In partnership with Volvo Construction Equipment and Tyler Equipment Corporation, the University of Connecticut College of Engineering took another step toward expanding its construction engineering and management education efforts when Tyler Equipment formally donated a Volvo L20 electric compact wheel loader during a special ceremony held April 23, 2026, at the Francis L. Castleman Building in Storrs, Conn.

The event brought together representatives of UConn, Volvo Construction Equipment, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478 and Tyler Equipment to celebrate what organizers described as a unique partnership aimed at exposing engineering students to the future of construction equipment technology.

The donated machine, a Volvo L20 electric compact wheel loader, will initially be incorporated into a credited course at the university with instructional support from Local 478 operating engineers. Additional donations also are being sought, including warranty support packages to further enhance the program.

According to university officials, the loader represents much more than simply adding another piece of equipment to campus. The machine will serve as a hands-on training tool as UConn continues expanding its construction-focused engineering curriculum and explores the development of a future construction engineering and management major.

Speaking during the event was Dean Kay Wille, director of civil and environmental engineering programs at UConn, who noted the university is seeing significant growth in student interest in construction and infrastructure-related engineering fields.

"We currently have a construction engineering minor where 44 students are taking the program right now," Wille said. "It is growing from year to year, and we are currently planning a major in construction engineering and management and intelligent systems."

Wille added the university currently has more than 400 students participating in engineering-related programs, with approximately 80 to 90 students annually entering the civil engineering department.

"It's all about design and build," he said. "This equipment is going to allow us to bring students in and give them hands-on expertise along with classroom learning. We will be receiving a lot of support from Local 478 in educating and training the students in equipment use, but you can't beat having students actually get seat time and operate a piece of machinery."

He added that partnerships involving a manufacturer, dealer, labor organization and university are unusual, but critically important in helping students understand evolving construction technologies.

"These types of programs and the gift from Tyler Equipment are absolutely critical in creating an environment and a program that students can get excited about," Wille said. "Students can learn about this category of machine, what its capabilities are and what the future of electric machines looks like."

The university also plans to use simulator technology to help students become comfortable with machine operation before advancing to actual seat time on the loader.

Representing Volvo Construction Equipment at the event was Mona Saranathan, commercial strategy manager for compact equipment in North America. Saranathan said the electric construction equipment market has experienced gradual but steady growth as contractors increasingly look for solutions that reduce emissions and noise.

She noted that compact electric machines such as small excavators and compact wheel loaders are among the fastest-growing segments of the electric equipment market because of their portability and ability to work effectively in confined spaces.

Saranathan said that electric equipment is finding growing acceptance in emission-sensitive environments such as indoor demolition, enclosed workspaces and projects located in states with increasingly strict environmental regulations, including California and New York.

"It has taken a while for the growth to develop, but we are definitely seeing growth in the right direction," she said.

Saranathan added that introducing students to electric construction equipment early in their education is a major part of Volvo's long-term strategy.

"Part of our effort here is to get these electric machines into the hands and minds of the young people who will formulate the future of the construction equipment industry," she said. "A place like UConn and its engineering department is exactly the right environment for students to begin understanding this technology."

She also said that the collaboration between UConn and Tyler Equipment is believed to be the first program of its kind involving Volvo compact electric equipment at a university level.

Founded in 1922, UConn College of Engineering is one of the region's leading public engineering schools, offering nationally recognized programs in civil, environmental, mechanical and electrical engineering. The university has continued expanding its focus on infrastructure, sustainability and construction management disciplines as workforce demand throughout the Northeast continues to grow.

Tyler Equipment Corporation, headquartered in East Longmeadow, Mass., has served the construction industry for decades and operates locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut, including New Berlin, Conn. The company represents Volvo construction equipment and a wide range of compact and heavy construction machinery, providing sales, rentals, parts and service support throughout the region.

Officials at the event emphasized that the collaboration not only exposes students to advanced equipment technology but also helps strengthen the pipeline of future construction industry professionals at a time when demand for skilled workers and engineers continues to increase throughout the Northeast construction market.

As Brooke Tyler III, president of Tyler Equipment, said, "If we're the lightbulb in a kid's head for construction, then we've been helpful." CEG