Quoin

qua r r y i nga e r i a l d a t a

bsci volume 23 spring/summer 2014

the newsletter of the mcwhorter school of building science in thecollege of architecture, design and construction at auburn university

Professor Killingsworth, better known as “Prof K,” is retiring in August. He has been a faculty member of Auburn since Sep-tember 1985, teaching Estimating and Plans and Specifications among many other courses. Killingsworth earned his under-graduate and master’s degree from Texas A&M University

and began his teaching career there before moving to Auburn. Before earning his Master’s degree and becoming a professor, Killingsworth worked for several construction companies in Texas and for TAMU as a Field Engineer, Estimator and Project Engineer/Manager for 16 years.

What was your favorite class to teach?My favorite class was Estimating. I think that’s because, really and truly, my place in the industry is as an estimator. I think I do more good and offer more help to the students there than in any other course.

What kind of legacy do you hope to leave at Auburn?My legacy is in the students that I taught. If you ask my students they’ll say, “I hated him, and I hated his course while I was in it. After I moved on I began to realize the benefit of what he did.” For me that’s the highest praise that a teacher can have—that I have prepared my students to go out into the industry.

What is your favorite Auburn memory?It’ll change, but right now it’s that one second back on November 30th at the Bama game. That was fun. My reaction to that whole season was that dumb luck does have a place in college football.

What will you miss most when you retire?I don’t know. I can probably do everything that I really want to do if I teach adjunct, and the stress won’t be as much. If I couldn’t stay and maintain the friendships I’ve made, I would miss that.

So what are your retirement plans?For the first year at least, I plan to teach one class per semester. I do plan to stay in Auburn. We intended our house to be a place where our grandkids can live if they go to Auburn. We have seven children, and so far we’ve got 18 grandchildren. The 19th is due in October. One of the things that Mary, my wife, did was create a haven at home. All of our kids and family want to come back. One of the things we do is have a big get-together on New Year’s Eve, and the guys go out and buy fireworks. It’s a rite of passage for the grandchildren when they get old enough to go out and light the fireworks. There have been very few family squabbles over the years. Our family is really close, and the grandkids all get along great.

Darren Olsen will be promoted from assistant professor to asso-ciate professor in the McWhorter School of Building Science in October. Olsen graduated in construction management from the University of Florida in 2000. He then earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Missis-sippi in 2003. Prior to arriving at

Auburn in August 2008, Olsen worked for Clark Construction in Tampa, Fla. as a project manager and also worked for Smith Cashion & Orr in Nashville, Tenn. as an attorney. He teaches project management, materials and methods, and estimating among other courses.

Why did you become a professor?I wanted to become a professor in order to teach construction. Truth be told, I wasn’t 100 percent sure it would work out, but I wanted to share my passion for construction with students. This passion for construction derives from my family, including my grandfather who was an immigrant carpenter. I truly love construction and feel that God has blessed me with the oppor-tunity to teach college students.

What does this promotion mean to you?It means I’m going to be here for a long time. I love Auburn, my family loves Auburn, and the faculty is great to work with. I’m appreciative of the mentorship that my colleagues have given me to help make this promotion happen. They really gave me a lot of guidance and wisdom. It wasn’t a passive thing on their part either; they were very active in helping me.

What is your favorite memory as a teacher?As a young, nervous professor, one of my early materials classes was in B6 Dudley Hall. It can be an intimidating environment for a young professor. We were doing student evaluations, and I typically put the course name and my name on the board. Unfortunately, there’s not a clear delineation between the white board and the wall. So when I wrote the course and my name, I drifted over onto the wall. The students erupted laughing about it. So I took the dry eraser and tried to erase it, but I just smudged it and made it worse causing additional laughter. I just gave up at that point, but I got pretty decent evaluations so maybe it helped me out with a little humor. The best moments I remember are the humorous ones, the mistakes, and some of the light hearted discussions between me and my students.

f a c u l t y u p d a t e s

DA RREN OL SENROGER KILLINGSWORTH

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Mark Tatum graduated from Auburn in 1981 with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. His career path took him directly to the construction related field of consulting engineering. He is a licensed professional engineer and has designed building sys-tems throughout the United States and Europe. Tatum re-

turned to Auburn from Ft Lauderdale, FL where he served as the chief executive officer of an architectural/engineering firm since 1990.

