It took just one college class — an introductory course in chemical engineering — for Jason Job to realize his destiny.
“I took that first class and I was hooked,” said Job, who would go on to earn his bachelor’s in chemical engineering at the University of Utah in 1997. “When I saw how the chemistry worked and how it could change things, I knew this was it.”
Thanks to his experiences attending the U — which led to his first engineering job and later starting his own industrial engineering and construction firm, Job Industrial Services — Job felt compelled to return the favor to the very university that helped launch his career.
Job (pronounced Jōb, as in the biblical figure) decided to give back to the university’s College of Engineering by donating a leadership gift to the college’s new pedestrian walkway that connects the newly-refurbished Rio Tinto Kennecott Mechanical Engineering Building to the rest of the U campus. The walkway will now officially be called “Job’s Crossing.” In addition to his continuing philanthropy, Job also is an active member of the college’s Engineering National Advisory Council.
“The reason I contributed to it is because of the education I received at the U and the help they [professors] gave me in getting my first job. I am very grateful,” he said. “It’s time to give back to the sources that helped me.”
The 114-foot-long Job’s Crossing is a walkway that spans across North Campus Drive, providing a safer more ADA-accessible crossing route for students and faculty. In addition to the bridge, the area also includes a bus stop with shelter and a new snow-melt system. The walkway, which was completed last fall, improves pedestrian safety while also increasing traffic flow along 100 South and North Campus Drive.
“I can’t image the building without the bridge. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing to look at, but it also provides an essential connection to the campus,” Tim Ameel, chairman of the U’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, said about the necessity for Job’s Crossing. “We have estimated the number of crossings each weekday to be in the thousands. The bridge provides a safe way to cross the highway and also minimizes traffic backups that would impede emergency vehicle transit to the hospital and the general public moving to and from campus.”
Job credits a number of his chemical engineering professors for carving a path to a successful career, especially professor JoAnn Lighty, who helped him get his first engineering job at the former Sandy-based company, CEntry Constructors & Engineers, after he graduated.
“It was a good experience,” Job said about attending the U. “I got to meet some good people. A few of the professors made strong impressions on me and gave me the help I needed so I could have a great career.”