Technology and Construction Management students gain hands-on experience during two trips and construction honor society chapter wins international award
Students in the TCM Department have a lot to be proud of this semester. Students in the Missouri State Chapter of Sigma Lambda Chi, an international construction honor society, were awarded the 2013 Excellence in Service Projects to Campus, Industry and Public Award. The award was presented at the 2014 International Convention for Sigma Lambda Chi in Washington D.C. March 28. Dr. Richard Gebken was at the convention and accepted this award on the group’s behalf. Dr. David Joswick is the faculty advisor for this group of approximately 16 students.
Students in the Construction Club had the opportunity to participate in two trips to gain a greater understanding of technology, facility, and construction management areas this spring. The first trip to iBuild, in Kansas City, Missouri took place April 16-17. Twenty members of the club along with faculty members Dianne Slattery, Kerry Slattery, David Joswick, and Interim Department Head Neal Callahan spent one day assisting with iBuild, a construction education event for middle and high school students sponsored by the National Institute for Construction Excellence. Construction Club members led
groups of middle and high school students around to different education events including one sponsored by MSU TCM, a build-a-bridge challenge, where students had 10 minutes to build a bridge from PVC pipe.While in Kansas City for iBuild, students spent some time with members of the KC area Construction Leadership Council (CLC). CLC is an organization for young industry professionals. Students had the opportunity to network and speak with CLC members while volunteering at Harvester’s Community Food Network packing food for individuals and groups served by the food bank. The final activity the group participated in while on the trip was a visit to two local project sites: JE Dunn’s Overland Park Regional Hospital project and McCown Gordon’s Prairie Fire mixed-use (commercial, residential, and museum) development. At each site students had the opportunity to meet with professionals and see what a typical day on the job might be like.
Later this week, April 24-25, 20 students will also be participating in the annual construction site tour. This year the students will visit six different projects in Arkansas and Tennessee. Highlights of the trip will include the HWY 71-B Flyover in Fayetteville, the Big Rock Interchange in Little Rock, Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid in Memphis, St. Jude Hospital, and the Memphis Red Bird Stadium. Students are selected to attend this trip and the iBuild trip on a first-come-first-served basis.
To stay up to date with TCM happenings and events Like the TCM Department on Facebook and for more information about any programs offered in the TCM Department, visit http://build.missouristate.edu.