Why did you become a professor at Auburn University?While in graduate school at Auburn I was exposed to teaching as a graduate teaching assistant. I also worked with the flight school as a flight instructor. Among my other activities during this time I worked at Auburn Electric as an assistant project manager. During this time my wife, Sharon, and I were able to become part of the Auburn community away from university life and learned what a great place Auburn is to live and work. While it was hard leaving Auburn upon graduation, Sharon remembers me saying that maybe we’d return some day to teach. When that opportunity became available with a position in Building Science, we already had two daughters attending Auburn and a son just about to enter high school. We have been extremely pleased to have returned to Auburn.

What do you teach?It happens that the Building Science program at Auburn was in need of someone with electrical and mechanical expertise. I feel like I have the opportunity to teach what I’ve learned during my career. My main area of focus is in the electrical and mechanical fields however I’ve also obtained OSHA certifica-tion as a safety trainer. I’ve also continued my own education as I’ve begun teaching an elective course on Lean construction. This is an exciting area of construction that many companies are pursuing.

What does this promotion mean to you?The promotion to Associate Professor also comes with attaining tenure with the university. This is a major milestone in academia, and I feel that it represents a true commitment to being part of the best program to educate the next gen-eration of men and women who will lead construction. I am honored to have attained this position.

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a l u m n i p r o f i l e

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c o m p e t i t i o n t e a m s8

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MARK C . TATUM

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message from t h e s c h o o l h e a d

T his has been an extremely busy spring semester. I mentioned in

the fall newsletter that we were busy preparing for our American Council for Construction Education accreditation visit. The visit took place from February 1-4, and all indications are that the visit was successful. We will hear officially after ACCE’s July meeting, which I will attend. The visiting team met with students, faculty and staff of the school and with senior administrators of the university. They also had dinner with our industry advisory council and some recent alumni. The team reported that they were impressed with the passion that everyone has for the program, the collegiality of the faculty, our excellent staff and career services specialist and our facilities. I want to thank everyone involved in the accreditation visit espe-cially the chair of the undergraduate program, Ben Farrow, who helped pre-pare the self-study and the visit.

I also mentioned in the fall edition of Quoin that all our students who graduated in the fall had job offers. You will see from our report of this spring’s career expo that we had record participation and all indications are that we will have 100 percent placement of our students again this spring. I am also glad to report

the number of freshmen accepted into Building Science program for this fall has increased by about 40 percent, and we have also seen a significant increase in our enrollment for our Master of Building Construction graduate program. The college appointed a full time recruiter, Kristi Sandlin, toward the end of last year and this together with the work that Cassandra Calloway has been doing with the high school career counselors appears to be paying off.

In the spring 2013 edition of Quoin, I reported that I was blessed to be present when the President of the AGC recognized Henry Hagood the former CEO of Alabama AGC for his service to the organization. As many of you will be aware, Henry passed away on February 9 after a valiant battle with cancer. I at-tended his very moving and inspirational funeral service in Trussville, which was attended by construction leaders from around the state and beyond. Henry had been a tremendous friend of the school and built the Alabama AGC into one of the most respected chapters in the country. He will be deeply missed.

We have another exciting issue of Quoin. Inside, you will read about one of our recent graduates, De’Lisa Stringer, who graduated from the program in

2011. De’Lisa was an exceptional student leader while she was at Auburn, and you will read how she is now making a significant contribution both to the in-dustry and her community. You will also read about our latest round of student competitions. The competitions give our students the opportunity to improve their teamwork and presentation skills while solving real world problems set by industry. When I meet with the graduating seniors every semester to discuss their experience at Auburn, they consistently single out being part of a competition team as one of the most challenging yet enjoyable experiences. As we try to provide more of our students the opportunity to compete in competitions we are faced with many challenges, one of which is financial. You will read in this edition of Quoin how you or your company can help support our competition teams.

Hope you have a great summer. War Eagle!

d r . r i c h a r d b u r t , s c h o o l h e a d & m c w h o r t e r p r o f e s s o r

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alumna prof i le : de' l isa str ingera b u i l d e r b e y o n d t h e j o b s i t e

D e’Lisa Stringer is a 2011 graduate from Auburn University’s building

science program. Like many students, she wasn’t always aware of the pro-gram or the possibility of her future in the construction industry. She’s always had a passion for architecture, design and aesthetics, and she wanted a career that allowed her to use that creativity, still be analytical and not be behind a desk all day.

“I remember vividly my roommate and I sitting on the living room floor eating ice cream and looking through the Auburn Bulletin,” Stringer said. “I came across building science, and it was like finding a diamond in the rough. You don’t know how valuable it is until you get your hands on it.”

