Arizona’s future skyline, roads, bridges, and big-deal infrastructure projects may have a new talent pipeline, and Northern Arizona University is putting serious muscle behind it.
With support from Beavers Charitable Trust and construction power players Granite Construction, Haydon, Kiewit Corporation, McCarthy Building Companies, and Sundt Construction, NAU has established the Beavers Endowed Distinguished Professorship of Infrastructure in its construction management program. The $1 million investment is housed in NAU’s Steve Sanghi College of Engineering and is designed to strengthen faculty support, programming, and curriculum around infrastructure construction.
In other words, this is not your average campus announcement. This is industry and academia linking arms and saying Arizona needs builders who know the real world before they step onto the job site.
The new role is the first endowed professorship in the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering. It also supports NAU’s broader Elevate campaign goal of doubling the number of endowed positions across the university. Earnings from the endowment are eligible for matching through the Arizona Board of Regents Eminent Scholar Program, adding another layer of long-game impact.
Associate Professor of Practice Kai Kaoni is the first faculty member appointed to the new role.
The spark started eight years ago at a faculty retreat, when NAU’s construction management program began looking for ways to give students deeper exposure to civil construction.
“That commitment resulted in a new curriculum where students learned about the infrastructure challenges we face as a nation and how these projects are delivered from concept to competition,” Kaoni says. “Our success, especially with the [Associated Schools of Construction (ASC)] Reno Heavy Civil team, garnered national recognition, which attracted the Beavers’ partnership. Acting as a force multiplier to the endowment, we have formed a new infrastructure consortium where industry partners will help develop a curriculum rooted in industry practice, preparing students for successful internships and careers.”
That industry-rooted piece is the magic here. Construction companies are not just cheering from the sidelines. They are helping shape the curriculum, making sure students are learning the kind of heavy civil construction skills that actually translate once the hard hats come on.
The demand is not slowing down either. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for construction managers is projected to grow 9% from 2024 to 2034. Translation: the industry needs leaders who can do more than talk shop. It needs people who can move major projects from concept to completion.
“Finding individuals with the heavy construction industry experience, the passion, and the skill set to teach is not easy… which is why we felt this was a great opportunity,” The Beavers & Beavers Charitable Trust Executive Director Dave Woods says. “I have known Kai for many years and seen his enthusiasm for heavy construction and his success with his heavy civil teams at the ASC Estimating Competition. The support for him by heavy construction firms in Arizona—both Beavers members and non-members—made this an easy decision to invest.”
The Beavers Charitable Trust has supported 49 schools across the country, including NAU, and funded 25 teaching positions. Its goal is to encourage students to pursue careers in heavy construction, with the right professor making an impact across entire classes.
Sundt Construction President-Building Group Chad Buck, an NAU alum, sees the professorship as a practical bridge between classrooms and construction sites.
“One of the things that makes the construction industry unique is that we are all working toward a common goal of building stronger communities and developing the next generation of industry leaders,” Buck says. “This professorship represents an opportunity for industry and academia to work together in a meaningful way to better prepare engineering and construction management students for careers in the demanding, high-growth infrastructure sector. By partnering with NAU, The Beavers Charitable Trust and other peer construction companies, we can help ensure students gain both the technical education and practical industry perspective needed to succeed in this field from day one.”
The Beavers Charitable Trust led the initiative with an initial $500,000 investment. Contributions from the five partner companies brought the endowment to $1 million, creating more stability for the program and more opportunities for students.
For Kaoni, the funding matters. But the access to industry brainpower may be just as powerful.
“Beyond the financial resources the consortium and endowment will support, I am most excited about the curriculum input that these great builders will provide. Their industry expertise is essential in building our heavy civil minor program,” Kaoni says.
NAU Steve Sanghi College of Engineering Distinguished Dean Charles Chadwell calls the support transformative.
“Support like this is transformative,” Chadwell says. “It represents corporate and philanthropic commitment through partnership in higher education. It is a reaffirmation of the quality of our students and faculty at the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering. By establishing this new position, our partners are creating pathways for our students to have meaningful careers that meet the growing workforce demands shaping Arizona and beyond.”
For Arizona, the takeaway is clear: the next generation of infrastructure leaders may be getting its blueprint in Flagstaff.
Insider Takeaways
- NAU has launched the Beavers Endowed Distinguished Professorship of Infrastructure with a $1 million investment. The professorship is the first endowed professorship in NAU’s Steve Sanghi College of Engineering.
- Associate Professor of Practice Kai Kaoni is the first faculty member appointed to the role.
- The endowment supports NAU’s Elevate campaign goal of doubling the number of endowed positions.
- Earnings from the endowment are eligible for matching through the Arizona Board of Regents Eminent Scholar Program.
To learn more, visit in.nau.edu/construction-management.
