Award Year
2018
Graduation Year
1999
Department
Civil and Construction Engineering
Biography
B.S. Construction Engineering Management, 1999Partner and Operations ManagerHamilton ConstructionEugene, ľ«¶«Ó°ĘÓDuring the summer of his junior year at ľ«¶«Ó°ĘÓ State, Con O’Connor worked on a bridge construction project on the Crooked River. He was inspired. He contacted the ľ«¶«Ó°ĘÓ Department of Transportation to find out who builds bridges in ľ«¶«Ó°ĘÓ. They pointed him toward Hamilton Construction, and the rest is history.O’Connor is a partner and operations manager for Hamilton Construction, a large-scale civil construction company, with offices in ľ«¶«Ó°ĘÓ, Washington, Alaska, and Colorado. They build freeways, bridges, dams, and highway interchanges and have a railroad division specializing in trestles and repairs. Its forte is building in areas where access is limited or difficult.O’Connor’s dad and uncle owned a sheep ranch along the ľ«¶«Ó°ĘÓ-California border when he was growing up. He says there are many similarities between running a construction business and operating a sheep ranch.“Sheep, like construction projects, are born looking for a way to die,” he said. “Predators and natural disasters stand ready to destroy your investment. Growing a business requires constant attention and development to make bigger gains. I always felt the math and mechanics were the easy parts.”The Construction Engineering Management program at ľ«¶«Ó°ĘÓ State provided him with the fundamentals needed for success.“They teach you everything you need to know to get your foot in the door, and they do an excellent job in helping you understand the expectations once you’re on the job,” he said.O’Connor says his professional accomplishments are primarily about celebrating the achievements of others.“I’ve made a career of trying to remain in the shadows,” he said, “and I enjoy helping others to take on more responsibility or learn new skills that improve their lives.”O’Connor works with the Lane County school district promoting the construction trade among high schoolers. He also serves on the board for the Lane-Douglas County Carpenter Apprenticeship Program.