Bowen to be first Hancher Distinguished Fellow in CEM
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Robert Bowen, founder and chairman of Bowen Engineering Corp., is the first Hancher Distinguished Fellow, teaching a class in construction engineering and management at Purdue University this fall.
Donn Hancher was one of the founding faculty members of the College of Engineering's Division of Construction Engineering and Management. He earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in civil engineering at Purdue and was a faculty member for 16 years.
The teaching fellowship will be funded by an endowment set up by engineering alumni, including Bowen.
While fundraising for the endowment is still under way, Bowen is volunteering his time to teach during the fall semester. His class, "Leadership and Advanced Project Management," focuses on the technical challenges of the construction industry and the managerial decisions needed to keep a project moving forward.
"Donn Hancher and Bob Bowen have something key in common: They both are passionate about the success of Purdue's CEM program and its students," said Mark Hastak, head of construction engineering and management.
When fully funded, the Hancher fellowship will be a renewable, three-to-five-year teaching appointment, Hastak said. The idea is to find professionals who are willing to share their experience and knowledge with future leaders in the industry.
"CEM has been searching for ways to involve industry leaders in the classroom, and the Hancher Distinguished Fellow is perfect," Hastak said.
The classes will involve more than war stories, he added. "The Hancher Fellow will push our students to a better understanding of the challenges they will face and the skills they will need."
Bowen is using a Harvard case study model for his class. He' also will bring in construction industry colleagues throughout the semester, including his first boss, Bill Brown of W.M. Lyles Construction Co., and his son Doug Bowen, president and CEO of Bowen Engineering.
Bob Bowen has a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Purdue and a business degree from Harvard. He also received an honorary doctor of engineering degree from Purdue in 2007.
Bowen founded Bowen Engineering, headquartered in Indianapolis, in 1967 and was CEO until 2009. The company specializes in water and wastewater treatment plants and energy utility construction, operating in 15 midwestern and southeastern states.
Considered an authority on preplanning and leadership practices in construction, Bowen is a founder of the Associated General Contractors Project Manager Institute.
Fundraising for the Hancher Fellow is about halfway to its $1 million goal. More information on the fellowship can be found at https://engineering.purdue.edu/CEM/AboutUs/News/Spotlights/BowenInauguralDonnEHancherDistinguishedFellow
Writer: Judith Barra Austin, 765-494-2432, jbaustin@purdue.edu
Source: Mark Hastak, 765-494-0641, hastak@purdue.edu