Girls Inc. of Worcester inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. They put their mission into practice through the Girls Inc. experience, which equips girls to navigate gender, economic and social barriers and grow into healthy, educated and independent adults.

Daly is a native of Worcester and also an alumnus of Girls, Inc. As Board President, she will help guide and make decisions about programs that continue to be impactful for girls. “As an Alum I am thrilled to remain involved with Girls Inc. as both a volunteer and a board member, and very humbled to take on the role of Board President” said Daly. “Advocacy is one of the features of Girls Inc. that draws me the most.  From combatting bullying, economic independence, and mental health awareness, the programs that Girls Inc. provides deal with important real-life issues that make an impact on girls, their families, and the community.”

Consigli Project Executive Jody Staruk joins the board at Girls Inc. after two years volunteering for the organization’s Eureka! Program. The Consigli Foundation sponsors the 5-year program that exposes high-school-age members of Girls Inc. to a year-round intensive STEM program that engages and empowers girls as they discover opportunities in STEM fields. As part of the program Staruk has toured girls on her job sites to see the roles that women are playing on construction projects. “I love the organization’s mission helping girls be strong, smart and bold,” said Staruk.  “A lot of the women I work with embody this, and I love being able to help the next generation of women be that and also expose them to STEM-based careers.”

“Girls Inc. of Worcester is honored to elect Pam Daly as the Board President and Jody Staruk as a member of the Board of Directors,” said Girls Inc. CEO Victoria Waterman. “Pam and Jody have successfully demonstrated how to be strong, smart and bold leaders in male dominated positions in a male dominated industry.  Thanks to the support of organizations like Consigli and strong women role models like Pam and Jody, I believe the future is bright for the young women in our community!”

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In line with this evolving trend, Williams College partnered with Consigli and Payette to create a state-of-the-art science facility that integrates teaching and collaborative student-faculty research. The new $66 million science complex features 30 integrated science labs for biology, chemistry and physics as well as a microscopy suite boasting two electron microscopes—a unique feature for a college the size of Williams. The building fosters interaction between students and faculty from different laboratories and departments in beautifully designed spaces which will serve the needs of a variety of academic disciplines for years to come.

The new building fosters interaction between students and faculty from different laboratories and departments in beautifully designed spaces.

Ron Blanchard, Senior Associate at Payette claims that “the new building offers a collaborative environment where learning often occurs beyond the formal laboratory research and teaching spaces” and instead, he suggests, learning “takes place in the breakout lounges, alcoves and informal conference spaces throughout the faculty office bar.”

The detailed project entailed both new construction and renovation of an existing building in the heart of the bustling college campus. Work launched with demolition to clear the space needed for the construction of a four-story addition connected to an occupied science building. Blasting work required concentrated coordination and communication with the many stakeholders involved to conduct these activities safely and with minimal disruption to student and faculty activities on campus.

Construction of the new, 75,000 square foot state-of-the-art science building transpired over a tightly arranged 24-month period. One of the challenges associated with this project, which was built to LEED Gold certification, was accommodating the broad range of end-use capabilities into a single, cohesive and attractive structure. “The building had to accommodate different types of disciplines—chemistry labs, physics labs, and biology labs, each with their own uniqueness,” says Project Executive Sean Ditto. “Accommodating the different types of equipment into the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems,” while ensuring energy efficiency and precision control of humidity, temperature, and light throughout the various zones, “required a lot of complex coordination,” he says.

The project also included a concurrent renovation of the Morley Science Center and the construction of a two-story connecting bridge between the existing building and the new South Science Building. This scope of work was completed on a fast-track summer schedule in order to minimize disruptions to the science curriculum. “Once you start opening walls you often find varying conditions that conflict with what was planned for,” Ditto says. “On a fast-track project like this, you need to react quickly to deal with the situation and work through a cost-effective, timely solution.” Adapting on the fly to these unexpected discoveries is a hallmark of any renovation, and with this project, ensuring the older structure complies with current building codes while also serving the needs of modern science education called for skillful organization and attention to detail.

All these tasks were made more challenging by the project’s location in rural western Massachusetts where the labor talent pool is smaller than in metro Boston and other larger cities. Nevertheless, through careful planning, the right people were recruited into the project, and the exacting needs of each scientific discipline were met by the originally planned completion date. “We had a really good team that complemented each other. They all did great job of working extremely hard and collectively putting in the hours needed to get it done,” Ditto says. “It was a successful project the owner is very happy about.”

Indeed, “the project was not without its challenges given limited trade labor availability, complexity of the systems, late owner requested changes associated with faculty hires, and utilization of both existing and new equipment in the facility”, says Williams College Senior Project Manager Michael Wood. However, “Consigli committed to finding solutions throughout the process, identifying the issues and working toward their resolution in a collaborative manner to achieve outcomes that were acceptable to all stakeholders. The success of the project is reflective of the team’s dedication to solving problems collectively to achieve the best possible result.”

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The STEM Center was a 13-month long project to fulfill Eagle Hill School’s mission to evolve its teaching philosophy and move to a space that would encourage flexibility and collaboration. The Center’s construction required the gut renovation of the existing Greenwich Hall, which required the removal of 20,000 cubic yards of material, and the creation of a new three-story, steel-framed building with an 80-foot, single story connector between the two structures.

Eagle Hill School’s STEM will encompass Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, as well as dedicated space for innovation and entrepreneurialism. In recognition of the way our kids learn and, more importantly, thrive, this space will create an imaginative, collaborative, and cutting-edge space for them to expand their academic experience while developing professional and technical acumen.

