A message from Dr. Cox

Dr. Robert F. Cox

Dear BCM alumni, friends, and industry partners:

I hope that you enjoy this version of the Hardhat newsletter. While the construction industry market has acted much like our Indiana weather of the past few days (it will not make up its mind and is responding on the extremes), our BCM faculty and staff continue to maintain a positive attitude about our beloved program and the construction industry. The items in this newsletter share just a few of our many highlights from Fall 2011.

BCM welcomes our new dean, Dr. Gary Bertoline. Dean Bertoline has been at Purdue for more than 20 years and served as the College of Technology’s associate dean for graduate programs prior to his appointment. He attended the Fall 2011 CAC luncheon and shared his vision of taking the college from “Good to Great.”

We remain practical in our research endeavors and seek to be solution providers in a use-inspired research environment that supports the daily operations in our construction industry. BCM faculty and graduate students made major contributions in such areas as energy, healthcare project commissioning, health and safety, disaster restoration, and service learning which are highlighted in this newsletter.

BCM continues to promote a global mindset with our students and faculty through study abroad, international travel, addressing global challenges, and hosting visiting scholars. Faculty and students traveled the world over this past year visiting China, Costa Rica, Ireland, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. We have also effectively utilized guest speakers like John Zukley (Bechtel), who are leading major international construction projects to enhance student understanding of these opportunities.

We celebrated many accomplishments, including the Solar Decathlon, our student competition teams, and our newest, first-of-its-kind textbook on disaster restoration. We were well represented at the December graduation ceremony as BCM student Bryan Morris served as the student responder for the graduating class.

BCM has been fortunate to continue having great industry leadership in our advisory council. This fall semester marked the end of Randy Ket’s (Hunt Construction) two-year term as our CAC president. It also marked the beginning of our newest slate of executive members as Tom Kerker (Wilhelm Construction) began his term as president, along with vice presidents Jeff Chinn (Bowen Engineering), Joe Michuda (Michuda Construction), and Chuck Goodrich (Gaylor Group), filling the executive leadership team.

Please send us information and news clips on your careers so that we can keep everyone among our BCM family and friends updated. On behalf of Purdue’s Department of Building Construction Management, I wish you all of the best in your business and personal lives in 2012.

BOILER UP!

Robert F. Cox, Ph.D.
Interim Associate Dean for Globalization
Department Head and Professor