Donation funds STEM competition for more than 500 local students
RICHLAND, Washington, April 17, 2015—Bechtel National, Inc. provided a $15,000 gift to the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement program of Yakima Valley/Tri-Cities to help more than 500 under-represented middle and high school students in eastern Washington gain engineering experience at the MESA Day competition at Washington State University Tri-Cities on April 18.
The donation allowed students from 10 schools in the Pasco, Granger, and Sunnyside school districts to compete in six challenges, highlighted by a national competition to develop and operate prosthetic arms. Students also can choose to build and fly a balsa wood glider; develop an app; participate in an egg drop; deliver an oral presentation on a science, technology, engineering, or math topic; or construct a model of a bisected human eye or brain.
“Over the years, Bechtel has been very supportive of MESA Day, our capstone STEM competition event,” said Luis Alcazar, YVTC MESA director. “As a co-sponsor of this year’s MESA Day, they have allowed us to welcome over 500 MESA students to compete in six challenges and participate in six STEM activities, as well as to interact with STEM professionals, university staff and faculty, college students, and more importantly, their peers. This experience will motivate many of our students to pursue a college degree in a STEM profession and would not be possible without Bechtel’s support.”
The MESA program provides enriching educational opportunities that help build a pathway to college and careers in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields for students who are under-represented in those fields: African-American, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, and female.
A global leader in the engineering and construction industry, Bechtel has a corporate commitment to programs, such as MESA, that inspire students to pursue careers in STEM fields. Former Bechtel President Stephen Bechtel Jr. helped mobilize corporate support for the national MESA program in 1978.
“Bechtel’s gift continues our long history of support for the MESA program and is an investment in the next generation of STEM students,” said Peggy McCullough, project director for Bechtel’s Waste Treatment Plant Project.
About Bechtel:
Bechtel is among the most respected engineering, project management, and construction companies in the world. We stand apart for our ability to get the job done right—no matter how big, how complex, or how remote. Bechtel operates through four global business units that specialize in infrastructure; mining and metals; nuclear, security and environmental; and oil, gas, and chemicals. Since its founding in 1898, Bechtel has worked on more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents. Today, our 53,000 colleagues team with customers, partners, and suppliers on diverse projects in nearly 40 countries. www.bechtel.com
At Hanford, Bechtel is designing and building the world’s largest radioactive waste treatment plant for the U.S. Department of Energy at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state. The Waste Treatment Plant, also known as the Vit Plant, will immobilize the radioactive liquid waste stored in 177 underground tanks using a process called vitrification. For more information about the Vit Plant, visit www.hanfordvitplant.com.