Students will encounter independent learning opportunities, projects encompassing multiple subject areas, and hands-on work at a new level of engagement and discovery.

Additionally, the project will include a revitalization of existing academic buildings, moving away from basic and restrictive classroom layout to a format more in concert with the School’s teaching philosophy. Openness, flexible spaces and enhanced social areas will define the academic experience and class day.

“This project is an example of how schools can adapt to the educational needs of today’s students by transforming their physical spaces to support innovation and creativity,” said Jody Staruk, project executive at Consigli Construction. “We hope the students and faculty at Eagle Hill School continue to find different ways to make use of this new space for years to come.”

“We appreciate the Consigli Construction project team for their commitment in helping us achieve modernized models of teaching by augmenting our existing spaces to encourage our students to cultivate their professional and technical skills,” said Eagle Hill School’s Head of School PJ McDonald. “Our teachers are eager to see our students make use of the new center and develop their STEM knowledge and skills.”

“In working with Architectural Resources Cambridge (ARC) and A.T. Leonard & Associates (ATL) on the design of the new STEM center, Eagle Hill talked a lot about “learning diversity,” the school’s approach to learning that privileges individuation, emergence, and adhocracy. One of the first principles ARC introduced was transparency between the classrooms, offices, maker spaces, labs and common areas. The new STEM center is not only beautifully designed but captures that vision of the adjacent possible, encouraging interesting converse with the idea next door and down the hall,” stated Michael Riendeau, Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs.

“Designing this project for the students of Eagle Hill School involved ongoing engagement with the school’s faculty and staff to redefine the academic experience,” said Jan Taylor, associate principal with ARC. “The new PJM STEM Center encompasses Eagle Hill’s learning philosophy and provides the flexibility and openness to encourage innovation and project-based learning.”

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The building will also include training facilities, biotech wet lab space, clean rooms, office and event space for small to medium-sized life sciences companies to support economic growth, jobs and private investment in the region.

“Our administration is focused on ensuring the benefits of Massachusetts’ thriving life sciences sector are experienced throughout the entire Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Investing in the Berkshire Innovation Center will help expand the capacity and capabilities of this region’s entrepreneurial community to drive job creation, retention and outside investment in Western Massachusetts.”

The Berkshire Innovation Center is a collaborative, non-profit organization, that serves as a catalyst to innovation in the Berkshires. The mission of the BIC is to support small and mid-sized advanced manufacturing companies in life sciences, the life sciences supply chain, and advanced manufacturing, with the ultimate objective of spurring economic growth, jobs, and investment in the region. The BIC is made possible thru grants from The Massachusetts Life Science Center, The City of Pittsfield, Mass Development and Pittsfield Economic Development Authority (PEDA). The Innovation Center will act as a focal point for collaboration and networking, provide leadership and mentoring through the center’s alignment of private sector companies, research institutes and educational partners to accelerate technologies, innovation and the development of new businesses and a highly valued and skilled regional workforce.

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The facility will be a hub for STEM research, public policy development and entrepreneurship. Consigli will serve as the general contractor on the project. The complex will be the future home of University at Albany’s first-in-the-nation College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity.

“This project embodies the core priorities of our unfolding strategic plan that will ensure University at Albany’s position as a world-class research institution for years to come,” said University President, Havidan Rodriguez.

The new facility will include classroom and office space; research labs; specialty instrumentation facilities; an emergency preparedness situation room, weather research and instruction map rooms and observation facilities; business and technology transfer services offices; and conference facilities. A pedestrian path from University at Albany’s existing perimeter road as well as shuttle bus service from Uptown Campus buildings to the new building will connect ETEC to the main academic podium.

“As a company, we are aware of the vital role that New York’s colleges and universities have on the economy, in addition to furthering the advancement of emerging technologies and entrepreneurial leadership,” said Greg Burns, president of New York Operations for Consigli. “This building will aid University at Albany in this realm, as well as bolster its strategic vision as a world-class institution.”

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Cynthia Croxford explains that volunteerism is an incredibly important part of the industry, we hear from Pannha Chung about the most rewarding part of her job, and Stacey Harris talks about how we can encourage young women who have a love for math and science to consider a career in our industry.

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Girls Inc. of Worcester inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. The Girls Inc. experience, equips girls to navigate gender, economic and social barriers and grow into healthy, educated and independent adults.

The Consigli Foundation’s donation will support the five-year Eureka! program open to girls in 8th grade and continuing through High School. Eureka! fosters educational, professional and personal development with complementary activities in sports and physical fitness, healthy living, and financial literacy. Through this program girls will discover the cutting-edge world of STEM through hands-on experiences in a college campus environment.

“Girls Inc. of Worcester is honored to have been chosen by the Consigli Foundation for this meaningful and impactful donation,” said Victoria Waterman, CEO of Girls Inc. of Worcester. “We are looking forward to a long-term collaborative partnership where our girls will be able to experience new STEM opportunities and meet role models in the construction field.”

Girls Inc. of Worcester began changing the lives of girls and young women 100 years ago in 1916.  The non-profit reaches more than 1,300 area girls each year.

“We are excited to partner with an organization that empowers young girls to break barriers by helping them build the confidence and skills they need to achieve their goals,” said Amy Bowen, Director of the Consigli Foundation. “The Eureka! program opens the door to many new opportunities for these talented and smart young women that otherwise might not be available.”

Established in 2001, Consigli Foundation’s mission is to directly impact the health, education and well-being of disadvantaged children in our communities.

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