The Beavers Charitable Trust has backed Mines’ innovative solution to address a serious workforce issue with a three-year, $900,000 grant.
The Heavy Construction Studio at Mines is a campus-wide program that is designing a new path for students to build careers in complex construction projects, like highways, dams, pipelines and tunnels. The trust is part of The Beavers, the leading heavy construction industry association.
“The Beavers is made up of the country’s most prominent heavy construction leaders, and their investment in our approach to inspiring and educating students is a real testament to what industry thinks of Mines and our graduates,” said Mike Mooney, PhD, PE, the Grewcock chair professor in civil and environmental engineering and mechanical engineering, who leads the Heavy Construction Studio.
It's not The Beavers’ first gift to Mines. They established an endowed scholarship for civil and environmental engineering students in 2019. The new grant is the largest single gift the organization has made to any school.
“Heavy construction is a rewarding career pathway that many students don’t know about, so our first goal is to build more awareness across campus,” Mooney said, “We want to reach freshmen and sophomores, getting them excited about the potential benefit they could make creating the country’s infrastructure.
“There is so much opportunity for students of all majors in this industry and so much need for great employees. And as the industry grows in mechanization, sensing, automation, and digitalization, there is an equally growing opportunity for mechanical, electrical and computer engineers and scientists. This program will set up students to climb the ladder and become industry leaders.”
The Heavy Construction Studio focuses on civil and mechanical engineering students, but all students are welcome. The program:
- Infuses heavy construction into existing courses like Design 1 and 2—which first-year students take—and introductory civil and mechanical engineering courses
- Creates opportunities for students to work on industry-motivated projects in the classroom and get paid to do it
- Creates a construction track within the undergraduate mechanical engineering degree
- Increases internships and co-ops for Mines students through industry relationships
- Builds interactions between Mines and industry, from field trips to project sites to flash challenges with cash prizes
“We have firm goals to achieve to demonstrate the value and impact this project can make,” Mooney said. “The Beavers wants to see their investment leveraged, so we have been reaching out to a number of companies to get involved. We want this to be a long-term partnership.”
Michael Traylor, owner and co-president of the heavy-civil contractor Traylor Bros, and member of The Beavers Charitable Trust, worked with Mooney to get his project proposal in front of the Trust. David Zanetell ’87, The Beavers board member and president of heavy civil firm Kraemer North America, also collaborated on the deal.
Traylor was already a fan of Mines from an employer standpoint. His company has hired Mines students for internships and jobs for about 15 years.
“We’ve found that the hands-on, gritty mentality of a Mines kid makes them a great fit for our company,” he said. “When you respect an institution like I respect Mines, you want to do things for it.”
The Trust funds scholarships and faculty at dozens of U.S. colleges, Traylor said, but they want to begin concentrating funds to make a bigger impact. Mines’ reputation made the school an obvious choice, and Mooney’s proposal was just the ticket.
“To make initiatives like the Heavy Construction Studio work, you have someone the caliber of Mike Mooney to lead it, people from industry who will come to Mines to give seminars and provide internships and jobs, and support at the university level,” he said. “When this wheel starts to crank, it will benefit the school, the kids, and end up doing what the trust is all about—building more little Beavers who can serve people and do good for the world.”
“Mines has a long history of working with industry to deliver engineers and scientists they need,” said Brian Winkelbauer, president and CEO of the Mines Foundation.
“It’s exciting that this outstanding organization understands the Heavy Construction Studio vision and the promise the program offers, and has invested in it,” he said. “We’re incredibly grateful.”
Story by Lynn Clark
October 2023