Archives: News Items

Bryce Danielson Receives Alan O’Shea Memorial Scholarship

Congratulations to Bryce Danielson, one of the two recipients of the Alan O’Shea Memorial Scholarship. The Mechanical Contractors Association of New Jersey established the scholarships to honor the memory of Alan O’Shea, its former Executive Director, and memorialize his many contributions to the mechanical contracting industry.

Bryce is a sophomore from the University of Nebraska studying Construction Management. He joined the student chapter in his freshman year and has attended both the MCAA Annual Convention and the GreatFutures Forum.

“The amount of support that the mechanical contracting industry has for students like me is what has drawn me towards a future career in this industry,” Bryce said. “Whether it is through the local contractors, my local student chapter, or the national association, I feel as if there is always someone to help and support my future career.”

His local contractor mentor showed him a job site and explained how the process works, answering his questions along the way. The student chapter has provided internship and networking opportunities, along with the chance to learn new things through its monthly meetings. MCAA events have also provided networking opportunities, along with real-world experience through the Student Chapter Competition, and a chance to learn from world-class speakers and industry professionals.

Ray Martin Company Internship Experience

Bryce has been interning for Ray Martin Company, an MCAA member, since May 2019. “I have been challenged with many tasks which include estimating and preparing bids, writing purchase orders and subcontracts, and helping with project management duties. They gave me opportunities that no other company would give a first-year intern.”

“I look forward to putting everything I have learned in college to work,” Bryce said, adding that “It’s one thing to learn about managing a large-scale project and another to actually do it. This is what I enjoy the most about mechanical contracting because almost every day is different. There is always a new problem that needs to be solved or a new project that is different than the last. I enjoy these because you always have to be quick on your feet and think of innovative ways to solve these problems to ensure the overall success of your project.

“Without my MCAA student chapter and the MCA of Omaha, I would have never been able to make the connection with Ray Martin Co. and obtain an internship that I am still doing today. Finally, MCA-Omaha has also supported me financially through different scholarships. This is a big deal to me because it allows me to stay focused on school and reassures me that the local mechanical contractors support me and all the members of our chapter.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Bryce on this distinguished scholarship and thank the MCA of Omaha, Inc. for its commitment to supporting younger students keeping them invested in the mechanical contracting industry.

Logan Stone Receives William A. Bianco, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Congratulations to Logan Stone, this year’s recipient of the William Bianco, Jr. Memorial Scholarship. MCAA member Kinetics established the annual scholarship to honor Mr. Bianco and his many contributions to the industry’s continuing advancement.

Logan plans to graduate from the Milwaukee School of Engineering in May 2021 with a master’s in Architectural Engineering with an emphasis in MEP System Design. He has been a member of MSOE’s MCAA Student Chapter since fall 2017. Logan was part of the 2019 Student Chapter Competition winning team. As the Student Competition Leader this year, he helped lead his team to becoming one of the Final Four of this year’s Student Chapter Competition.

“The MCAA Student Chapter at MSOE is not only an experience, but a lifestyle,” Logan said. “Once a part of the student chapter, it is as if you are in a tight-knit community of young professionals. Our chapter is committed to having a lasting impact on the community.”

Logan sees the benefits of mechanical contracting and details his interest in the industry. “Mechanical contracting intrigued me from the beginning since it is an industry based on practicality, professionalism, and top performance standards. I have personally always been fascinated by design and engineering because of its allowance for creativity with respect to concrete physical properties. However, consulting engineering almost always involves hypothetical scenarios. Mechanical contracting allows room for design, but it understands the practical limitations of aspects such as installation, cost and overall functionality of the system.”

J.M. Brennan Internship Experience

Logan has been interning for MCAA member, J.M. Brennan, Inc. since June 2018. “I have worked closely with project managers to estimate plumbing and HVAC contracting bids. I have also worked on BIM coordinating with other firms because of my experience with Revit.”

His professional experience has made Logan more invested in the mechanical contracting industry. “This industry is based around quality client relationships and reputable reputations. Therefore, it is important to be professional in every situation, meaning that honesty, integrity, and willingness to go above and beyond to help are all important traits that a mechanical contractor should have. This drew me into the industry because I believe professionalism is always important. I was attracted to the industry due to its commitment to top performance. This is crucial in any industry, but especially this industry because of the mechanical systems’ direct impact on the environment and people.”

