College of Engineering Promotes Careers in Construction

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Sergio Arratia, Jeremy McDonald and Ian Killough help visitors to their booth make concrete paperweights.

On May 24-25, the University of Arkansas College of Engineering hosted two booths at the Construction Career Day event, which is sponsored by the Arkansas Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Contractors Association. The purpose of this interactive event is to introduce students to the wide range of employment opportunities in the construction industry.

Frances Griffith, associate director of the Center for Training Transportation Professionals at the University of Arkansas, staffed the booths with a team of students that included Sergio Arratia, Ian Killough, Jeremy McDonald and Haley Moore. Also assisting were Mary Fleck and Rita Parrish, staff members in the department of civil engineering.

At the booths, visitors learned about how concrete is made by creating paperweights out of cement, sand and water and decorating them with beads. Hayley Moore also handed out material about the College of Engineering to students who were interested in attending the University of Arkansas, and the students had the opportunity to ask questions about the engineering curriculum.

The booths were very popular, according to Jack Buffington, research professor emeritus of the civil engineering department. “The University of Arkansas booths were mobbed by as many as twenty students constantly over the two day period,” reported Buffington.

Buffington also credits the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department with making the event a success. “AHTD, the major sponsor, did an outstanding job, not only at their booth but also by providing numerous pieces of heavy equipment as well as demonstrations,” he said.