It is easy to look at the construction industry and see hard hats, heavy machin-ery and manual labor. While that side of the business requires great skill, knowl-edge and craftsmanship to operate, many people forget there is a management side, too. In construction management, collaboration, interactions and innova-tions are vital to success.

“The term ‘building’ goes beyond the jobsite,” said Stringer. “It’s about building relationships in the field, in the office, with our clients and with our end users. That is the mentality that

continues to help us bring on, build up and elevate great people.”

Stringer, a Dothan, Ala. native who now works for DPR Construction in Raleigh-Durham, said the McWhorter School of Building Science has prepared her well. She works as an estimator and has also recently taken on the role of training coordinator.

“I have such a passion for building people, their productivity and making sure they have the right resources,” Stringer said.

To her, as well as many others, the importance of the construction industry is in the value of the people affected by it. Whether it involves residences, IT, healthcare, life science or higher education, each structure has a purpose beyond the business of construction that influences the lives and wellbeing of those who use it.

“People use our facilities to get well in, to learn in and to work in. That’s why we do what we do—because we value people,” Stringer said.

Stringer credits her family and her other supporters for her attitude, out- look and success in life and insists that people are only as good as those who surround them.

“My mother taught me that if you start something, you have to finish it,” Stringer said. “She also taught me that your word is your bond. My father taught me to always give my best. My brother has taught me that if things don’t go my way it’s OK. Sometimes being second to the number one person is the best opportunity you can have.”

DPR Construction, the company Stringer works for, strives to be an inte-gral part of the communities it operates in. The company’s philanthropy is an outreach program called the DPR Foun-dation, and each region supports a local organization. Stringer is the regional philanthropy foundation representative for the Raleigh-Durham office. Her region supports the John Avery Boys and Girls

Club of Durham focusing on gang preven- tion, education and making sure the children have every opportunity to succeed.

“This fuels my fire!” Stringer said. “For this particular organization it’s about showing the kids the ropes, teach-ing them to carry forward enthusiasm to go out into the world and find their passion. It’s about being a listening ear, being encouraging, and using resources to make things happen for these kids. It is important to us to contribute time and value and to make sure those chil-dren have someone they can rely on. I’m all about action, and I’m excited to hit the ground running to integrate the culture of what DPR stands for into the community.”

Stringer also brings DPR’s company values into the lives of other building science students as a recruiter for the company. She considers her time spent face-to-face with students one of the most valuable and rewarding parts of her job.

Her advice to students and profes-sionals is to never take a networking opportunity for granted because you never know who you might be sitting next to or who might hear you along the way. She also attributes much of what she’s learned in her career and about herself to traveling.

“If a door opens, always step through it,” Stringer said. “You’re more market-able when you’re willing to travel. I’ve traveled more in these past three years than in my entire life before that, and I’ve gained a better understanding of cultures.”

Stringer also reminds others that success doesn’t happen all at once and that uncertainty is a gift that should be embraced.

“The reality is the unexpected hap-pens. If you put in the work, the reward will come. You have to be confident in yourself because every setback is a step closer to your comeback. You learn the most when you actually fail at something.”

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center for construct ion innovation & collaborationa e r i a l d ata q u a r r y i n g

H ere at the CCIC, we promote research that is practical and meaningful to the construction industry. We are passionate

and enthusiastic about the value of collaboration and realize that innovation is often a natural outcome when interested people with different perspectives work to solve a problem.

This past December, an idea that culminated in a remarkable collaboration was initiated in a conversation between Susan Stabler, a senior project manager at Brasfield & Gorrie, and Paul Holley, professor of building science at Auburn University. Stabler has been with her company since graduating from Auburn in 2003, and is Holley’s former student.

Grandview Medical Center, located on Highway 280 just south of Birmingham, Alabama, has a fascinating history. The facility is a 13-story, 1 million square foot concrete frame building enveloped by a glass curtain wall on its north side. The hospital’s structure and skin, as well as four patient floors, were completed over 10 years ago, when construction was suddenly stopped due to legal issues involving the previous owner. After the sale of the facility and recent resolution of legal and operational issues, construction has resumed, and in approximately 18 months, the hospital will be bustling with activity.

