Ngus Ward is a sophomore finance and economics student at UNC Chapel Hill, selected for the university's Accelerated Research Program, with hands-on industry experience as a Pre-Construction Intern at Gray Construction — supporting project budgeting, cost estimation, and capital planning on live commercial developments. He brings an analytical, detail-driven approach shaped by years of high-level athletic competition and team leadership.
Experience
- Selected as a sophomore participant in UNC-Chapel Hill's Accelerated Research Program, an undergraduate research initiative connecting students with research opportunities and structured training in research methods.
- Working alongside high-achieving UNC undergraduates and faculty mentors, reviewing academic literature, analyzing information, and developing research questions related to an ongoing research project.
- Building skills in critical thinking, analysis, academic writing, and problem-solving in preparation for independent research opportunities at Carolina.
- Selected for a competitive internship at a national commercial construction firm; supported budgeting, cost estimation, and financial forecasting on large-scale commercial developments.
- Ran quantity take-offs in Bluebeam and material cost estimations; reviewed and leveled subcontractor bids; maintained budget tracking logs across multiple bid packages.
- Partnered with project managers and estimators on cost analysis; performed site measurements to validate architectural and structural drawings.
- Installed low-voltage systems on active commercial construction sites alongside licensed technicians.
- Managed daily operations — cash handling, food preparation, inventory, and store performance — at a high-volume venue; trained and supervised new employees over four years.
Representative Project Experience
- Supported cost estimation and bid-proposal work for a commercial facility development, including scope-of-work documentation, subcontractor bid leveling, and budget-vs-estimate tracking (Project Slice, May–Aug 2026).
- Converted cost data into clear budget overviews for a large-scale industrial facility development; reviewed subcontractor bids to identify savings and improved estimate accuracy using historical costs and current market pricing (Project Sesajal, May–Aug 2026).
- Assembled cost estimates for site work and structural components on an industrial and site development project; performed quantity take-offs from architectural drawings and attended bid meetings on cost-saving scope reviews (Project Goldhofer, May–Aug 2026).
Leadership Focus
As team captain of Varsity Wrestling for three years, Ngus led team strategy and mentored underclassmen, contributing to the program's first-ever NCISAA Team Wrestling State Championship alongside back-to-back individual 150 lb titles. That same discipline carries into his research, coaching, chapter involvement, and volunteer work — a consistent focus on preparation, follow-through, and showing up for the team.