Mahmoud Taha, chair of the Department of Civil Engineering, stands with Kirk McWethy, left, of SDV Construction and Leslie Currie, right, director of development for the School of Engineering. Courtesy photo

BUSINESS News:

SDV Construction, a New Mexico construction firm, has donated $25,000 to The University of New Mexico School of Engineering for the creation of a new scholarship.

The gift will create the SDV Construction Scholarship for Veterans, which will be awarded to full-time students pursuing a degree in construction management who have been honorably discharged from any branch of service. Students also must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, be in good academic standing and be a junior in the Department of Civil Engineering’s construction management program.

“New Mexico’s construction industry has seen a talent drain to surrounding states since 2008 and SDV is committed to help veterans fill this void,” said SDV Construction president and owner Kirk McWethy.

He has a strong interest in producing quality construction engineering graduates in the region. “SDV feels veterans are agile, highly-motivated leaders who fit well into the construction field and we want to help them complete their degrees and become a member of this lucrative, exciting industry.”

McWethy earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UNM and has over 35 years of design and construction experience. He retired from the U.S. Air Force and managed many projects at Air Force bases across the country, in addition to overseeing large construction and maintenance projects at Intel Corp, the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and the University of Texas at Austin. He also holds a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.