Organization: MCAA

This year’s Student Chapter Competition project was demanding, allowing students to showcase their knowledge of mechanical contracting in a written proposal for a a real-world construction bid.

MCAA congratulates the four finalists: Ball State University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The finalists were selected from among 33 submissions. Their insight into the project and the overall quality of their proposals impressed the judges, all members of MCAA’s Career Development Committee.

Thank you to Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corporation of Fresh Meadows, New York for providing this year’s project details. The project tasked students with developing a proposal to be the prime contractor on a chiller and cooling tower replacement project in the Penn South building in New York City. The project included the completion of all plumbing, piping and HVAC, electrical, controls and any other work required to complete the project as described in the bid documents.

Meet the Final Four Teams

Ball State University

Ball State received their charter at the 2016 MCAA Convention. They received a Chapter of Excellence Grant in 2019, recognizing their extraordinary performance and accomplishments in maintaining interest in the mechanical contracting industry. Sherif Attallah, Associate Professor of Construction Management, is the chapter’s faculty advisor.

This was Ball State’s first year placing in the final four of the competition.

The competition team consisted of all Construction Management majors:

• Nick Brandon, Class of 2021
• Gareth Brouwer, Class of 2021
• Ross Debonis, Class of 2021
• Michale Delong, Class of 2020
• Austin Fest, Class of 2021
• Cory Huffman, Class of 2021
• Cassie Dorony, Class of 2020

Milwaukee School of Engineering

MSOE won last year’s Student Chapter Competition at MCAA19. The chapter previously won in 2011 and 2013.

They placed in the Final Four of the Competition in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2017. MSOE was a recipient of a 2019 Chapter of Excellence Grant. Blake Wentz, Department Chair of Civil & Architectural Engineering & Construction Management, is the chapter’s faculty advisor.

MSOE’s Competition Team:

• Nathan Bevers, Class of 2020, Architectural Engineering
• Luke Grohmann, Class of 2021, Construction Management
• Lucas Haas, Class of 2020, Construction Management
• Brooke Scott, Class of 2020, Architectural Engineering & Construction Management
• Logan Stone, Class of 2021, Architectural Engineering
• John Cunningham, Class of 2022, Architectural Engineering

Logan Stone is the 2020 recipient of the William A. Bianco, Jr Memorial Scholarship. Brooke Scott received the Alan P. O’Shea Memorial Scholarship in 2019.

University of Maryland, College Park

This is Maryland’s first time back in the final four since 2014. After working on rebuilding the chapter that time, they won an Emerging Chapter Grant in 2019. Fitzgerald Walker, Academic Advisor for the Mechanical Engineering department, is in his first year as the chapter’s faculty advisor.

Meet Maryland’s competition team, all Mechanical Engineering majors:

• Hailey Brennan, Class of 2022
• Talha Dasti, Class of 2020
• Samuel Gigioli, Class of 2021
• Zachary Hood, Class of 2020
• Ahmed Seck, Class of 2021 

Hailey Brennan is the 2020 Recipient of the Josam Endowed Scholarship.

University of Missouri-Columbia

Mizzou won the the Student Chapter Competition at MCAA17, and competed in the final four last year at MCAA19. The chapter’s current advisor is Lawrence Shilke, Manager Engineer of the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The competition team consists of all Mechanical Engineering majors:

• Mohammed Al-Ramis, Class of 2021
• Ellie Henshaw, Class of 2020
• Austin Mathews, Class of 2020
• Adam Moore, Class of 2020
• Kylie Nedelka, Class of 2020
• Evan Taylor, Class of 2021
• Derrick Jenkins, Class of 2021

Kylie Nedelka recently accepted a second summer internship with SIEMENS. Read the full story HERE.

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulates all of the finalists and recognizes their commitment and dedication to this year’s project. A signification amount of time and effort has been put into the competition, and thank you all the student chapters for their commitment to the MCAA GreatFutures program

Please contact Megan Walsh if you have questions about any of our student activities or the internship grants funded by the John R. Gentille Foundation (JRGF).

Molly Sizemore, a junior at Pennsylvania State University, has been awarded one of the two Ferguson-Women in the Mechanical Industry Scholarships.

Ferguson underwrites these scholarships, which recognize high-achieving female students working towards a degree relative to the mechanical industry.

Academic Experience

Molly is the President of the MCA of Central Pennsylvania-sponsored student chapter at Pennsylvania State University, where she studies Architectural Engineering specializing in mechanical systems.

Molly talks about how, “to my surprise, mechanical contracting fell into my lap after I was searching for a challenge in my academic career. When I first entered Penn State, I was generally just an architectural engineering student teetering between the structural and lighting design options. As I progressed in my academic career, I found myself really fascinated by HVAC and fire protection. HVAC really presented itself as an intricate puzzle which really drew me in.”

