A Partnership to Form the Future of Engineering and Construction

Knife River Prestress Visit
Knife River Prestress hosted SEAS leaders onsite
December 03, 2025
University Advancement

Gonzaga University and Knife River are investing in Spokane’s future together and invite you to join the effort. Knife River has provided bold leadership with a $120,000 investment to fund a Material Testing System in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and College of Arts and Sciences’ Bollier Family Center for Integrated Science and Engineering. $115,000 remains to fully activate this next chapter of Gonzaga’s High Bay Lab.

Through a growing, values-aligned partnership, Knife River’s commitment helps fund Gonzaga’s Structural High Bay Laboratory—a cutting-edge testing and research space. While Knife River’s gift moves Gonzaga closer to securing a large-scale Material Testing System (MTS) for the Center for Materials Research, the impact reaches far beyond equipment. 

Assoc. Dean Tim Fitzgerald, Professor of Civil Engineering Sarah Ganzerli, KRPS Project Manager Rob Holland, Interim Dean Jennifer Shepherd and KRPS Engineering Director Dusty Andrews toured the Knife River Prestress facilities. Pictured here: Shepherd, Ganzerli and Holland

President of Knife River Prestress Inc., Peter Gay (M.A. ’03), a graduate of Gonzaga’s Master of Organizational Leadership program, describes the partnership as rooted in a shared commitment to Spokane’s next generation.

“We’re a people-first company and Gonzaga shares that outlook,” said Gay. “This partnership is about investing in students who will build the structures and systems that support our communities.”

 

Knife River Prestress's Championship Cascade Lakes Relay Team featuring Bryce Cerkowniak ('25) and Will Throsett, ('25) both Civil Engineering grads who are now in the MBA program on track to graduate in 2026..

The partnership ensures future engineers understand the complexities, data and decision-making that shape modern construction. Knife River already employs Gonzaga graduates, hosts interns and develops long-term hires from the University. Melissa Verwest, Knife River’s sustainable materials program lead and member of the SEAS Design Advisory Board, supports senior engineering capstones and previously taught as an adjunct professor for 15 years. Rob Holland (’08) of Knife River serves on the SEAS Advisory Council, adding further depth to the partnership.

“Helping educate good engineers helps all of us,” Gay said. “This is an investment in the future.”

Knife River recently opened a world-class precast facility in Liberty Lake. Collaborating with Gonzaga ensures Spokane becomes a hub for advanced construction and materials excellence.

“The High Bay Lab, especially with the completion of the MTS test line made possible through Knife River’s support, is becoming a place where academic inquiry intersects with real industry challenges,” says Interim Dean of Engineering and Applied Science, Jennifer Niven Shepherd, Ph.D. “I am incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunities this partnership presents for Civil Engineering faculty and students and am proud of the work being done to elevate the engineering experience at Gonzaga.”

Help complete this project and empower the Center for Materials Research to advance the future of engineering in Spokane and beyond. Your gift moves the MTS from possibility to reality.

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