Hands-on exposure to mechanical contracting operations is giving construction educators additional insight into fabrication, workforce development and project delivery. An eight-week industry placement with D.A. Dodd provided Purdue University faculty advisor Ryan Manuel with direct experience that can be carried into construction management coursework and research.
Manuel, an associate professor of practice at Purdue University's Bowen School of Construction, spent the summer working with D.A. Dodd in Indiana through a John R. Gentille Foundation Faculty Continuing Education Grant.
The placement combined work at D.A. Dodd's Lafayette office with visits to active projects at Purdue University's Mitch Daniels School of Business and Purdue Nursing & Pharmacy Education Building. Manuel had previously worked with D.A. Dodd during summer placements in 2020 and 2023, giving him an opportunity to observe changes in the organization's operations over several years.
The 2026 placement included exposure to fabrication processes, field operations and systems used to track work. Manuel followed the fabrication workflow from material receiving through production, shipping and installation, including the use of MSUITE for process tracking.
D.A. Dodd's Lafayette fabrication facility has expanded to support mechanical and plumbing requirements for multiple company branches. The facility's expanded capabilities provided an opportunity to examine how shop operations connect with field installation and project delivery.
The placement also provided insight into career progression within mechanical contracting. Experienced pipefitters have opportunities to move into estimating, BIM/VDC and project management positions, allowing field knowledge to carry into other project functions.
A separate workforce pathway observed during the placement involved an individual who entered the organization after high school, progressed through a summer internship and is preparing to begin Purdue's construction management program.
D.A. Dodd's move into a new Lafayette facility also provided an example of investment in additional office and shop capacity in the local market.
The field experience is expected to inform Manuel's teaching and scholarship at Purdue. Topics including fabrication operations, robotic welding and WebLEM-based labor analysis can be incorporated into coursework addressing construction materials, methods and productivity.
Project documentation encountered during the placement, including coordination agendas, requests for information, architect's supplemental instructions and layout conflicts, can also provide practical material for classroom exercises.
The program additionally gave Manuel exposure to D.A. Dodd's ownership structure under Mno-Bmadsen, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi's non-gaming investment organization. That experience included participation in an Mno-Bmadsen internship event and an orientation covering the tribe's history, values and community.
The placement demonstrates one approach to strengthening connections between construction education and active industry practice. For mechanical contractors, exposing faculty members to fabrication, field coordination and workforce pathways can provide educators with current examples to incorporate into construction management programs.
For students and future construction professionals, bringing those operational experiences into the classroom can provide greater visibility into the range of career paths available within mechanical contracting, from craft positions to technical and project management roles.
Source: MCAA.
