This year’s Mechanical Service Contractors of America (MCAA) Student Chapter Competition project was demanding, allowing students to showcase their knowledge of mechanical contracting in a written proposal for a real-world construction bid.

MCAA congratulates the four finalists: Ball State University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The finalists were selected from among 33 submissions. Their insight into the project and the overall quality of their proposals impressed the judges, all members of MCAA’s Career Development Committee.

MCAA would like to thank Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corp. of Fresh Meadows, New York, for providing this year’s project details. The project tasked students with developing a proposal to be the prime contractor on a chiller and cooling tower replacement project in the Penn South building in New York City. The project included the completion of all plumbing, piping and HVAC, electrical, controls and any other work required to complete the project as described in the bid documents.

Meet the Final Four Teams

Ball State University

Ball State received their charter at the 2016 MCAA Convention. They received a Chapter of Excellence Grant in 2019, recognizing their extraordinary performance and accomplishments in maintaining interest in the mechanical contracting industry. Sherif Attallah, associate professor of construction management, is the chapter’s faculty advisor.

This was Ball State’s first year placing in the final four of the competition.

The competition team consisted of all construction management majors:

• Nick Brandon, Class of 2021
• Gareth Brouwer, Class of 2021
• Ross Debonis, Class of 2021
• Michale Delong, Class of 2020
• Austin Fest, Class of 2021
• Cory Huffman, Class of 2021
• Cassie Dorony, Class of 2020

Milwaukee School of Engineering

MSOE won last year’s Student Chapter Competition at MCAA19. The chapter previously won in 2011 and 2013.

They placed in the Final Four of the Competition in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2017. MSOE was a recipient of a 2019 Chapter of Excellence Grant. Blake Wentz, department chair of civil and architectural engineering and construction management, is the chapter’s faculty advisor.

MSOE’s Competition Team:

• Nathan Bevers, Class of 2020, architectural engineering
• Luke Grohmann, Class of 2021, construction management
• Lucas Haas, Class of 2020, construction management
• Brooke Scott, Class of 2020, architectural engineering and construction management
• Logan Stone, Class of 2021, architectural engineering
• John Cunningham, Class of 2022, architectural engineering

Logan Stone is the 2020 recipient of the William A. Bianco Jr. Memorial Scholarship. Brooke Scott received the Alan P. O’Shea Memorial Scholarship in 2019.

University of Maryland, College Park

This is Maryland’s first time back in the final four since 2014. After working on rebuilding the chapter that time, they won an Emerging Chapter Grant in 2019. Fitzgerald Walker, academic advisor for the mechanical engineering department, is in his first year as the chapter’s faculty advisor.

Maryland’s competition team consists of all mechanical engineering majors:

• Hailey Brennan, Class of 2022
• Talha Dasti, Class of 2020
• Samuel Gigioli, Class of 2021
• Zachary Hood, Class of 2020
• Ahmed Seck, Class of 2021 

Hailey Brennan is the 2020 Recipient of the Josam Endowed Scholarship.

University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou)

Mizzou won the the Student Chapter Competition at MCAA17, and competed in the final four last year at MCAA19. The chapter’s current advisor is Lawrence Shilke, manager engineer of the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The competition team consists of all mechanical engineering majors:

• Mohammed Al-Ramis, Class of 2021
• Ellie Henshaw, Class of 2020
• Austin Mathews, Class of 2020
• Adam Moore, Class of 2020
• Kylie Nedelka, Class of 2020
• Evan Taylor, Class of 2021
• Derrick Jenkins, Class of 2021

Kylie Nedelka recently accepted a second summer internship with SIEMENS. 

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation (JRGF) congratulates all of the finalists and recognizes their commitment and dedication to this year’s project. A signification amount of time and effort has been put into the competition, and MCAA and JRGF would like to thank all the student chapters for their commitment to the MCAA GreatFutures program

Contact Harlee Mooney at hmooney@mcaa.org for any questions regarding student activities or the internship grants funded by JRGF.