Student Chapter Experience

Logan reflects on his student chapter experience and the advantages MCAA has brought him.

“There is no better way of bringing people together than having a common goal, and MCAA provides that goal for my peers and I. In the chapter, as in the industry, people come from different ways of life. Being able to learn from them, while also striving for personal growth, opens doors to countless opportunities for advancement.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Logan on this prestigious scholarship and thank Kinetics for its commitment to supporting younger students to keep them invested in the mechanical contracting industry.

MCAA Congratulates Student Chapter Competition Finalists

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 Receives Ferguson-Women in the Mechanical Industry Scholarship

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.

University of Nebraska Awarded Student Chapter of the Year

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.

Ali Brown Receives Ferguson-Women in the Mechanical Industry Scholarship

Ali Brown, a junior at the University of Nebraska, 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

Ali has been a member of the MCA of Omaha-sponsored Student Chapter since 2017. She attended the 2019 GreatFutures Forum and the 2019 WiMI Conference. She is earning her degree in Business Administration & Human Resources.

In her scholarship application, Ali discusses why she shifted her focus from the engineering and construction management side of the industry to the business side. “Even though I am now a business major I still see the mechanical construction industry as an exciting industry to be in. I see the opportunities that there are for growth in all areas of the industry.”

Post-graduation, Ali sees herself working for a mechanical contractor in their human resources department. “I want to help with developing standards of practice as well as recruit new talent for my company. My goal in my career is to help people and I believe that I can achieve this goal through working in Human Resources.”

Ali is appreciative of her involvement with her student chapter and the connections she has made with contractors through the MCA of Omaha. “We work with our contractors to plan fundraising events, recruit new student chapter members, and much more. Through our chapter I feel like I have learned more about the industry than I ever thought I would know. I have been able to see how many different companies run jobs and other day-to-day activities between our different contractors.”

Waldinger Internship

Ali has been interning for The Waldinger Corporation, a member of the MCA of Omaha, MCAA and NCPWB, throughout her academic career. She has been involved in the administration, Virtual Design and Construction, and the accounting department. “I enjoy the culture we have at Waldinger. I especially enjoy the internship program we have; it exposes me to all facets of the company.” She is excited to continue her Waldinger internship this summer.

Ali reflects on her internship experiences and seeing the unique challenges and opportunities as a women in the industry. Ali thinks there are many challenges that come with being a woman in the mechanical contracting field. “Since it is so male dominated,” she said, “I feel like gaining the respect of coworkers is the biggest challenge that comes with being a woman in this field. Though it is a challenge I believe that also makes it an opportunity. The best way to grow personally is by taking challenges and turning them into opportunities.”

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

Beyond the Classroom – The Importance of an Internship

In this month’s Beyond the Classroom, meet University of Missouri-Columbia graduate, Paige Theby. She has recently started as an Engineer at MCAA member, Murphy Company. You can reach Paige’s full story HERE.

As a past MCAA Student Chapter member and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering major, Paige talks about the importance of her internship and the opportunities she sees for people starting out in the industry. She shares how MCAA GreatFutures can help kickstart a career through networking and internship opportunities.

Upcoming Beyond the Classroom videos will showcase how MCAA student chapter members and MCAA members alike are benefiting from the program. They will also share the opportunities available to students who choose careers in the mechanical industry.

Purdue University Student Chapter President Accepts Second Internship with Harrell-Fish

Colin Hindman has accepted a second summer internship with MCA of Indiana member, Harrell-Fish, Inc. (HFI). Colin is a junior studying Construction Management Technology at Purdue University where he is the President of the MCAA Student Chapter.

Harrell-Fish Internship

Colin reflects on what he will be doing during his internship:

I am continuing to work with the Project Management team in their Construction Division. I shadow and assist the PMs with their projects while also getting some projects of my own to manage under supervision. I also help out in estimating on occasion. I found the opportunity to work for them [Harrell-Fish] originally by being introduced to the VP by a family friend.

