Marco Campos may have graduated from CU Boulder in 1998, but he never left the university far behind.
The Denver entrepreneur and philanthropist has served on advisory boards for the Department of Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering, the BOLD Center, and the College of Engineering & Applied Science. His Campos EPC Foundation also works closely with CU Boulder on summer bridge programs, scholarships, internships and more that encourage women and underrepresented minorities to explore STEM fields.
Campos said he stays connected because he wants to give back to the school that made him feel welcome as a first-generation college student.
“CU provided a lot of support through that process, which sometimes kids don’t feel from their university,” he said.
In recognition of his service to CU Engineering and his career accomplishments, Campos was recently selected for the college’s Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award for 2017. He will be honored at a banquet in April.
Campos has founded and operated multiple companies, the largest of which is Campos EPC, a company specializing in providing services for the oil and gas industry. In 10 years, Campos EPC has grown from a basement start-up to a market industry leader with 200 employees and offices in the Unites States and Canada.
Throughout his time as a business owner, he has worked hard to recruit women and minorities.
“It’s important from a business standpoint because it encourages that diversity of thought that companies can leverage into new opportunities,” Campos said.
Campos said he’s grateful to CU Boulder not only for a strong education that opened doors, but also for the “soft skills,” like teamwork and networking, that he received. The desire to give back and make a difference in the world was especially valuable.
“That’s something in the soft skills that CU really provides,” he said. “It’s a very powerful message on that campus.”