Cal Poly Pomona’s (CPP) Civil Engineering Department offers an education for students interested in pursuing a career in engineering. According to the university, they have the largest undergraduate civil engineering program in the United States. Nearly 15% of graduates from civil engineering programs in California are from CPP. That’s why it’s important for us at KNA to help students understand what it’s like working in our field and encourage them to consider structural engineering as a career.
Recently, Ben Pitts and Jesse Hamilton went to the university to present to the Chi Epsilon Honor Society, a group of top-ranked enthusiastic civil engineering students. Ben and Jesse went through their presentation, titled A Successful Project, Engineering a Building From Start to Finish, and gave time for questions and answers. Their talk provided students with an overview of the role structural engineers have throughout an entire project. The topics discussed were:
- Project phases
- Structural layout
- Coordination with architects and other consultants
- Preparing calculations and drawings
- Plan review and approvals
- Different project-delivery methods
- Bidding and construction.
“I really enjoyed the opportunity to speak with students, telling them my story and showing what I do. Choosing a career when you’re in school can be difficult, and I hope my passion for structural engineering shows them what it has to offer.”
Ben Pitts, S.E. Principal
The presentation by Ben and Jesse opened up a dialogue that answered questions about the building-planning process. The students were fascinated to learn how a building actually gets designed and built—it’s rewarding to see “the lights go on” for them.
It’s important for KNA to reach out to local universities to tell others about our company and what it’s like to work with us. Many students have not yet decided which civil engineering discipline they plan to pursue, and we are hopeful they feel the passion we have for our work and, of course, think of KNA for future career opportunities. Students are busy and food is always a great enticement, so we provided lunch for the 50 attendees, followed by the presentation and time for discussion.
If you are interested in having KNA present to engineering students at your university, please contact KNA or call our office at 949-462-3200.
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KNA Structural Engineers Linkedin
Ben Pitts, S.E. Principal
Jesse Hamilton, Design Engineer, EIT