MCAA Student Chapter Involvement

As the Student Chapter president, Colin has been active with his student chapter:

Being a part of MCAA has both reinforced and built upon concepts I have learned in class, but most importantly on the job. My excellent experience working with HFI gave me a certain advantage when approaching the competition project. Conversely, the MCAA Student Chapter Competition taught me some valuable lessons that I’ve already been able to apply back in my internship.

Find other student chapter members like Colin by visiting mcaagreatfutures.org and previewing students’ resumes.

Cristina Cosma Named Educator of the Year

This year’s MCAA Educator of the Year Award was presented to Cristina Cosma of the Wentworth Institute of Technology. The award, including a check, honors her mentoring ability, industry knowledge and involvement, and her active participation in MCAA’s Student Chapter program activities.

The students of the Wentworth MCAA Student Chapter sponsored by the New England MCA, Inc. (NEMCA) said, “a mentor’s role is to provide guidance, advice, encouragement, support, and resources. Cosma checks off all of these boxes and more.”

MCAA Student Chapter members credit Professor Cosma for the chapter’s fast growth and success, noting that “She puts a lot of time and effort into this chapter to ensure that we get the most out of it.”

Cosma has worked with chapter members to coordinate fundraising and community service events, including working with NEMCA on the annual golf tournament and facilitating an HVAC project for a neighborhood church.

Under Cosma’s guidance, the students have placed in the top ten of the MCAA Student Chapter Competition for the past seven years. Cosma has also helped increase chapter membership. According to chapter members, “Getting new members into our chapter is always something we struggle with. 90% of the students in our chapter hear about it through taking classes with Cosma. She will always advocate for MCAA and all of the opportunities it gives us students. She pushes us to attend all of our schools’ club involvement fairs to try and present our chapter and get new students to join.”

Professor Cosma maintains close relationships with NEMCA members and NEMCA Executive Vice President, Stephen Affanato, which has given the students many opportunities. For example, she has connected students with MCAA members for internship and co-op opportunities that led to full-time positions.

Cosma has “created an amazing opportunity when it comes to the students making lasting relationships with industry leaders. At any event Cosma urges us to step out of our comfort zones and talk to as many contractors as possible.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Cosma on her accomplishments, her chapter, and her contributions to the industry.

The Wentworth students say, “we can’t begin to thank Professor Cosma enough for all the help she has given this chapter, we seriously owe all of our success to her guidance.”

Hailey Brennan Receives First Josam Endowed Scholarship

Congratulations to Hailey Brennan, the first recipient of the annual Josam Endowed Scholarship. Josam Company has established an annual scholarship to a sophomore in a MCAA Student Chapter, pursuing a degree in construction management, mechanical engineering or a similar field. Provided that all qualifications are met each year, the yearly recipient will continue to receive the scholarship in their sophomore, junior and senior year.

Hailey is a sophomore, studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. Hailey joined her MCAA student chapter last fall and has since attended the 2019 GreatFutures Forum and helped lead her chapter to the final four of this year’s MCAA Student Chapter Competition.

Hailey has had an interest in the industry since middle school and began taking engineering courses in high school. “It was my choice to pursue HVAC as well, which is what really drew me toward a career in the mechanical contracting industry.”

While in high school Hailey was active in SkillsUSA, a career and technical student organization. The organization helped Hailey grow confidence in HVAC courses, and led to her interning with a mechanical contractor her senior year in high school.

She continued to pursue her industry interests while at the University of Maryland, and wants to continue to pursue a career in mechanical contracting throughout her educational and internship choices as an undergraduate.

She recently accepted a summer internship with MCAA member, Poole & Kent Corporation, in Baltimore, Maryland, where she will be working alongside Project Engineers on a hospital jobsite. Hailey found the internship through her student chapter connection with sponsoring local affiliate, MCA of Metro Washington. “The local MCAMW events have provided me connections for internships and I have been happy to volunteer at MCAMW events to meet more of the local MCAA community.”

Hailey says she has given thought to completing an HVAC apprenticeship after graduation. “With my experience in mechanical engineering and business, completing an HVAC apprenticeship would put me on my way to becoming a business owner in the mechanical contracting industry.”

The John R. Gentille Foundation congratulates Hailey Brennan on this prestigious scholarship and would like to thank Josam Company’s CEO, Scott Holloway Sr., for the commitment to supporting younger students to keep them invested in the mechanical contracting industry.