A Message from Dr. Callahan – Department Head
As we finish another busy semester, I would like to congratulate those of you who are graduating this May. As is tradition we will hold the Departmental Graduation Reception and Hard Hat ceremony just prior to commencement on Friday, May 19th. The reception will be held from 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM in Kemper Hall 116 with the Hard Hat Ceremony at 8:30 AM. This is a great way for graduates to share the day with family and friends so please plan to attend. As you leave Missouri State and begin your careers please stay in contact and let us know about your progress. We wish you the very best of success in the future!
This has been another productive and successful year for the Department. Construction Management students had an excellent showing at the ASC Competitions in Nebraska as well as the ABC Competition in Dallas. The Mechanical Engineering Technology program continues to grow as well as the Construction Management, Interior Design, and Project Management Master’s programs. Students from various areas of the Department attended conferences and field trips on numerous occasions. The Department continues to be active and engaged with industry through the career fair, advisory boards, and a number of on-campus events. It is great to see so many excellent employment opportunities for TCM students for both internships and permanent placement.
Due to major construction and remodeling in Glass Hall, the TCM Departmental office will move to Kemper Hall 104 this summer starting May 24th and will return to Glass Hall in early August. You will still be able to contact the Department office using the same email addresses and phone numbers.
Further details concerning Departmental news and events are listed below. Have a great summer!
Dr. Neal Callahan
Department Head
Jacob Nelson Receives Award
Instructor Jacob Nelson was recently honored with the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Regional Teaching Award in Seattle, Washington. This award recognizes his contributions to construction education, excellence in teaching, service to ASC and dedication to the construction profession. Mr. Nelson’s award was well earned based upon his success in developing the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) emphasis within the construction management (CM) program. In addition, he has been instrumental in the ASC Region 4 student competition through his efforts as Specialty Division coordinator. The TCM Department and students are excited to have him as part of the faculty and look forward to his continued contributions and success
Interior Design Program Hosts Annual Senior Showcase
On April 7th, 2016, the Interior Design program hosted it’s annual Senior Showcase at the Veridian in downtown Springfield. The showcase was an opportunity for all of the current graduating seniors to present and display various projects from their studio classes. This year, there were fifteen seniors who participated in Senior Show and each designed a unique way to highlight their work. The Springfield Design Association had judges evaluating each person’s display and then determined first, second, and third place winners. First place went to Samantha Knaebel. Second place went to Megan Clause. And finally, third place went to Kaitlynn Tomblinson.
MET Students to enter into Nation-Wide Competition
The Missouri State University student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has formed a team to compete in the nation-wide Baja competition. In this competition, which is sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers, teams design and build a Baja style dune buggy. Each team is judged on the quality of the engineering design for their vehicle, as well as the vehicle’s performance in load, power, and endurance tests. The team, which is comprised of students in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program, is finishing up its design. During the 2017-2018 year, the team will fabricate and assemble a Baja buggy. The competition will take place in the Spring of 2018.
Students and Faculty Participate at First-Ever Springfield Build My Future Event
TCM students volunteered their time on April 12th at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds E-Plex for the first ever Build My Future Event. The event was created by local construction related organizations which included Springfield Contractors Association, Home Builders Association, and Local Unions.The purpose of the event was to introduce and highlight the field of construction and provide construction education for roughly 1,000 high school students from the southwestern Ozarks area. Approximately 25 TCM students and several TCM faculty members volunteered. The TCM bridge building activity was a popular booth at the event as groups of students competed to see who could assemble two 20-foot long PVC bridges the quickest. A student group from Kickapoo High School was the most successful in completing the bridge with their record setting time of 3 minutes and 13 seconds. Not to be outdone, the TCM students completed their bridge in 1 minute and 58 seconds!
SDA Students take a Trip To Las Vegas
In January, Springfield Design Association – MSU Chapter had 24 students and 2 professors attend the Las Vegas Winter Market in Las Vegas, NV. Trips like this are essential for students to get exposure to the business-world, not just outside of the classroom but outside of Missouri as well. Students attend Market to experience the latest trends and find inspiration from the industry’s top brands. Markets provide an efficient venue to meet with multiple vendors at one time, in one location. Successful retailers are not creating their success sitting in their stores. They are getting out, networking, learning, and thriving through interaction with industry peers, tastemakers, and like minded professionals.
The group as a whole met with 3 industry professionals on the first day of the trip, including renound designer Christopher Guy Harrison, owner and designer of the Christopher Guy brand. He stressed to the students that “If you are always busy looking at the neighbors, you will never see anything outside of the neighborhood.” He encouraged them to travel and see different places and styles, and was impressed that ,at a young age in school, MSU students were already getting out of their hometowns in the Mid-West.
Construction Management Spring Trip
A group of twenty construction management students took part in what has become an annual tradition for the construction management program – the CM Spring Trip. This year students toured six projects throughout St. Louis, MO and Nashville, TN. The total contract value of the projects visited surpassed $1 billion. Each project presented the students with challenges and lessons learned that will hopefully shape their future careers. On the first day of the trip, students toured ACW Alliance’s Washington University and BJC Healthcare Project. This large project, in excess of $500 million, demonstrated the importance of coordination and communication while working in a tight and crowded work environment. The second project visited was the Gateway Arch Renovation and Grounds Project. The McCarthy Project Superintendent, a CM program alum, showed the group around the iconic facility and explained the challenges of working on such a public structure while keeping the facility operational for visitors from around the world. The last stop in St. Louis was Ladue High School. Another recent alum who works for SM Wilson explained to the group the scheduling and logistic difficulties of working around an occupied school.
The following day, the group toured the 505 Tower – a massive 45 story residential building in downtown Nashville. The use of a self-jacking core was one of many innovative ideas that was new to both the Nashville area and the students visiting. The second stop in Nashville was the M Tower project being built by Hoar Construction. Students were able to compare and contrast the construction means and methods with the previous projects as they were both high-rise residential buildings. Lastly, the group visited JE Dunn’s 222 Office Tower along the banks of the Cumberland River. This 25-story, class AA office building was in the process of topping out and students got to climb up to the last few decks to watch the pouring process. All in all, this was an amazing learning opportunity that very few people have the chance to witness. It is at the heart of our “Build Your Future” motto that helps our students and graduates excel in the construction industry.