Molly acknowledges that, “MCAA has definitely created a springboard for me into the mechanical contracting industry, and I’m very excited to continue this journey and get others involved.”

She was able to grow her industry network by attending the 2019 Great Futures Forum, which has led her to ignite a passion for mechanical contracting in other students who have chosen to get involved with her student chapter.

Southland Industries Internship

Molly has accepted her second summer internship with MCA of Metro Washington member, Southland Industries. She reflects on her experiences:

“I liked the specialization of Southland and the responsibilities they gave me. I also really liked the mentor dynamic where I could sit down for an hour a week and ask any questions I had. My internship put me in a position where I can see all stages of the mechanical contracting process and have an opportunity to contribute at any stage. In my experience with Southland, I really love the dynamic of the firm in that everything is very mechanical-focused and specialized. I like the ability to have a detailed conversation about what is happening at every part of a mechanical system.”

You can read more about Molly’s internship experience here.

Women in the Mechanical Industry Perspective

Molly gives her thoughts about the challenges and opportunities that come along with being a woman in the industry:

“As a woman in the mechanical industry, I’ve experienced first-hand with being the only woman on a project team. Though I initially faced this as a challenge on my path, I turned it around and viewed it as an opportunity to build my own self-confidence and create a voice for myself in an industry dominated by men.

Beyond my own personal experience, I have been able to mentor young women in the Penn State College of Engineering to ignore the stereotypes and be more than a statistic. As a greater challenge, I think it will be getting everyone on the same page with accepting diversity in the industry. Diversity in a team brings new and innovative ideas because people come with different backgrounds and experience.”

Women in the Mechanical Industry and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulated Molly Sizemore on this prestigious scholarship and thank Ferguson for their commitment to encouraging young women to be engaged in the industry.

The University of Nebraska Student Chapter has been awarded the 2019 MCAA Student Chapter of the Year.

The Student Chapter of the Year Award recognizes an MCAA student chapter for outstanding achievement as an organization of students who are planning careers in the mechanical construction industry. The award honors exceptional achievement in governance and leadership, membership recruiting, fundraising, community involvement, and career development.

The University of Nebraska Student Chapter is sponsored by the MCA of Omaha. Vishnu Reddi, Assistant Professor of Practice with the Durham School, College of Engineering, is the chapter’s faculty advisor.

The Student Chapter was one of MCAA’s first. Chartered in 1998, it has since remained one of the most active in the MCAA student chapter network.

The chapter takes a unique approach to fundraising, community service and networking opportunities with local MCA members.

Fundraising 

In 2019, the chapter hosted four events to raise funds and provide opportunities for students to network with the MCA of Omaha’s 30 mechanical contractor members. The events included a beer tasting, a wine tasting and two golf tournaments. The most profitable of these was a beer tasting that raised a record-breaking amount.

Community Service

In 2019, the student chapter participated in three community services events.

One of the highlights was the annual Heat’s On event, during which HVAC service technicians and students provide free inspections of senior citizens’ furnaces to ensure that they are working safely for the winter months. Students worked with their service member partners to run through a checklist that included inspecting the filter, flames, flame sensor, flue gas, changing fire alarm batteries, and more.

MCAA Member Networking

Each student is offered the opportunity to be mentored by a professional from an MCA of Omaha member company, an internship with a member company, and the chance to serve on a committee with several contractors. By the time a student graduates, the goal is for them to have personal relationships at almost every MCA of Omaha member company that they can carry into their future careers.

In April 2019, Student Chapter members visited MCA of Omaha members to hand out mugs with candy in them for Administrative Professionals Day. This introduced students to all of the member companies.

In the fall, students took a behind-the-scenes tour of the mechanical and plumbing systems at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. The students also travelled to a virtual design and construction conference hosted by Victaulic.

Mentorship Program 

During the year, the MCA of Omaha matches every student with a mechanical contractor mentor from a local MCA of Omaha company. This match between student and mentor is based on the student’s specific interests. Mentors engage with the students a minimum of four times throughout the year. Mentors show students what they do on a daily basis at job sites and give a tour of their offices, walking students through the daily routine to help them get a feel for everyday life in the industry. Through this experience, students gain first-hand knowledge of the industry to help them make more educated career decisions.

Industry Internships 

Students had the opportunity to attend Internship Day in the fall, where they had a chance to interview with multiple MCAA companies that are looking for interns. Six of the nine students were offered and accepted  internships with an MCAA member company.

You can read about chapter member Caleb Kowalski’s internship experiences with MCAA members here.

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate the University of Nebraska students on their active involvement with MCAA and their commitment to the mechanical contracting industry.