Civil Engineering Department Partners with Construction Industry Organization
Villanova University’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department is entering into a new relationship with The Moles, a national fraternal organization dedicated to the heavy construction industry in the greater New York City area. Through a variety of programs, the students at 20 participating colleges and universities enjoy tremendous networking and learning opportunities related to tunnel, subway, sewer, foundation, marine, sub-aqueous or other heavy construction projects.
In addition to internships and full-time job listings on the organization’s website, The Moles support students through a Scholarships Fund for the academically qualified and deserving at each participating school. Recipients are selected by their deans, and along with the schools’ faculty advisors, are recognized at The Moles Members' Dinner held each November. The event also features a presentation of The Moles Student Awards, which include a monetary prize and award certificate, presented yearly to a student of each participating school whose academic achievement and enthusiastic application shows outstanding promise of personal development leading to a career in construction engineering and management.
Dr. Shawn Gross, professor and chair of Villanova’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, is particularly excited for The Moles Students Day. Each fall, civil engineering juniors are given a guided tour of a major construction site. In 2018, 400 students toured the East Side Access cavern under New York’s Grand Central Terminal. Dr. Gross hopes that “as Villanova becomes more involved with The Moles in the years to come, many of our students will take advantage of these exciting opportunities.”