CarbonCure Technologies is proud to announce the recipients of its CarbonCure Sustainability in Concrete Scholarship in collaboration with the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) Program.
The scholarship recipients are:
- Alejandro Gonzalez-Ortiz of CSU Chico State,
- Joseph Grout of Texas State University,
- Robert Mazzilli of New Jersey Institute of Technology,
- Emma Roth of South Dakota State University, and
- Aaram Soto of Middle Tennessee State University.
These talented students have demonstrated an interest in promoting sustainability within the concrete industry and will each receive a scholarship of $2,000 to support their education and professional development.
The demand for low carbon construction materials is increasing, providing an opportunity for concrete producers to adopt techniques and technologies, such as CarbonCure, that reduce carbon emissions and grow their businesses. However, implementing change can be challenging, especially in a legacy industry like concrete.
Educational initiatives like the CIM Program provide future leaders in the concrete sector with the skills and strategies they need to drive innovation and guide a productive, positive transition to green building materials. As part of their application process, each scholarship recipient submitted a 1,000-word essay sharing their perspective on concrete’s role in mitigating climate change and how they, personally, intend to contribute to building a more sustainable future through their careers in concrete.
“The concrete industry has the opportunity to not just pursue net-zero emissions but may in fact have the opportunity to go beyond that and become climate positive and contribute to removing excess CO2,” wrote Texas State University undergrad Joseph Grout, who detailed his work as a research assistant at TXST. “We will be looking at ways to reduce the carbon produced when creating concrete. We will also be looking at how concrete can be used to absorb excess CO2, but additionally, we are looking at how we can increase concrete's strength and by doing so increasing its longevity.”
“The goal of many companies within the industry is to achieve a zero net carbon footprint by the year 2050, but as of now small steps must be taken to advance forward,” wrote CSU Chico State’s Alejandro Gonzalez-Ortiz, whose ultimate goal is to work in production management at a ready mix or precast concrete facility. “Climate mitigation will only effectively occur with the implementation of byproducts in the concrete production process, whether it be the greenhouse gases themselves or any physical byproducts.”
Robert Mazzilli at New Jersey Institute of Technology wants to use his degree to create a cleaner, more durable and more efficient product in the concrete field to help save money and the environment. Mazzilli wrote, “My plan is to innovate a technology to streamline building homes, roads and other structures to make the concrete industry safer and more productive while limiting carbon emissions.”
“My career goal is to be a project engineer with an emphasis on road construction or concrete buildings,” wrote South Dakota State University undergrad Emma Roth. “I plan to apply my personal experience and education in my future career by going straight to the source and starting with the design of concrete. If I become a specifier, my concrete background will enable me to understand which materials will yield the most durable and sustainable product for my projects.”
At Middle Tennessee State University, Aaram Soto aspires to rise to a management position in a ready mix concrete company and one day start his own business in the concrete industry. In his essay, he described his experience interning with Cemex. “My time there showed me many different methods of increasing sustainability throughout a ready-mix company, such as increasing use of alternative fuels, reducing clinker factor, optimizing thermal efficiency in kilns and increasing the use of decarbonizing materials,” Soto wrote.
Many of CarbonCure's employees are CIM Program graduates and have benefited from a concrete-focused business management education. Producers also rely on the program to recruit talented individuals who can lead their companies toward sustainability.
“CarbonCure is committed to supporting the development of future industry leaders as they work to adapt products, supply chains and business models to reduce emissions in cement and concrete manufacturing,” said CarbonCure Chair and CEO Rob Niven. “The CIM Program's focus on innovation and low carbon solutions demonstrates to students that sustainability is beneficial to business, their communities and their careers.”
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