ASU celebrates Paul C. Helmick Center renaming
Transformational gift advances vibrant hub for future success
Mary Jo Helmick, second from left, cuts the ribbon in front of the doors of the newly renamed Paul C. Helmick Center with assistance from Ram Pendyala, director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, far left, Kyle Squires, dean of the Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, center, Nancy Gonzales, executive vice president and university provost, second from right, and Arlene Chin, Tempe city councilmember, far right. Photographer: Erika Gronek/ASU
When Mary Jo Helmick cut the ribbon at the front doors of the Paul C. Helmick Center at Arizona State University, more than 100 education leaders, faculty, staff, family and friends cheered.
“This has been a special day for me,” she said. “Thank you for coming from far and near.”
Mary Jo smiled, laughed, shook hands and hugged guests outside the building that was recently renamed in honor of her late husband, a business leader in the Phoenix construction industry. The mixed-use space is home to the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment and the Del E. Webb School of Construction, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU.
Aptly named for the prominent figure known for sharing his extensive knowledge and experience with others, the Paul C. Helmick Center is a living laboratory designed to be a hub for experiential learning and collaboration and to teach students through its unique design. Systems normally unseen in traditional construction, such as plumbing, HVAC and electrical wiring, were purposely left exposed in places to help students learn about them in action. The building includes specialized classrooms designed for learning in small groups and areas where students can work separately or together between classes.
“This building represents an embodiment of the built environment, our commitment to majors in construction engineering, construction management, civil engineering, environmental engineering and sustainable engineering,” said Kyle Squires, dean of the Fulton Schools. “It’s a focal point for activities, for the ideas of the faculty, and importantly — you all are part of this — for making connections.”
Then Squires turned to Mary Jo and said, “We want to thank you so much.”
The Helmicks believed that the best way to alleviate most problems is to invest in knowledge and access to excellent education. The family’s transformational gift to the ASU Foundation for a New American University establishes an endowment that will help to realize these goals and more.
“The generosity of the Helmick family reflects their profound trust in our vision to create smart, resilient communities and enduring built environments that will thrive for generations to come,” said Ram Pendyala, director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. “The Helmick family’s support empowers our students, faculty, staff and partners to push forward, innovate and make an enduring impact on the world.”
Tempe Councilmember Arlene Chin read a proclamation at the event declaring Nov. 13, 2024, as Mary Jo and Paul C. Helmick Day in Tempe in recognition of the Helmicks’ contributions to education and the built environment.
“The naming of the Paul C. Helmick Center and the Mary Jo and Paul C. Helmick Atrium stands as a lasting tribute to Paul and Mary Jo’s legacy of integrity, hard work and commitment to community enrichment,” Chin said.
Mary Jo’s generous gift, made in Paul’s memory, is a “testament to their shared passion for improving themselves and their communities through the values of hard work, dedication and service,” said Liam Quintal, development officer for engagement and outreach at the ASU Foundation.
Mary Jo Helmick, center, in front of the doors of the newly renamed Paul C. Helmick Center with Kyle Squires, dean of the Fulton Schools at ASU, left, and Nancy Gonzales, executive vice president and university provost, right. Photographer: Erika Gronek/ASU
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The Helmicks’ connection to ASU
For more than 60 years, Paul, who passed away in 2015, was a leader in the mining and equipment industries and owner of the Paul C. Helmick Corporation.
“He was a business leader, mentor and community resource. He was a self-made man, an entrepreneur and an innovator,” said Nancy Gonzales, executive vice president and university provost of ASU. “It’s very appropriate that this building reflects so many of those values. It’s a place that will be a nexus for people coming together around creativity, innovative ideas and deep community engagement.”
Mary Jo was a certified radiology technician in Everett, Washington, when Paul had the opportunity to purchase land near Phoenix and founded his company that rented heavy equipment to construction companies.
In the 1950s, the business grew along with the burgeoning Phoenix metropolis, furnishing a variety of road-building materials and machinery for the freeway system during its construction.
Soon after establishing their home in Phoenix, Mary Jo enrolled at ASU. She graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College in 1962 and 1966, respectively. She then enjoyed a successful career as a teacher in Scottsdale.
