator with the University Scholars Program language exchange to promote collaboration between students and housekeeping staff members. He also worked as a DJ at WKNC-FM, NC State’s radio station.

Most recently, Boucher was an alternative service break team leader during his second trip to Nicaragua. During Boucher’s most recent trip in March, he and a group of classmates worked with a non-profit to help improve water quality for the residents of San Nicolas, Nicaragua. The service team successfully constructed a washing station, replete with a private shower and a pair of clothes-washing basins.

The medal recipients were honored at a March 27 reception at the Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center.

Established in 1957, the Mathews Medal program is administered by the NC State Alumni Association Student Ambassadors program. Named after Walter J. Mathews, the first student enrolled at the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1889, the award encourages student leaders to go on to become alumni leaders.