Engineering connects ideas to the communities around us.

On Oct. 15, engineering professionals, educators and students will come together to celebrate that connection at the inaugural Springfield Engineers Day Banquet.

The Missouri State University and Missouri University of Science and Technology cooperative engineering program will host the event from 5-8 p.m. at the Old Glass Place in Springfield. The banquet is presented in partnership with Toth and Associates, a Springfield-based engineering firm.

The theme, “Celebrating Innovation, Education and Community,” reflects the event’s goal of recognizing engineers who help Southwest Missouri grow while connecting students with the professionals who lead that work.

An evening of recognition and connection

The night has a full itinerary planned for all guests.

The banquet will feature:

• Engineering awards and recognition
• Keynote addresses from education and industry leaders
• Highlights from sponsoring firms
• Networking with engineering professionals, educators and students
• A showcase of student engineering projects

According to Dr. Theresa Odun-Ayo, director of the cooperative engineering program, the event will help students connect with professionals while highlighting engineering’s role in the region.

“Engineering has an extraordinary ability to impact a community, and that impact begins with the students who are learning to become the problem-solvers and innovators our region needs,” Odun-Ayo said.

“The cooperative engineering program prepares students not only for careers but to understand the responsibility and opportunity they have to contribute to the communities around them. This event gives us a chance to bring that work into greater focus; connecting students with the professionals while raising awareness of the vital role engineering plays in our community and its future.”

Every sponsored table will include engineering students and/or faculty, giving students an opportunity to connect directly with professionals and firms.

Each ticket is $50 per person for purchase.

Investing in the next generation

Toth and Associates has committed $10,000 annually for three years as the banquet’s title sponsor.

“Engineers shape nearly every part of daily life, from the infrastructure and utilities we depend on to the products, systems and technology that keep our region running and growing. But that work rarely gets noticed,” said Adam Toth, president of Toth and Associates. “We wanted to create a night that recognizes Springfield’s engineering community and invests in the students who will carry that work forward.”

Other sponsors include Gold Sponsors Paul Mueller Company and City Utilities of Springfield, as well as Silver Sponsors Olsson, Springfield Business Journal, True Engineering, IEEE Southwest Missouri Section and SRC Holdings Corporation.

Sponsorship opportunities remain available at the Gold ($5,000), Silver ($2,000), Table ($1,000) and Student ($500) levels.

Proceeds from the banquet will benefit the cooperative engineering program. The program allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree in civil, electrical or mechanical engineering from Missouri S&T while completing all their coursework on Missouri State’s Springfield campus.

Explore the cooperative engineering program