Understandably, several construction-related problems have been and continue to be addressed. After 10 years of vacancy and only essential maintenance, the owner was concerned about the condition of the glass curtain wall system. Initially, Brasfield & Gorrie planned to utilize a scaffolding system so that curtainwall consultants could inspect the façade and judge the condition of the enclosure. The original cost estimate to erect and continuously relocate the suspended scaffolding was almost a quarter of a million dollars. As a result of a conver-sation not directly related to the problem, Stabler and Holley came up with another idea for inspecting the glass.

Each had been interested in pursuing the viability of construc-tion applications for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for some time. While discussing the employment of new technologies on the project, Holley asked Stabler if her company had ever considered using UAVs for inspection. Stabler told Holley that they had specifically discussed using UAVs in addition to some alternative types of new technology on Grandview. She explained that she was interested in re-approaching the idea of researching the viability of UAVs in construction through a solid partnership and plan for safety. “What if we used a UAV to take a series of close-range photographs and video footage that could then be embedded in a building information model that could be given to a cladding consultant?” asked Holley. The waterproofing consultant could then use these photographs to determine the status of the 10-year- old curtain wall. After a series of meetings, Holley and Stabler decided to try a “proof of concept” test flight.

On April 24th, a diverse group of individuals converged on the project site. Representatives from Hexagon, Leica Geosystems, Brasfield & Gorrie, CCLD Technologies Inc., and The McWhorter School of Building Science at Auburn University met at the jobsite. Two different UAVs were used. Holley piloted a DJI Phantom 2, and Corey O’Leary from CCLD piloted an A6 Aibotix vehicle. Both drones photographed the curtain wall, as well as captured images and footage of the progress of the adjacent new 1 million square foot parking garage. The data collected is now being utilized to produce photogrammetry models, which will be researched and compared as part of Holley and associate professor Junshan Liu’s work at Auburn, as well as to be practically applied to the Grandview project. Said Russ Gibbs, Regional Director of Virtual Design and Construction for Brasfield & Gorrie’s Birmingham office (and also an Auburn graduate), “Utilizing UAVs not only provides the opportunity to capture data that might otherwise be difficult to obtain. Anytime we can eliminate the need to have construction personnel in high or dangerous places, that is a significant safety value to us.”

Said Stabler, “This new technology presents us with a variety of new ways to capture and organize data throughout the construction process. Until now, we have never been able to accurately tie our Virtual Coordination Process directly to the field, but with the developments like Autodesk Point Layout and partnerships with Leica Geosystems and Auburn University, we can share information back and forth between the physical and virtual environments. This allows accurate information to be stored and documented into one central location to share with the project team as well as owners. To think that we might eventually be able to attach a GPS point cloud in our model and then remotely send a drone to that location to take high quality images of that point is simply amazing.” Holley added, “Certainly the use of UAVs expands the manner in which we can collect data; what is more important is how that inform- ation is then used to improve the building process with respect to planning, prefabrication, inspection, and safety.”

— s t e v e w i l l i a m s , d i r e c t o r o f c c i c

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— s t e v e w i l l i a m s , d i r e c t o r o f c c i c

“This new technology presents us with a variety of new ways to capture and organize data throughout the con-struction process.” —SUSAN STABLER

T he McWhorter School of Building Science has a proud tradition of sending exceptional student teams to com-

pete in a wide range of competitions promoted by Associated General Contractors/Associated Schools of Construction, Design Build Institute of America, and the Associated Build-ers and Contractors of America. Our students gain valuable professional skills as they compete in these events that call on professional knowledge, teamwork, time management, prob-lem solving and presentation skills. The McWhorter School of Building Science benefits tremendously from the recognition it receives through the success of its students, which boosts our national reputation and our ability to recruit outstanding students to the program.

Each year, faculty coaches and team members work exten-sively to prepare for the AGC/ASC Regional competition. This competition draws more than 225 students from 11 universities, and since 2007 an Auburn University team has been on the winner’s platform. In 2011, teams began traveling to Reno, Nev. to compete in the ASC Region 6 & 7 national open competitions. Auburn students won third place in the integrated project design-build category this year.

how your sponsorship makes a differenceYour investment in the student competition teams gives the McWhorter School of Building Science the ability to compete against building science programs across the nation. Sponsor funding provides approximately 100 students each year with the opportunity to participate in a real-world, high-pressure environment. Your support allows them to undertake field trips to prepare for competition, travel to competitions, acquire specialized technology, outfit teams with team-wear, assist faculty with out-of-pocket coaching expenses, and provide a post-competition celebration and awards dinner.

student team technologyOnce teams begin the competition, they are isolated from their faculty advisors and other outside sources. The reliability of their computing technology is paramount to their successful comple-tion of the project and presentation to the judges. Currently, the teams borrow laptops, printers, and scanners that are repurposed for their use just before the competition. Having designated team technology allows them to work with this equipment as they prepare and ensure there are no surprises during competition.

student travel Charter buses, commercial airline flights, hotel rooms and meals are a large part of the student competition team budget each year. Currently, the program must be selective in the number of teams it allows to compete outside of the region. Sponsor funding will enable more students to compete in the Reno, Las Vegas and Chicago competitions and give the program greater exposure.

t e a m u p w i t h o u r t i g e r sthe mcwhor ter school of building science s tudent competit ion teams

faculty involvement Student competition coaching unfortunately does not earn faculty progress toward tenure. This is a significant barrier to untenured faculty taking on team advisor roles because the hours of commitment are tremendous. In addition, there are many expenses associated with the competition that are not reimbursable through state funds. For example, in-state travel regulations only allow $70 per diem for a hotel room. So if a faculty advisor stays at the same hotel as his or her team, he or she must come out of pocket to pay for the balance of the hotel bill. Sponsor funding helps offset the costs of being a faculty advisor and provide incentive for young faculty to take on the challenge of coaching a team.

annual sponsorship levels

Signature Sponsor $ 1 0,0 0 0

• Official Sponsor of the AU Competition Experience• Opportunity to make keynote address at AU celebration and awards dinner• Complimentary Team Shirts as Signature Sponsor• Recognition as Signature sponsor on plaque in Gorrie Center• Platinum Sponsor benefits

Platinum Sponsor $5 ,0 0 0• Complimentary Team Shirts as Platinum Sponsor• Recognition as Platinum sponsor plaque in Gorrie Center• Gold Sponsor benefits

Gold Sponsor $2 , 5 0 0• Recognition as Gold Sponsor on plaque in Gorrie Center• Silver Sponsor benefits

Silver Sponsor $ 1 ,0 0 0• Corporate Logo on Team Wear• Recognition as Silver Sponsor on Gorrie Center Plaque• Link to corporate website from Team website• Bronze Sponsor benefits

Bronze Sponsor $5 0 0• Name on Team Wear• Recognition as Bronze Sponsor on Gorrie Center Plaque• Listing as a sponsor on printed material and website• Invitation to team celebration.

how to become a sponsorPlease contact Dara Hosey at 334-844-1161 or [email protected] to discuss your company’s participation in our sponsorship program.

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A team of Auburn graduate students from the College of Architecture,

Design and Construction placed third in a design-build competition in Reno, Nev. on February 8.

The 27th Annual Student Competi-tion hosted by the Associated Schools of Construction’s regions six and seven featured categories open nationally to all ASC schools.

“Being able to compete at the ASC competition in Reno was a unique and rewarding opportunity,” team captain Mike Jennesse said.

Auburn Master of Integrated Design and Construction students Brady Lasher, Martha Merzig, Taylor Payne and Jen-nesse teamed up with Auburn Master of Building Construction students Jeremy George and Will Noel to enter the Inte-grated Project category.

Hosted by Clark Construction, the category challenged teams to provide a design-build proposal for a 483,200 square foot Superior Court building in Long Beach, Calif.

Auburn University College of Architecture, Design and Construction graduate students placed third in a nationally open design-build competition in Reno, Nev. Photo provided by Paul Holley.

m i d c & m b c s t u d e n t s p l a c e 3 r d i n a s c c o m p e t i t i o n

“This project pushed our team into understanding that initial design decisions can have substantial long term affects to the project company, so our focus was to mitigate risk through design for main-tainability and operations,” Jennesse said.

The team, coached by professor Paul Holley, had less than 18 hours to submit a written proposal on February 6, and then they had to meet with the judges to dis-cuss their submission the following day.

“This competition has been a great experience for our graduate students, and we are honored to compete regularly against several formidable opponents such as Stanford, USC and Cal Berkley,” Holley said. “Not only do students benefit from participating in the event, they also are exposed to completely different design and construction markets across the country. Several of our graduates who have participated in this competition over the past five years have gone on to work for a variety of large and innovative contractors from across the U.S.”

Auburn students have placed in the top three for the last four out of five years in this competition.

Our focus was to mitigate risk through design for maintainability and operations.

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study abroad2014 s t u d y d o w n u n d e r

On January 4, seven building science graduating seniors journeyed with

professors Scott Kramer and Anoop Sat-tineni on a 52 day study abroad adventure to Australia and New Zealand.

“This trip gave me what I would call the ‘travel bug,’” said Andrew Carroll on his class travel blog. “It gave me the desire to travel more in the coming years and be exposed to the world around me in the way I was on this study abroad trip.”

The class made several construction site visits and construction industry visits and worked in the Building Information Modeling (BIM) lab at the University of Technology Sydney. Students could choose from two options for their four- credit hour thesis course. Five students completed a traditional building science thesis, and two did a research thesis related to their travels in Australia and New Zealand.

The group traveled to Sydney, Mel-bourne and Brisbane, Australia and to Auckland, New Zealand. They also had six free days for independent travel while abroad. As a group, the students and

professors visited attractions such as the Sydney Opera House, Olympic Park and even Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where they encountered both koalas and kangaroos up close.

During the independent travel, some students chose to participate in adventure sports such as snorkeling, white water rafting, cliff diving and even sky diving.

“Skydiving in Queenstown is without a doubt the craziest, as well as, the best thing I’ve done in my entire life,” said Brandon Landtroop on his class travel blog. “I will remember this experience for the rest of my life and I can’t wait to do it again! (Sorry Mom).”

The trip, which lasted for half of a semester, began the 13 credit hours that were completed back at Auburn Univer-sity. Since their return, all seven students have graduated and accepted positions with construction firms.

To read more about Andrew and Bran-don’s experiences abroad and to watch video of their adventures, visit their travel blogs at andrewkcarroll.wordpress.com and bml0012.wordpress.com.

Building Science students such as Andrew Carroll and Brandon Landtroop kept class travel blogs while in Australia and New Zealand. Photo by Andrew Carroll.

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T he McWhorter School of Building Science hosted the 2014 BSCI Spring Career Expo on February 19 at the Hotel at

Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. This annual event provides students the opportunity to start building their careers by searching for job openings and networking with industry professionals, many of whom are Auburn University alumni. It also allows representatives from each participating

Ajax Building Corp.Alabama Rural MinistryApplied SoftwareAtlas RFID SolutionsB.L. Harbert, Int. LLC (Domestic)Barrier Construction Co., LLCBatson-Cook CompanyBatten & Shaw, Inc.Brasfield & Gorrie, LLCCaddell ConstructionCatamount ConstructionClayco Inc.The Conlan CompanyCupertino ElectricD.R. Horton, Inc.Doster Construction Company, Inc.

If your company or organization would like to participate, the 2014 BSCI Fall Career Expo will take place on Oct. 1, 2014. Registration will begin in August, please contact Cassandra Calloway at [email protected] or 334-844-5314, for more detailed information.

i n d u s t r y e x p o s u r e

DPR ConstructionEvergreen ConstructionExxonMobil CorporationGE Johnson Construction Co.Gilbane Building Co.Golden Construction, LLCGray ConstructionHarmon Inc.Harvey-Cleary BuildersHaven REIHensel Phelps Construction Co.Hoar Construction, LLCHolder Construction CompanyJE DunnJunea Construction CompanyKevin Price GC

Kiewit Infrastructure South Co.Layton ConstructionM.J. Harris Construction Services, LLCMarathon Electrical Contractors, Inc.McCarthy Building CompaniesMetro PowerPerformance Contracting, Inc.Robins & MortonTIC-The Industrial CompanyTurner ConstructionW.G. Yates and Sons Construction Company

Western Construction Group, Inc.The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.The Winter Construction Company

company to meet interested and qualified students and experi-ence for themselves why Auburn’s building science program is one of the best in the nation. This year’s event was a success with 135 students in attendance and 46 companies and orga-nizations represented. We’d like to extend our appreciation to all who participated.

B enny Pritchett, an IAC member and a field rep-

resentative for the Home Builders’ Association of Alabama, grew up in the construction industry. His father operated his own construction business for 50 years. Pritchett Broth-ers Construction is where Pritchett was first exposed to the industry as a child, and it is where he began his career after graduating from Auburn University’s

building construction program in 1972. He has served on the McWhorter School of Building Science’s Industry Advisory Board since it began in 2002 as a way to give back to his alma mater and help new generations of students receive the best education possible.

Pritchett is the only current IAC member to strictly rep-resent the residential construction industry. “Professionally I’m very proud of the positive reputation my father built in the residential construction and development industry in the Greater Birmingham area and being able to spend 30+ years helping to maintain it,” says Pritchett. “Personally I’m proud of my involvement with the Home Builders Association at all levels, helping start the Construction Management program at Jefferson State and actively working to pass legislation requiring Alabama home builders to be licensed.”

Pritchett earned an M.A. in Public and Private Manage-ment from Birmingham Southern College and B.S. in Building Construction from Auburn University. In addition to serving on the IAC, he is on Career Technical Education advisory committees for both Jefferson and Shelby counties. After serving on the Alabama Energy Industry & Construction Consortium through its tenure, Pritchett was appointed to the State of Alabama Dept. of Education Career Technical Advisory committee in 2012. He is a member of the GBAHB Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Alabama Building Industry Hall of Fame in 2003.

“I’ve always been interested in promoting and improving industry education, and I’ve always felt like the building sci-ence program at Auburn was a very well-rounded program,” Pritchett said. “It’s one of the best programs at the university. The IAC is really just a partner with the college. I don’t have any big personal goal in the IAC except to help the program as best as I can.”

Pritchett says the most interesting part of being an IAC member is getting to interview the students about their expe-riences with the program and professors. These interviews are

i n f l u e n c e t h r o u g h i n v o l v e m e n tiac highl ight : benny pritchett

They’re not just people who’ve only been in school. They have a lot of industry experience, so they know the ins and outs of construction.

p l e a s e s e n d u s y o u r n e w s

The McWhorter School of Building Science alumni are achieving great things professionally and personally. Please email [email protected] with your news. Send us news and photos of your professional successes (promotions, awards, etc.) and personal news (marriage, births, personal accomplishments, etc.), and we will include it in the next issue of the Quion.

essential for making positive changes and improvements in the McWhorter School of Building Science.

“After talking with students, we learned they wanted more flexibility in their curriculum,” Pritchett said. “Adding electives and flexibility to the program was something we were able to advocate. Also we want students to co-op, intern or get field experience before they graduate. Many don’t have the opportunity to grow up in the field, and once they get out on the jobsite they realize it’s not for everybody.”

Pritchett said he sees the purpose of the IAC as a sounding board for the faculty and administration in the McWhorter School of Building Science. They can bounce ideas off of one another and offer input when needed. The relationship between the building science faculty members and the industry has been instrumental in the development and success of the program.

“I think one of the things that have made the Auburn build-ing science program so strong has been that professors have always had such a good background in industry,” Pritchett said. “They’re not just people who’ve only been in school. They have a lot of industry experience, so they know the ins and outs of construction. It’s such an important part, and I hope we never get away from that.”

Pritchett and his wife, Joan, have been married for 43 years. They have two daughters, Laura P. Reina and Holly P. Hopkins, who are both Auburn graduates. He and his wife are proud grandparents of 7 year-old Gavin and 5 year-old Addison. When they aren’t traveling, he enjoys working on carpentry and woodworking projects.

2 0 1 4 a n n u a l a w a r d s b a n q u e t

T he McWhorter School of Building Science proudly hosted the 2014 Annual Awards Banquet on April 24 at the Hotel

at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. The event recognized exceptional students and faculty members through the presentation of awards and scholarships and acknowledged those who participated in student competition teams through-out the past academic year.

“I look forward every year to our Annual Awards Banquet,” said Richard Burt, McWhorter Eminent Scholar and School Head. “It is great to see the students who have committed so much time and effort to their academic studies, community service and extra-curricular activities receive acknowledgment for their endeavors. It is also the only time during the year when we can have the whole family of Auburn Building Science together. It was great to meet the high school students who will be joining us this fall and to talk to alumni who had gradu-ated recently and many years ago.”

Thanks to all of the school’s generous supporters, 51 schol-arships were awarded at the banquet. The students expressed their gratitude in a slideshow played during dinner at the banquet featuring their photos and words of appreciation.

“This scholarship gives me hope that someone believes in my ability to make a difference in the world around me,” said Christopher Crouch, recipient of the Hosey Construction Annual Scholarship.

