March 11, 2005

Purdue construction management students place in national contest

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A group of students in Purdue University's Department of Building Construction Management were awarded honorable mention at an annual design and planning competition sponsored by the Mechanical Contractors Association of America.

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This is Purdue's fourth year to qualify for the competition's national finals, making it the only university to qualify each year since the contest's inception in 2002, said Daryl L. Orth, faculty adviser for the Mechanical Contractors Association of Indiana student chapter at Purdue.

"Purdue's yearly success in the competition speaks volumes about the dedication and knowledge of our students," said Orth, an assistant professor of building construction management. "These seven students worked for three months putting together a professional-level proposal. What they have accomplished shows that the quality of the students this program attracts is one of its biggest strengths."

The Purdue team included building construction management students Lucas Howard, a senior from Greenwood, Ind.; Michelle Overby, a senior from Fort Wayne, Ind.; Shiva Sharma, a senior from Simi Valley, Calif.; Rob Stang, a senior from Lowell, Ind.; Geoff Lewis, a sophomore from Carmel, Ind.; Chris Durnil, a junior from Washington, Ind.; and Jeff Miller, a sophomore from Bluffton, Ind.

Each student is enrolled in the department's mechanical construction management specialization – the nation's first – that focuses on the plumbing and heating and cooling components of residential and commercial construction projects.

Purdue's chapter also was named the Student Chapter of the Year at the group's national convention in Scottsdale, Ariz.

In this year's Mechanical Contractors Association competition, teams were given a 35,000-square-foot floor plan for a university dramatic arts building and were charged with designing, cost estimating and scheduling the construction of plumbing, heating and cooling systems. In addition, the proposals had to include information about a fictitious construction company to demonstrate that the students understand how one project fits into the larger scheme of a business.

"It's a very in-depth proposal," Orth said. "This goes beyond the type of design work that students do in classes anywhere in the country and gives them a firmer understanding of the entire process they will see when they enter industry."

Teams from 14 universities submitted proposals for the contest, and the top four were asked to present their proposal at the MCAA national conference. Proposals were presented to a judging panel of mechanical contractors and also to between 200 and 300 leaders in the field.

"The presentation gives the students a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate their abilities for perspective employers," Orth said. "Graduates with expertise in this area are among Purdue's most sought-after. By doing this project and showing their abilities, not only in design but also in project management, makes them even more appealing to industry."

Purdue's Department of Building Construction Management began in 1946 as a non-degree program designed to teach building skills to returning World War II veterans. Since then it has grown into one of the top construction management programs in the nation, producing graduates trained in managing people, construction processes, materials, equipment and financial assets.

The department is part of the College of Technology, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. One of the first of its kind in the country, the college educates more than 6,000 undergraduate students at eight locations throughout Indiana, including the West Lafayette campus.

In addition to building construction management, the college comprises seven other departments: aviation technology, computer graphics technology, computer technology, electrical and computer engineering technology, industrial technology, mechanical engineering technology, and organizational leadership and supervision.

Note to Journalists: Interviews with students involved in the competition can be arranged by contacting the Purdue News Service.

Writer: Matt Holsapple, (765) 494-2073, mholsapple@purdue.edu

Source: Daryl L. Orth, (765) 494-5736, orthd@purdue.edu