Student Construction Efforts in Tornado-Ravaged Chapman Receive One of Top Awards from National Construction Group, Boise State and Cal State Chico Groups Also Honored
Kansas State University is home to the nation's second-best collegiate construction association this year according to an analysis of award applications conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America. As a result, the student group will receive one of the association's Outstanding Student Chapter awards, while colleagues at Boise State and Cal State Chico Universities will be awarded for first and third place, respectively.
"The mix of construction skills, management expertise and project savvy these groups possess is on a par with some of the nation's top construction firms," said J. Doug Pruitt, the association's president and chairman and CEO of Tempe, Arizona-based Sundt Construction. "Looking at these students' work, it's easy to feel optimistic about the industry's future."
Kansas State University's Student Chapter of the Associated General Contractors was selected as the second-best student group thanks to their work helping build a memorial in Chapman, Kansas, dedicated to the local victims of a tornado that struck the town in June, 2008. The group brought together over 40 volunteers to invest over 750 man-hours building the memorial park. As a result, they will receive $750 from the association.
Pruitt noted that Boise State University was again selected as the top student group largely for their work overseeing a complex project to relocate one of the oldest Abraham Lincoln statues west of the Mississippi. Thanks to their accomplishments, the school's Construction Management Association will receive $1,500 to help finance their operations.
Cal State Chico University's Student Chapter was named the nation's third-best student construction group for its work supporting fire-ravaged Concow, California. Students oversaw the construction of climate controlled storage buildings for residents' belongings while repairs were made to fire-damaged houses. The students were able to support the construction of 12 storage buildings. The association will provide the chapter with $400.
A panel of seven judges representing a cross-section of the construction industry evaluated the applications for this year's Student Chapter Awards contest. School groups were rated based on their accomplishments during the 2008-2009 school year. There are approximately 200 University-level student construction groups nationwide.
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