Mark Mattson

While he may be new to the faculty at SUNY Poly, Civil Engineering Technology Lecturer Mark Mattson is certainly no stranger to the Mohawk Valley, growing up locally and graduating from Clinton High School before going on to earn his bachelor of science degree from Cornell University in 2002.

“I was involved with the steel bridge team and active with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.  As a co-op experience during college, I served with Engineering Ministries International (EMI).  During my first internship with EMI, I spent the fall semester of my junior year in Colorado and traveled to Brazil for 10 days to help design a boys’ home for street kids.  The following summer I spent in Guatemala working on the design for a children’s school, an orphanage and similar projects.  I earned my master of science degree in 2009 by completing online courses through SUNY Buffalo while working full-time. Doing coursework online gave me an appreciation for distance learning.”

Today, he takes the practical experience he gained working as a consulting engineer over the past decade and applies those concepts in the classroom. But his interest in engineering goes much farther back, rooted in his very childhood.

“Ever since I was a boy, I enjoyed figuring out how things work,” he says. “I enjoyed math and science and saw engineering as a good fit.”

And while Mattson already had teaching experience as an adjunct and during his time in college, it was while working in consulting that he really discovered how much he enjoyed mentoring younger engineers.

“I had previously taught or assisted with various courses on the college level and it was always rewarding to provide the opportunity for students to learn.”

Mattson says that he hopes students who take his class walk away with a practical knowledge to help them provide a positive impact on their environments.

“I would love to help establish SUNY Poly as a premier institute for obtaining an education in civil engineering and engineering technology and provide the students opportunities to learn, serve and develop as engineers and technicians.”

As a licensed professional engineer in New York State, Mattson has a background in civil engineering, including structural design, stormwater management, construction administration, and computer aided design.

“Civil engineering impacts our everyday life.  Civil engineers design infrastructure such as roads, bridges, dams, and buildings.  The integrity of this infrastructure is critical for the benefit of the general public.  The skills students develop in the civil engineering and engineering technology coursework will be used to achieve these benefits.”

When he’s not at the front of the classroom helping students uncover what makes things work, Mattson is often found in the great outdoors and spending time with his church and family.

“My wife and I have hiked all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks and have just begun hiking them again with our four children.”