Michael Rowe (BSCE’95) with his wife and children in Paris, 2020.

Michael Rowe balances infrastructure progress with a people-first workplace

A childhood shaped by frequent moves fueled curiosity and a sense of purpose in Michael Rowe (BSCE '95). Growing up in a military family, Rowe experienced an active and dynamic upbringing. His close-knit family instilled resilience, adaptability and the value of strong relationships. Today, as president of United Consulting in Indianapolis — a company recognized as Indiana’s No. 1 Best Place to Work (Medium Company) — Rowe continues to exemplify excellence in his field.

As a child, Rowe became interested in the world during long car rides and family camping trips. He visited places like the Parthenon, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Roman aqueducts. Seeing these impressive structures inspired him to pursue civil engineering.

At Purdue, Rowe joined the soccer club, which brought together students from many backgrounds. They won championships by combining their different skills and perspectives. Through this experience, Rowe learned the value of teamwork and shared success.

“I met many of my closest friends today playing soccer,” Rowe said. “The team was amazing and extremely competitive. Players on the team were from all over the United States and several from around the world. We won two club national championships and attended the Varsity World Championship.”

Rowe with his siblings in Spain, 1978 (left) and with his siblings and parents in Germany, 1979.

Rowe started his career by drawing plans for roads and bridges. He later worked on construction sites where he learned and practiced geotechnical engineering. Each project helped him build his skills and deepened  his interest in creating infrastructure that brings people together.

A major milestone in his career was managing the reconstruction of one of the busiest interchanges in the United States, I-80/94. The project was challenging due to the tough soil, heavy traffic and the diverse needs of multiple groups. When the design was completed, it had the most truck traffic in the United States and third most in the world. Rowe learned that successful engineering depends on teamwork and finding practical, creative solutions.

As president of United Consulting, Rowe leads with the values he learned growing up — integrity, gratitude and a focus on supporting others. He works to create a company culture where people can succeed both at work and in their personal lives.

“I collaborate with our leaders at United Consulting to develop our vision and achieve our goals,” Rowe said. “One of the areas I am most proud of is that we work every day to build a company that supports our people living healthy lives, both mentally and physically.”

Rowe was a member of the Purdue soccer club that won the national championship in 1995.