John Hayes, president and CEO of Ball Corporation, sits down with Bobby Braun, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, at a 鈥渇ireside chat鈥� in the ATLAS Institute鈥檚 Black Box Experimental Study. (Courtesy: Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado Boulder)
Students from across campus, whether they鈥檙e studying English or aerospace, will have the chance next fall to learn about the vast career opportunities offered by Ball Corporation, a Fortune 300 company based in Broomfield, Colorado.听
The announcement of this opportunity, called Ball Career Day, came during a 鈥渇ireside chat鈥� April 5 between Ball president and CEO John Hayes and Bobby Braun, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. In a relaxed conversation on campus, Hayes dispensed life advice to the assembled students鈥斺�渓ook for the ands instead of the buts,鈥� he told them. He also shared how they could become a part of Ball鈥檚 efforts to create new space satellites and 鈥渕ake the beverage can cool again.鈥�
Ball Career Day activities are open to all 抖阴旅行射 Boulder students. Space on tours is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.听
Register to receive updates and be among the first to sign up when tour dates are finalized.
鈥淚 hope this is the start of something new,鈥� Hayes said at the ATLAS Institute鈥檚 Black Box Experimental Studio.
鈥淥h, it鈥檚 definitely that,鈥� Braun replied.
The event was a showcase for the long-standing relationship between 抖阴旅行射 Boulder and Ball Corporation. That relationship kicked off in 1956 when engineers from 抖阴旅行射鈥檚 鈥淩ocket Project鈥� helped to found the Ball Brothers Research Corporation (now Ball Aerospace)鈥攁nd has expanded to include more than $100 million in shared NASA contracts.
It was also a chance for Hayes and Braun to reflect on the next phase in that evolving partnership. Ball Career Day will take place in September 2018 and will offer undergraduate students the opportunity to take part in a series of hands-on visits. They include a trip to a plant where Ball produces cans for many of the world鈥檚 leading beverage companies and regional craft brewers and a sit-down with executives who manage the corporation鈥檚 extensive supply chain.听
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to continue building on the university鈥檚 longstanding partnership with Ball Corporation,鈥� said Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano. 鈥淭he university and Ball Corporation formed just eight years apart in the late 1800s, and our legacies are intertwined. Our shared values of integrity, innovation and leadership make us natural partners in educating students and contributing to economic competitiveness and quality of life across Colorado and the nation.鈥�
The career day marks a commitment by Ball to engage 抖阴旅行射 students in engineering and beyond, reaching out to future leaders in business, law, the arts and sciences and more. Ball currently employs more than 500 graduates from the University of Colorado system, the majority from 抖阴旅行射 Boulder.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to expand our tentacles beyond just engineering,鈥� said Hayes, who was an English major in college and began his career on Wall Street. 鈥淪o not only creating the internships and co-work studies 鈥� in engineering, but in the Leeds [School of Business] and Arts & Sciences, as well. We鈥檙e neighbors. We鈥檙e here.鈥�
Braun agreed, noting that Ball is already a key part of life across campus. 鈥淭hat partnership impacts everything we do here on campus from diversity and inclusion initiatives with our student population to sponsorship of senior design projects,鈥� he said. 鈥淎lmost everywhere I turn there鈥檚 a connection to the Ball Corporation.鈥�
The relationship between the two Colorado mainstays has been an enduring one. Ball Aerospace and 抖阴旅行射 Boulder鈥檚 Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), for example, have collaborated on a number of high-profile space projects. They include NASA鈥檚 Kepler Mission, which has led the hunt for planets outside of Earth鈥檚 solar system, and the upcoming Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission, which will explore black holes.
Students are excited about that connection, too. Michelle Lin, a freshman studying aerospace engineering and physics, attended the fireside chat. Lin has dreams of becoming an astronaut and didn鈥檛 want to miss the chance of networking with high-profile people working on space. 鈥淢eeting someone in the corporation so high up to talk about their values is something that鈥檚 really important to me,鈥� Lin said.
Angela Werner, a senior studying mathematics and computer science, said that students shouldn鈥檛 miss out on such experiences. She鈥檚 worked in the finance department at Ball since the summer after her sophomore year and will start as a graduate student in the Leeds School of Business next year. 鈥淚 love math, and I love computer science, but it鈥檚 very technical,鈥� Werner said. 鈥淭his has been interesting for me to see the real-life applications that you can do with these things.鈥�
The experience has been so positive that Werner, speaking about what she wants to do with her career, said, 鈥淚 want to stay at Ball.鈥�
