Student Spotlight: Will Mau
Construction Engineering Management
Why did you choose Oregon State?
I chose Oregon State primarily because of the university’s excellent engineering program, but the beautiful campus atmosphere in Corvallis and ideal distance from my hometown of Eugene helped make OSU the perfect school for me.
How did you choose the field of Construction Engineering Management (CEM)?
I chose CEM with help from my advisor Katie Whitehead, and my introductory Fall Term General Engineering course that walks undecided engineering students through the many engineering programs that OSU offers. I had a strong interest in Civil and Construction engineering, and the blend of business, engineering, and project management that CEM provides is exactly what I was looking for.
What projects are you currently working on?
I worked this summer as a project engineering intern for Fortis Construction, a general contractor out of Portland that handles a lot of projects for OSU including the ILLC, Tebeau Hall, and most recently the Learning Innovation Center (LInC). This summer, I was involved in the closeout stages of the LInC building, a project that began the month I arrived on campus as a freshman and will be complete and open for classes this fall.
What are you some of your future career goals?
My future career goals are to become a project engineer involved in the construction of buildings in sectors such as higher education, healthcare and data centers. I plan to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration after getting experience in the industry, in order to one day become a project manager for large contracts like the LInC project that I had the opportunity to be involved in this summer.
Any advice for incoming OSU students?
My advice to incoming OSU students is: Don’t be afraid to explore your options when it comes to your major. I came to Corvallis knowing only that I wanted to be an engineer, but had no idea what kind. Use the resources the university provides and discover what you’re passionate about. Once you find the right fit, learning is no longer a task; it becomes a really enjoyable and engaging experience.