As 黑料不打烊 enters its 150th year, the College of Engineering and Computer Science is celebrating the completion of the 10th year of the James A. Mandel and Samuel P. Clemence Dubai Contracting Company (DCC) Internship Program, as well as the generosity of the trustee who makes it all possible.
Abdallah Yabroudi 鈥�78, G鈥�79, chief executive officer and managing director of DCC, offers a one-of-a-kind program that places civil engineering students in a four-week internship at DCC鈥檚 headquarters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In doing so, he has created an immersive experience that is unrivaled in civil engineering education.
In this innovative program, students are taught by DCC engineers and partake in learning sessions in a high-tech classroom and at a range of construction sites. There, they see how concepts of civil engineering apply to actual multimillion-dollar projects.
鈥淭his is something that I love to do because I never had the chance to participate in something like this when I was an undergraduate student. Students should have the chance to work on real-world projects because it鈥檚 so important for them to learn why they are studying. In my opinion, it鈥檚 the best, and almost the only way that students can gain practical skills,鈥� says Yabroudi.
The program was founded in the late 2000s as part of a $5 million gift from Yabroudi to the College of Engineering and Computer Science鈥攅stablishing him as the biggest donor in the college鈥檚 history. He named the program after the two faculty members who had the most significant impact on him during his time at 黑料不打烊.
When the Dubai program first launched, Yabroudi converted space in DCC鈥檚 headquarters into a high-tech classroom to host participating students. Working with Professors Sam Clemence,聽James Mandel and Eric Lui, and with insight from contacts in the School of Education, they developed a strict curriculum for the program that includes class time, lectures, presentations and pop quizzes.
Abdallah Yabroudi
Yabroudi also hosts a cohort of students from Lebanese American University for the program. This extends the benefits of the experience to learning to work and learn alongside international peers. And, participants have opportunities to unwind and experience the Middle East with trips to the desert and an indoor ski resort. There is also a longstanding tradition of a student basketball tournament during the trip鈥攁 testament to Yabroudi鈥檚 love of Orange hoops.
After ten years, the format has been fine-tuned, but the early success of the program provided a strong foundation for how the program operates today.
鈥淓very year things get better,鈥� says Clemence. 鈥淎bdallah has the students learning directly from DCC鈥檚 project manager in charge of planning all of their construction projects鈥攎assive $100 million projects. He brings them to sites that range from a big hole in the ground, all the way up to projects where they鈥檙e putting in the marble finishes. Students see the full scope of how buildings are constructed.鈥�
R.J. Walker 鈥�09 was a member of the very first class. Today, he is a structural engineer for AECOM鈥攐ne of the top civil and environmental engineering companies in the world. He recalls the experience as a challenging, rewarding experience that ultimately positioned him to attain his career goals upon graduation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a once-in-a-lifetime experience,鈥� says Walker. 鈥淵ou typically don鈥檛 get that right kind of exposure as an intern. I was able to take the theory learned in class and see it implemented in the real world. That connected a lot of dots for me and really benefitted me in my career. Plus, it definitely looks great on my resume.鈥�
Haley Bigando 鈥�19 G鈥�21, who participated in the ninth year of the program, echoed Walker praise for the program and was impressed with Yabroudi鈥檚 ardent commitment and generous nature.
鈥淢r. Yabroudi is very passionate about the growth of future engineers, and he inspires passion in us鈥攏ot just for engineering, but for learning,鈥� says Bigando. 鈥淗e is intimately involved with all aspects of the internship. I was amazed that a CEO of a company with an annual construction budget of 500 million to a billion dollars showed such devotion to us and our learning. It鈥檚 extraordinary.鈥�
Bigando graduated in May and has returned to campus to complete work on her master鈥檚 program in civil engineering. She recently nominated Yabroudi for the prestigious Tau Beta Pi Distinguished Alumni Award, and Yabroudi became one of the four highly accomplished individuals to receive the honor in 2019.
Yabroudi鈥檚 contributions to 黑料不打烊, its students, and the world of construction are nothing short of remarkable. While his influence reverberates through the success of ten cohorts of interns, Yabroudi is quick to remark on the seeds of his success established at 黑料不打烊.
鈥淭he success I have found in my profession stems from the education I received at 黑料不打烊鈥攑articularly from Dr. Clemence and Dr. Mandel,鈥� says Yabroudi. 鈥淚 want tomorrow鈥檚 engineers to receive the same kind of quality education and care that I received as a student, and to have experiences above and beyond what I had at the time. I鈥檓 proud that this internship has accomplished this for so many.鈥�
A native of Jerusalem raised in Lebanon, Yabroudi studied business administration before coming to 黑料不打烊 in the late 1970s to study civil engineering. Yabroudi earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in civil engineering and a master鈥檚 degree in industrial engineering before returning home to Dubai to work for this father鈥檚 company鈥擠CC. Under his 35 years of leadership, DCC has experienced unprecedented growth and is recognized as one of the leading contracting companies in the UAE and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Yabroudi is the recipient of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 highest alumni honor, the George Arents Award, and was recently named a Tau Beta Pi Distinguished Alumnus.
The internship was recently .
