Industry week unites construction students, professionals

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Construction management students at Oklahoma State University recently had the opportunity to learn details of daunting projects, including the Oklahoma Capitol dome and repair of the Arkansas River bridge on I-40, from the professionals who completed them.

Representatives of the region’s top firms spent five days on OSU’s Stillwater campus for 2005 Construction Industry Week. Now in its fourth year, the event allows OSU students to discuss construction issues, practices and career options with industry leaders.

“Having industry representatives present insights into industry workings is greatly beneficial to our students, as every viewpoint outside the school curriculum is a new viewpoint,” said Dr. Dana Hobson, professor and head of OSU’s construction management technology department. “This ‘real-world’ information about joining the workforce gives students an early opportunity to see where and how they will apply their knowledge and skills following graduation. Another reason we host this event is so students can learn about real-world scenarios from experienced professionals."

Themed “Life of a Project from Cradle to Grave,” Construction Industry Week presentations focused this year on management of projects from estimation to closeout by firms at the local, regional and national levels. Symposium topics also include building and safety statutes, ethics and the future of the industry.

Hensel Phelps employees kicked off the week with a symposium on procurement while managers from Lippert Brothers described project administration. Scheduling, quality control, project commissioning and job interview strategies were detailed by representatives of Turner Casualty & Surety, Nabholz, Crossland Construction and Boldt. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Flintco presented case studies on the capitol dome and the I-40 Arkansas River bridge.

“Both the dome and the I-40 bridge project were extremely large and complex,” said Brent Jenkins, a construction management junior and OSU’s Construction Management Society secretary. “They are the kind of high-profile projects you dream about working on after graduation because the companies that complete them become well known and, as an individual, you can make a name for yourself in the industry.

“It was also great for us to hear about all stages of the projects from the beginning to the very end and get a sense of the experience."

As part of the “Day in the Life of ...” series, representatives of the firms McCarthy, Sherwood, Home Creations, Younger Electric and Kinnunen alternately discussed specialization in general, heavy-civil, residential and trades contracting as well as subcontracting. OSU Physical Plant Services representatives provided the perspective of a project owner.

David Walls made an evening presentation on business ethics, and AUI, Turner Casualty & Surety, Flintco and Boldt managers described employment outlooks. Lambert Construction representatives gave the session on community involvement, and members of the Associated General Contractors of Oklahoma provided insights on the overall state of the industry.

In addition to the firms above, 2005 Construction Industry Week sponsors included Atlas General Contractors, Bob Moore Construction, Thomas S. Byrne, Cantera Concrete Company, Centennial Contractors, Clinart Construction Management, Jim Cooley Construction, Dolese Bros. and Lithko Contracting. The OSU construction management technology department’s advisory board also provides funding for the event.

“Our department is very well represented out in industry by our alumni, and they’re the main reason Construction Industry Week enjoys such strong support from so many companies,” Jenkins said. “The Construction Management Society officers and all the students appreciate the time the industry people spend with us and hope that this event is as beneficial for them as it is for us.”

OSU Construction Industry Week 2006 is scheduled for Sept. 25-29. Individuals or companies interested in participating as presenters, moderators or in any other capacity may contact Hobson at hobsod@ceat.okstate.edu or 405-744-5712.