Sept. 16, 2026
Contact: Eric Stann, StannE@missouri.edu
When the crowd cheers on the Tigers this fall at Memorial Stadium, University of Missouri seniors Will Benson and Connor McNaughton will see something different.
A stadium they helped build.
The two civil engineering students from Mizzou’s College of Engineering spent their summer helping finish the Memorial Stadium Centennial Project, one of the most visible construction projects in university history. The renovation included nearly 160,500 square feet of new construction, increased stadium capacity and added luxury seating in the stadium’s North End Zone.
Their experiences reflect what makes Mizzou distinctive: Students put what they learn in the classroom to work solving real-world problems. Through partnerships with industry leaders, engineering students work alongside professionals before they’ve earned their diplomas.
As construction management interns with the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Benson and McNaughton arrived as construction entered its final stages. They were trusted with work that directly supported getting the landmark renovation across the finish line.
Using industry software, the pair tracked outstanding work, monitored progress and coordinated with subcontractors across the site, seeing firsthand how hundreds of moving pieces must align to keep construction on schedule.
For McNaughton, one challenge arose when birds began to occupy the exposed ceiling areas of the stadium. He worked with a specialty contractor to develop a plan to discourage nesting and redirect birds away from those spaces, helping ensure a clean and welcoming environment for fans on game days. After evaluating potential solutions, he presented his recommendations to project leaders.
"It gave me a profound sense of ownership and responsibility to do this on a live construction site,” McNaughton said.
Benson found some of his most valuable lessons during walkthroughs.
Spaces that looked complete at first glance often sparked detailed conversations. Architects focused on design, user experience and aesthetics, while engineers examined functionality, performance and technical requirements. And contractors searched for anything that could create delays or complications down the road.
Those conversations gave Benson a new appreciation for the role construction managers play in bringing a project to life.
“What stood out to me was how many different perspectives go into every decision,” Benson said. “It's about understanding separate priorities, communicating across disciplines and finding a path forward that works for everyone. The project only succeeds when these perspectives come together.”
From the classroom to the job site
The internship also put classroom concepts into practice, from subcontractor coordination and project scheduling to the communication required to keep construction moving.
“No blueprint can tell you how to handle every challenge that comes up,” McNaughton said. “That's where communication matters. The best solutions came from people working together, sharing perspectives and figuring things out in real time.”
Before the internship, Benson viewed construction management primarily through the lens of engineering and design. What he found was a profession built just as much on people as plans.
“What surprised me the most was how much the trade depends on relationships,” Benson said. “Those who communicate well and work as a team are the people who make projects like this successful.”
As graduation approaches, both students said the experience has given them confidence as they prepare to enter a rapidly growing industry.
“Construction management is about turning engineering ideas into reality,” said Praveen Edara, professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “Connor and Will gained firsthand experience on a complex project that will serve Mizzou for decades. That's exactly the kind of learning that prepares future industry leaders.”