“Mary Jo learned at ASU the power of education and dedicated her career to helping young people as a teacher,” Quintal said. “Mary Jo has a deep interest in providing educational opportunities for aspiring young people, and she always encouraged her students to enroll in college.”
Early in his career, Paul formed a charitable foundation to provide a series of scholarships for young construction professionals. After years of philanthropic donations to various Arizona charities, the Helmicks focused their legacy on education.
“Paul and Mary Jo have been deeply committed to education as a resource to build a future for young people,” Provost Gonzales said. “She and Paul started a scholarship program to ensure that underserved students would have opportunities to be able to advance themselves in their careers. We are very, very grateful for the work that they’ve done for our students.”
At the reception, former Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives Russell “Rusty” Bowers, a friend of the Helmicks, pulled out a masonry trowel, a fold-out measuring tape, a lead line and line blocks, then shared the importance of following the principles taught in the Helmick Center to construct things that will have the strength, cohesion and integrity to stand the test of time.
“The Paul C. Helmick Center is the culmination of our industry banding together to secure an ongoing pipeline of highly educated alumni that will become the future leaders of our industry,” said Mike Godbehere, chief executive officer of GCON Inc., a graduate of the Del E. Webb School of Construction and a member of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni.
“From its foundation of industry organizations and professionals banding together to ensure its construction to the generous grant of the Helmick family, our industry continues to show the value of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment and the Del E. Webb School of Construction at ASU,” Godbehere said.
Former Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives Russell “Rusty” Bowers, a friend of the Helmicks, pulled out a masonry trowel, a fold-out measuring tape, a lead line and line blocks, then shared the importance of following the principles taught in the Helmick Center to construct something that will have strength, cohesion and integrity to stand the test of time. Photographer: Erika Gronek/ASU
Helmicks create a legacy that will live on
The Helmick family’s endowment supports ASU’s vision for a future in which the built environment is in harmony with sustainable practices and community well-being. The knowledge sharing and collaboration taking place in the Helmick Center equips engineers and researchers to shape a more resilient, sustainable world.
The gift will support a legacy of scholarships and fellowships to attract and support students and foster a community of inclusive excellence for future engineers. It will also enable state-of-the-art research facilities essential for tackling complex sustainability challenges, support grants and seed funding for high-impact, interdisciplinary research, and facilitate faculty development and retention through endowed professorships.
“This transformational gift will play a pivotal role in educating future leaders who will shape communities that stand as a source of pride well into the future,” Pendyala said during the reception.
The family’s contribution will also fund student-led projects that will develop tangible solutions, create opportunities for international research collaborations and exchange programs, and build stronger connections with alumni through career development and mentorship opportunities.
Many school faculty members work at the forefront of artificial intelligence, drone technology, virtual reality and extended reality.
“This gift is going to enable us to change our learning environments so that these technologies are embedded in our laboratories, our classrooms and in all of the experiences that we are able to provide our students,” Pendyala said.
By 2030, SSEBE aims to expand enrollment from its current 2,200 students to twice that size, with many of those students pursuing educational goals through the school’s online offerings. The Helmick’s gift will help achieve this goal.
“We hope to make our programs available online, so students anywhere and everywhere can access the kind of education that we are delivering today on the ground in this beautiful building,” Pendyala said.
In addition, this support will help “retain and attract outstanding staff who are dedicated to our students’ success, and to our faculty’s success, so that we are able to deliver on our mission each and every day,” Pendyala said.
“The Del E. Webb School of Construction is incredibly thankful for the generosity of the Helmick family and for the impact their transformative gift will make for faculty, staff and students within the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment,” said Tim Becker, programs chair and eminent scholar of the Del E. Webb School of Construction.
“This endowment will support student success and leadership, industry engagement and integration, faculty excellence, research, and state-of-the-art learning environments, enabling SSEBE to serve as a vibrant hub for collaboration, innovation and learning that produces the future built environment workforce and leaders equipped to take on big challenges and solve the most critical societal needs,” Pendyala said.
