[Written by the University of Idaho]
For 130 years, the College of Engineering has partnered with structural engineering industry leaders to educate the next generation of civil engineers ready to make the world a safer place, solve challenges with long-lasting impact and bring thoughtful design into being.
Boise-based structural engineering firm Tamarack Grove Engineering has been a key partner of ours for years, bringing these values and skillsets into our program coursework, labs and hands-on learning experiences in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Thanks to a generous $300,000 gift from civil engineering graduate Brian J. Sielaff ’96, ’00 and his wife Bonnie J. - who also graduated from U of I in exercise and sports science in ’96- updates and improvements will begin on our Moscow campus to create the Tamarack Grove Engineering Structures Lab.
Photos from the announcement to the team at TGE in collaboration with University of Idaho representatives.
Brian and Bonnie started Tamarack Grove in 2003 out of an opportunity to serve a need within the industry, and a desire to lead with purpose and just do things differently. Their firm is passionate about building people, projects, and places. Their work takes them all over the US and Canada, solving challenges through structural engineering and design. Their gift will revitalize an existing space in the Buchanan Engineering Laboratory (BEL), home of our Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and modernize the equipment and learning space to ensure students have high-quality environments to encourage structural engineering pursuits. Access to state-of-the-art infrastructure on campus elevates our research potential and expands our college’s ability to compete for large external and federal funding packages. New hands-on experiences available to students will attract and retain quality undergraduate and graduate students.
“At Tamarack Grove, we take a very unique relationship-driven journey and process with our clients. U of I Department of Civil Engineering students graduate with the skillsets, confidence level and communication mindset needed to bring that expertise to our team and client base. Bonnie and I are proud to invest in future U of I engineering generations and graduates who will become a vital part of our community and industry.” - Brian J. Sielaff, P.E., P.Eng Tamarack Grove Engineering CEO/Managing Member The lab upgrade is part of a larger $7 million initiative to build the U of I Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as the premier destination in the Pacific Northwest. Growing and strengthening infrastructure and access, and cultivating high-level research, allows our college to further distinguish itself from its peers through more than a century of expertise in civil and environmental engineering, world-class research and nationally and internationally recognized faculty working toward innovative solutions in structural engineering.