USM Students Excel in National Construction Management Competition

Wed, 04/03/2024 - 03:34pm | By: Ivonne Kawas

Students from the nation's leading Construction Management Programs, including The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) School of Construction and Design, were challenged to find solutions for a real-world construction project at the 2024 Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Construction Management Competition held in Orlando, Fla., this past month.

USM’s four-person team made it to the top 10 nationwide out of 25 programs that participated in the competition, honing skills in project management, estimating, safety, quality control and presentation.

Team members included Aaron Strahan (from Petal, Miss); Jeffrey Alford (from Magnolia, Miss.); Lucas Nolan (from Irvington, Ala.); and Haden White (from Birmingham, Ala.). Serving as alternates in preparation for next year’s competition were Jose Mendez (from Abita Springs, La.) and Juan Bankhead (from Macon, Miss.).

The team was advised by construction management professors Dr. Fan Zhang and Dr. Salar Kamari, as well as Matt Pace, a distinguished alumnus of USM’s Construction Management Program and member of its Industry Advisory Council.

“I strongly believe that student competitions play a vital role in enriching the educational experience and preparing students for their future professional endeavors,” said Dr. Emre Bayraktar, director of the School of Construction and Design. “We appreciate the efforts of our faculty advisors and Matt Pace for guiding our students and propelling them to succeed in this rigorous competition.”

The process of preparing for the competition started in early January, where students had 10-weeks to complete a construction project and submit their work to the competition committee before advancing to the second phase held in-person.

The teams convened at the ABC Annual Convention to finalize additional project-related tasks, such as estimating the cost of a new facility and managing the changes suggested by the competition judges, composed of practicing industry professionals.

As USM’s team advanced to the final round, they took the stage to present their work and answered questions posed by the judges in real-time.

Nolan commended his team members for the collaborative effort, as he believes they all brought unique perspectives that contributed to their success.

“Participating in this competition emphasized the importance of effective communication and collaboration within a team,” said Nolan. “It highlighted how every member's unique perspective and skill set contributed to the overall success of the project.”

He continued: “This achievement served as a beacon of inspiration, motivating us to continue striving for excellence, embracing challenges, and making a positive impact in everything we do. It emboldens us to set even higher aspirations, knowing that with dedication and teamwork, anything is possible.”

Dr. Bayraktar takes immense pride in the students' achievements and praised the team for representing USM on the national stage.

“Congratulations to our amazing students who represented USM on stage in the best way possible — making Southern Miss proud!”