Guest written by Matthew Moore, Project Engineer for The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Summer 2011 graduate, Bachelor of Science in Construction Management.

I started working with Whiting-Turner after I graduated from Missouri State the summer of 2011. The Career Center posted an internship opportunity on their website. I had heard about Whiting-Turner through a presentation at Missouri State where Whiting-Turner was showcasing their work at the Wonders of Wildlife Museum. Whiting-Turner hired me for the internship, and by the end of the summer offered me a full-time position as a Project Engineer. 

From the very beginning the company gave me the responsibility of bidding, awarding, and then managing certain construction trades. It’s been a great experience working on the numerous projects at the Bass Pro campus, and I am lucky to have been involved in projects this complicated and original. Missouri State realizes the push for technology in the construction industry, and the curriculum available while I attended Missouri State helped prepare me professionally for my position with Whiting-Turner. 

I started my internship with being responsible for finish trades. Now three years later as a full-time Project Engineer, I am managing the MEP, Fire Protection, and LSS (Life Support Systems for aquatic life) for the Connector project at the Bass Pro campus. This includes coordinating and managing BIM & VDC procedures for these respective trades, something Missouri State first introduced me to. While every day on the jobsite presents a new learning experience, I have no doubt that Missouri State helped prepare me for my transition into the construction industry.