Endowed scholarship to aid Building Construction Management students

Students interested in a career in the electrical construction industry have a new opportunity to fund their education, thanks to a new scholarship fund. The David R. Huston Memorial Scholarship has been established for the Department of Building Construction Management. It is named in honor of a 1952 Purdue graduate and the former president and CEO of Huston Electric, Inc., in Kokomo, Ind.

An effective, well-respected leader and a tireless promoter of the electrical construction industry, Huston was instrumental in building Huston Electric into an industry leading construction firm. He was actively involved in National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) in many capacities, including serving terms as president and governor of the Central Indiana Chapter. When he died in 1997, the management team of Huston Electric and Central Indiana NECA combined efforts and funded an initial investment in his memory. That fund has grown enough to establish an endowed scholarship.

“This scholarship provides continuous reinforcement of the value-add that our electrical concentration provides for our students and industry partners,” said Robert Cox, head of the Department of Building Construction Management. “For organizations like Huston and NECA to team up and provide this scholarship shows that our students are being well-prepared for this specialized area of construction.”

Scholarship recipients will be selected based on academic merit and/or need defined by the department with preference being given to first-year students. It will be renewable for sophomore, junior, and senior students. To be eligible, a student must have demonstrated an interest in pursuing a career in the electrical field. Such interest may be demonstrated through an internship, co-op, or other work experience; and/or involvement in the NECA student organization.

“We can think of nothing more appropriate than establishing a scholarship in Dave’s memory, honoring his commitment to the electrical construction industry and his love for Purdue University,” said Jeff Cardwell, president/CEO of Huston Electric, Inc.

Initial plans are to award the first scholarship(s) in the fall of 2012.