NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The
vision of Middle Tennessee State University College of Basic and Applied
Sciences Dean Bud Fischer led to the
merging of its signature concrete program with its construction counterpart to
form the MTSU School of Concrete and Construction Management.
Accompanied by Fischer, Provost Mark Byrnes and other university officials, School Director Heather Brown formally announced the
merger and name change to industry representatives Thursday (Dec. 8) at Ascend
Amphitheater’s indoor venue.
MTSU has had the nationally recognized Concrete Industry
Management program — the first of its kind in the country — and the highly
successful residential/development and commercial construction program for more
than 20 years. There are 310 majors combined in the two concentrations.
“The merger was led by a vision from Dr. Fischer to create a
school that would gain attention from high school students, parents and employers
that would serve as the statewide clearinghouse for concrete and construction
education,” Brown said.
Fischer, who has been dean since 2012, said for years MTSU
“has enjoyed peer recognition as having among the best residential and
commercial construction programs in the Southeast.”
“The Concrete Industry Management department also enjoys
acceptance as the best concrete program in the nation, with a model partnership
involving the industry,” he added. “Bringing these two programs of this nature together
in the proposed School of Concrete and Construction will create a unique
organization that spans the traditional academic disciplines.”
The merger establishes “a new standard for concrete and
construction education, research and outreach, confirm our reputation for
innovation and creativity and make Middle Tennessee State University a
destination for students interested in an applied science education with a
focus on the built environment,” Fischer said.
Event attendees included dozens of alumni and industry
professionals. Franklin, Tennessee-based Skanska USA sponsored the reception.
“Skanska
congratulates MTSU on the merger of their concrete, commercial and residential
construction programs under one school,” said Joey Hatch, executive vice president for Skanska. “This new
collaboration will increase synergy between the combined advisory boards, allow
MTSU to gain more recognition from the increased student population of the
total program and provide companies like Skanska the opportunity to recruit
from a larger pool of local graduates with a more well-rounded education.”
Hatch
added that MTSU’s brand will be “more prominent than it’s ever been by creating
our region’s only program that houses a unique blend of construction
disciplines.”
As of August, department data showed 8.4 jobs per each
graduating MTSU concrete major and average salaries from 2012-16 included
nearly $43,000 in Tennessee and nearly $51,000 out of state.
The
residential/land development construction major is also special and has been at
MTSU since 1991, Brown said. Commercial construction has been very successful
at placing graduates since 2010 with nearly 100 percent job placement.
The land
development/residential building construction management student team twice won
the National Association of Homebuilders Student Chapters residential
construction management competition and placed in the top five seven times from
2003-12.
Electrical
construction management is the only bachelor’s degree in the country that
allows electrical apprentices to complete a college degree while gaining
experience in electrical construction, Brown added.
Prominent
concrete and construction alumni include:
• Chad Hustedde (Class of 2000), a
concrete graduate, who is vice president and general manager of Cemex in Tampa,
Florida.
• Drew Cox (’03), a concrete graduate,
who is vice president/construction with TDK Construction in Murfreesboro.
• Brian Chastain (’01), a construction
management graduate, who is president of Parkside Builders in Nashville,
Tennessee.
• Matt Fugate (’05), a construction
management graduate, who is vice president of construction for EMJ Corporation
in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
For more
information, call 615-494-7658 or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/programs/concrete-industry/
and http://www.mtsu.edu/programs/construction/.
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