Alexis Torres

Alexis Torres came to Arizona State University because he had a strong interest in working with some of the top authorities in the engineering and construction industries. Torres believed that having access to these influential mentors would ultimately be essential for his development as an emerging engineering and construction professional. And as someone who has been around this sector his entire life, majoring in construction management and technology was a natural choice.

“I selected my major because of my interest in being involved in the built environment,” says Torres. “I grew up working in the concrete sector of the construction industry with my father, which inevitably sparked my interest to make a difference in the built environment.”

During his undergraduate years, Torres had the opportunity to intern and get valuable hands-on experience in his field. As a member of the award-winning CHASSE Building Team, which handles construction projects throughout Arizona, Torres was given the chance to run his first construction project last summer. He served in a leadership role as an acting superintendent, overseeing every step of the construction process from planning to completion across a span of two months. His experiences as an intern enabled him to understand what he needed to do to develop as a young engineering professional.

“I was given the opportunity to work on a seven-story, mixed-use structure that includes 348 multifamily units, 480 parking spaces and two retail spaces,” says Torres. “Halfway through this internship, I was able to run my own site improvements project, which consisted of tying in a handful of underground utilities and adding site furnishings to an existing structure. These two projects were very important to me because they allowed me to gain confidence in myself when it came to making crucial decisions on site.”

Torres’ long-term career aspiration is to one day be a director of field operations. He also aspires to mentor new engineering and construction professionals to provide them with knowledge of skills such as building methods, integrity and ethics, scheduling, safety and planning. For Torres, his new degree is a way he can make a substantial impact for others.

“My degree enables me to bring in new energy, new construction management techniques and technology, as well as new building processes that ultimately keep the industry advancing,” he says. “This allows me to support the community in many ways by essentially building critical infrastructure that society depends on.”

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ spring 2021 class here.