NPCA Conducts Outreach on West Coast

Director of Outreach & Technical Education Claude Goguen, P.E., LEED AP, conducted a series of outreach-related meetings and education along the Northwest coast during the week of January 23-26.

The first leg of the trip was dedicated to training and networking with various academia in Oregon. On January 23, Goguen visited the University of Portland alongside Columbia Precast Products Sales Manager Chad Finley. During the visit, Goguen offered a presentation to approximately 30 civil engineering students in the UP ASCE Student Chapter. The presentation focused on promoting precast concrete as a construction material as well as a potential career choice.

The following day, Goguen traveled to Corvallis, Ore., where he offered a guest lecture and met with faculty at Oregon State University. Accompanied by Columbia Precast General Manager and Outreach Taskforce Chairman Ron Sparks, Goguen guest lectured during Professor Yelda Turkan’s Engineering Planning & Scheduling course. The lecture centered on precast concrete structures with a focus on scheduling, sequencing and other logistics in the building industry. There were approximately 70 civil engineering students in attendance.

Goguen and Sparks met with OSU professor Jason Weiss and the OSU Civil & Construction Engineering AGC Industry Liaison Lauren Farmen later that afternoon. The group discussed the importance of getting local precast manufacturers involved in the Civil Engineering program at OSU. Other discussion points during the meeting included future opportunities for NPCA to participate in AGC and ASCE student chapter meetings.

Goguen also connected with Civil Engineering professor Jason Ideker and Construction Engineering Management professor John Gambatese to discuss future guest lecture opportunities in their courses.

In the final leg of the outreach swing, Goguen traveled to the 23^rd Annual Washington On-Site Sewage Association Conference and Trade Show in Tacoma, Wash. The conference was well attended by more than 550 onsite professionals and industry representatives. In addition to exhibiting, Goguen offered three education sessions, with a total of 300 specifiers trained.