October 15, 2026
Chuck Beitel and Kara Chmielewski’s generous gift will support the Shared Instrumentation Suite and hands-on learning in the Energy Innovation Center
For alumni Chuck Beitel, BSME ’94, and Kara Chmielewski, BSME ’94, a generous gift to the University of Missouri’s new Payne Energy Innovation Center is both an investment in the future and a reflection of lessons learned decades ago as Mizzou Engineering students.
The Chicago-based couple’s gift will support the center’s Shared Instrumentation Suite, a collaborative space designed to give students and researchers access to advanced equipment while encouraging interdisciplinary work on some of society’s most pressing energy challenges.
The gift will also help propel Power the Roar, the University of Missouri’s $2-billion philanthropic campaign to strengthen Mizzou’s position among the world’s leading research universities and make a difference in people’s lives across Missouri and beyond.
For Beitel, the decision to give was driven by both gratitude and opportunity.
“When I first heard the university was pursuing the Energy Innovation Center, my immediate thought was that the industry needs a lot of help,” he said. “There are important problems to solve.”
Beitel is senior vice president and director of the Energy and Industrial Group at Sargent & Lundy, a leading provider of engineering and design services for the energy industry. After three decades building a successful career in the industry, he saw an opportunity to spur progress in the energy sector and give back to the institution that helped launch his career.
“This gift allows me to give back, not only to an industry that has provided me with a rewarding career and a great life, but also to the university where I really found my way,” he said.
Beitel and Chmielewski both came to Mizzou from St. Louis and share a dedication to Tiger athletics. The gift also reflects a personal philosophy.
“I’ve always believed wealth is meant to be shared,” Beitel said. “Put your available resources to work for the betterment of institutions that serve a greater good.”
That commitment to service and generosity traces back to their time as students. Both credit Emeritus Professor David Wollersheim with helping to shape their outlook when he was their advisor.
Chmielewski still remembers a lesson Wollersheim delivered in class more than 30 years ago.
“He told us, ‘Many of you have skills that not many people in the world possess. You need to use them, and you need to use them for good. You need to give back to your community, your church, your profession, whatever that means for you,'” she recalled.
The message stayed with them throughout their careers and became a guiding principle for how they approached success, family and philanthropy.
Mizzou Engineering also provided lessons that extended far beyond technical knowledge. Chmielewski, who later earned an MBA from Washington University and pursued opportunities outside traditional engineering roles, credits her engineering education with teaching a problem-solving mindset that remains valuable in every profession.
“Engineering remains an important part of how I think,” she said. “It provides tremendous credibility and an excellent foundation.”
Beitel’s career followed a more traditional engineering path. After graduating, he joined Ingersoll-Dresser Pumps (now Flowserve), where he designed and supplied large industrial pumping systems before moving to Sargent & Lundy. Over the years, he advanced from engineer to leader while taking on demanding assignments in the field.
Those experiences, he said, taught him some of the most important lessons of his career.
Working on construction sites gave him firsthand insight into how engineers, builders and project teams work together. The experience broadened his perspective, forced him to learn across engineering and construction disciplines and reinforced the value of stepping outside his comfort zone. Today, he encourages students to seek the same kinds of opportunities by pursuing hands-on experiences and leadership responsibilities whenever possible.
Those beliefs directly influenced the couple’s decision to support the Shared Instrumentation Suite.
Beitel worries that students can graduate with strong theoretical knowledge but limited practical experience. The new facility will help bridge that gap by providing opportunities to work with sophisticated equipment, collaborate across disciplines and gain a deeper understanding of how engineering concepts translate into real-world applications.
The collaborative nature of the space was especially appealing.
“We also like the idea of removing barriers between disciplines,” Chmielewski said. “Innovation happens when people work together, not when everyone is isolated in their own department or research group.”
Ultimately, the couple hopes their gift helps fuel discoveries that will strengthen the energy sector for decades to come.
“We hope it helps create discoveries and opportunities in the energy sector, which affects every one of us,” Beitel said. “Hopefully this gift contributes to innovations and technologies that improve how we generate, distribute and use energy.”
They also hope their example encourages others to invest in causes they care about.
“Philanthropy doesn’t just provide practical benefits. It inspires others,” Chmielewski said. “We’re fortunate to be in a position to help now, and if you can help, you should.”