Ben is one of CM’s Roadway Engineers in our Cincinnati office. He is a 2018 University of Dayton Alumni and has been with our team since graduating college. Starting off his career at CM, he was faced with his first project which consisted of replacing multiple culverts in Clermont and Warren counties. The first task he was assigned consisted of going through multiple sets of plans and labeling them for future use.  Ben said, “I remember how overwhelmed I felt. These plan sets were pretty hefty – and the first ones I had sorted through since graduating college. That’s not something any of my college courses prepared me for going into a career in engineering!”

Favorite Project to Date

“One of my favorite projects is one that is currently in the design phase.” The Brighton Approach Bridge is pretty close to home for Ben and is a very historic bridge in Cincinnati. This bridge, as seen in the photos to the right was built over the (now) abandoned subway system which took the place of an old canal bed that had been drained in the early 1900s. Ben has been the leading man on the roadway work for this project. Ben stated that, “Its history is what makes working on this project so awesome. I can’t wait to be able to see the bridge in person once construction is finally finished!”

Choosing a Career in Engineering

Growing up, Ben said he always excelled at math, science, and physics. In high school, one of his teachers recommended to him that he pursue a degree in engineering at UD. After enrolling, he started off in the generalized engineering path and later on discovered that the civil side appealed to him the most. “The travelling public benefits from your work on a day-to-day basis. Knowing you contributed to something so beneficial and being able to see it to completion is a really awesome feeling.”

Ben said his greatest advice to students interested in pursuing a career in engineering would be to take advantage of the co-ops and internships companies like CM offer. “These opportunities give you the hands-on experience you don’t necessarily get in the classroom. You end up doing lots of calculations and not much work with larger plan sets – which now I see often.”

Bucket List Wishes

Ben’s biggest bucket list wish is to someday be able to travel to space. Since he was a little kid, he has always had interest in astronomy. Growing up he found interest in space themed picture books & in elementary school he even completed a project on the planet Jupiter! Hopefully in 30 years or so, technology, with the help of human knowledge, can get Ben to space!