November 8, 2007

College of Technology at New Albany discussing degree program in building construction management

Leaders from Greater Louisville Inc. and One Southern Indiana, Chamber of Commerce and economic development agencies for the Louisville metro and southern Indiana regions, respectively, will lead the effort along with Purdue.

Robert F. Cox, head of the Department of Building Construction Management at West Lafayette, said Purdue has been holding discussions with business and educational leaders since spring to assess interest, industry need and potential student count for a degree program.

"We're in the very early stages of discussions, but we do know that the New Albany and Louisville area is experiencing a boom in construction, and many in the industry have expressed interest in a continuing education or a degree program," Cox said. "Offering such a program involves a long process, and we are taking the first steps toward that goal."

Andy Schaffer, director of the College of Technology at New Albany, said he is pleased to be working on a plan to offer a degree program.

"The formation of this steering committee demonstrates Purdue's commitment to offering degree programs relevant to the local economy," he said. "Building construction management is a perfect complement to the engineering technology degrees already offered in New Albany."

Members of the steering committee are:

* Zarjon Baha, a professor and associate department head of Purdue's BCM department at West Lafayette

* Dawn Bennett of One Southern Indiana

* Norman Berry of K. Norman Berry Associates

* John H. Hays, president of Abel Construction Co. Inc.

* Bill Hedge of Mortenson Construction

* Tim Hunt of Koetter Construction

* Parminder K. Jassal of Greater Louisville Inc.

* Ed Jerdonek of Luckett and Farley, an engineering and construction firm in Louisville

* Maria Jelenszky of Mortenson Construction

* Bob Koetter Jr., president of Koetter Construction

* Robert Libs, vice president of AML Inc. General Contractors

* Sam A. Mannino of Greater Louisville Inc.

* Paul W. Mattingly, vice president of Bosse Mattingly Constructors

* Dana Nicholson of United Parcel Service

* Billy Parson, CEO of Associated Building and Contractors

* Karen Scott of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority

* Eric Schreiner, president of construction and development for POE Cos.

* Kerry Stemler of KM  Stemler Co. Inc.

* Joseph Wise, Greater Louisville Building Trades.

Schreiner, one of the leaders of the effort for a degree program in the southeastern Indiana-Kentucky area, said he knows firsthand the quality of the Purdue building construction management program.

"Purdue's building construction management program is one of the best educational programs in the nation and would be an extraordinary benefit to this community for many generations to come," he said. "Being a graduate of this program, I know a lot about the value of this education. As I look to hire new employees, Purdue's program is the first place I turn to and have been very successful with hiring highly skilled professionals."

Kerry Stemler, chairman of One Southern Indiana, the economic development council and chamber of commerce for Floyd and Clark counties, favors Purdue starting a degree program in building construction management at New Albany because of the amount of construction projects in the works in the area.

"I'm extremely enthusiastic about the prospect of Purdue starting a degree program here," said Stemler, president of K.M. Stemler Co. Inc., a New Albany construction firm. "There's significant, sustainable growth in this region, not just now, but in the next 20 to 30 years. Right now, there's about $6 billion worth of construction in the pipeline and much more to come."

Stemler said he has hired Purdue graduates before and has been impressed with the skills they acquired from the building construction management program.

"There are no similar management programs in the southern Indiana-Louisville region, so having a Purdue presence here would be a great thing for both the students and the state of Indiana," he said.

Cox said the committee will explore opportunities for collaboration with local contractors and nearby educational institutions to supply faculty, students and space. He said Purdue is planning a one-week continuing education course in February or March that will be open to those in the construction field, ranging from foremen to managers, who are interested in moving up in the industry.

Purdue's Department of Building Construction Management prepares students for careers in management within the construction industry. Students learn to organize, lead and manage the people, materials and processes of construction, utilizing the latest technologies within the industry. Specializations include electrical, mechanical, residential and health-care construction management, as well as and demolition and reconstruction management.

The Purdue College of Technology at New Albany offers degrees in computer graphics technology, electrical engineering technology, industrial technology, mechanical engineering technology, and organizational leadership and supervision.

Through a tuition agreement with Purdue, residents of Jefferson, Oldham, Bullitt and Trimble counties in Kentucky pay Indiana in-state rates at the New Albany location.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Sources: Robert F. Cox, (765) 494-2465, rfcox@purdue.edu

Andy Schaffer, (812) 941-2353, aschaffe@purdue.edu

Kerry Stemler, (812) 944-3887, kerry@kmstemlerco.com

Eric Schreiner, eschreiner@poecompanies.com

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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