To view additional pictures from the banquet, visit the CADC Facebook page at www.facebook.com/auburncadc.

a congratulat ions to the award winners and thank-you to our donors

AWARD WINNERS

KELLEY O'REILLY Bailey Harris Construction Company Presidential Endowed Scholarship

JUSTIN RUTER Batson Cook Annual Scholarship

JUSTIN STOCKDALE BE&K, Inc. Endowed Scholarship

MARY BETHEL Benjamin H. Craig, Jr. Endowed Scholarship

SAM STARK Bob Crumpton '49 Annual Scholarship

NICHOLAS CHAPLOW Brasfield & Gorrie, Inc. Annual Scholarship

MEGAN CHESNUT Brock Family Endowed Scholarship

BROCK HIGDON Building Science Annual Scholarship

DANIEL LEE Building Science Annual Scholarship

JOHN SHREVE Building Science Annual Scholarship

KHARI SIEBIE CADC/BSCI Minority Scholarship

JACOB POAG Clement Group, LLC Endowed Scholarship

ALLEN COREY Comer Foundation Annual Scholarship

GARY DURBIN Comer Foundation Annual Scholarship

JACK HOWLE Comer Foundation Annual Scholarship

KENNEDY MAY Comer Foundation Annual Scholarship

TUCKER HELMS G. C. Wyatt Construction Annual Scholarship

RUSSELL BYRD Gary R. Dent '70 Endowed Scholarship

COLIN MARMAN Gerdau Ameristeel Annual Scholarship

SIDNEY BRUHN Gerdau Ameristeel Annual Scholarship

15

a congratulat ions to the award winners and thank-you to our donors

ALEXANDER BROCK Golden & Associates Construction, LLC

Annual Scholarship

JOHN RUTHERFORD Gray Construction Annual Scholarship

CLAYTON CARTER Greater Birmingham Auburn Club Scholarship

MITCHELL SMITH Harbert International Inc. Annual Scholarship

JAMES JOHNSON Hardin Construction Annual Scholarship

GARRETT SMITH Holder Construction Annual Scholarship

CHRISTOPHER CROUCH Hosey Construction Annual Scholarship

TRISTAN HOBBS Hosey Construction Annual Scholarship

ALYSSA ODOM Imogene Powell/National Association of Women in

Construction Annual Scholarship

MEGAN CHESNUT Jack & Laura Fite Endowed Scholarship

AMANDA MILLER James Matthew Mitchell Endowed Scholarship

CODY DELEE James Robert Dugan, Jr. Endowed Scholarship

JUSTIN RUTER John F. & Emily Straussberger, Jr. Endowed Scholarship

BEN YOUNGBLOOD Kay Family Endowed Scholarship

ROBERT SYMONDS L. Judson Akin Presidential Endowed Scholarship

JARON BENNETT Linbeck Construction Corporation Annual Scholarship

JOHN RUTHERFORD M. J. Harris Construction Services Annual

Scholarship

HEATH ROEBER Marshall J. Conner '40 Endowed Scholarship

EMILY GRAVES Martin & Cobey Scholarship for Fred Martin, Jr. Endowed Scholarship

CODY DELEE Montgomery Chapter of Construction Specifications

Institute Endowed Scholarship in Building Science

CARTER SCHMID Paul C. H. Brandt Annual Scholarship

JAMES HARPER R. K. Redding Construction, Inc. Endowed Scholarship

EDDIE DESIMONE Richard A. & Barbara M. Price Endowed Scholarship

CODY DELEE Riley D. Stuart Stuart/Brice Building Company Annual Scholarship

JOE RIEGLE Robins Corporation Annual Scholarship

JACKSON COTNEY Stone Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship

JACKSON FITE Walton Stone Endowed Scholarship

HEATH ROEBER Wesley Scott Bilbo Legacy Endowed Scholarship

BLAKE EVANS William P. Caddell, Jr. '58/Building Specialties Company Endowed Scholarship

GRANT WARD William A. Hunt '55 Endowed Scholarship

LUKE MOSER William A. Hunt '55 Endowed Scholarship

EDDIE CULPEPPER Outstanding Army Corps of Engineers Graduate Student

JEREMY GEORGE Outstanding MBC Graduate Student

JAKE GATTIS Outstanding Senior

EMILY GRAVES Senior Book Award

GARY DURBIN Junior Book Award

JAMES JOHNSON Sophomore Book Award

KENNEDY MAY Freshman Book Award

CODY DELEE Ethics Award Winner

ALAN WEEKS Lifetime Achievement Award

E VENT SPONSORS

Brasfield & Gorrie

Evergreen Construction

FITE Building Company Inc.

Hoar Construction

Holder Construction Company

Linbeck Group

M.J. Harris Construction Services LLC

Robins & Morton

Skanska

A L A N W EEK S & ROBIN S AVAG E2012 & 2013 L i f e t im e A ch i e vem en t Re c i p i en t s

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