Myers-Lawson School of Construction Update

by Dr. Yvan J. Beliveau, Director of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction

The Myers-Lawson School of Construction was officially started in August of 2006. We are forever indebted to A. Ross Myers '72 of American Infrastructure and John R. Lawson II '75 of W.M. Jordan Company, Inc. for their vision and generosity.

The start of the school in the Fall was after two years of work and commitment from many people representing Virginia Tech including the Provost Office, the College of Engineering (COE), the College of Architecture and Urban Studies (CAUS), the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), the Department of Building Construction (BC) and the Vecillio Construction Engineering and Management Program (VCEMP).

The School builds on Virginia Tech's long standing Department of Building Construction (established in 1947) and the Vecillio Construction Engineering and Management Program (established in 1986). The school will administer two undergraduate degrees, Building Construction and Construction Engineering and Management, two master degrees, MSBC and MSCEE with a Construction Engineering Management (CEM) focus, and a joint Ph.D. program. The School, as of Fall 2007, enrolled about 410 students in these degrees. We are looking to have close to 500 students this coming Fall with the growth and the inclusion of the Class of 2009 and the Class of 2010 of CEM.

The Schools' overarching hope is to create a construction academic program that provides for unique opportunities to enhance an identity for itself and its students. During the formation of the School, Ross Myers and John Lawson expressed their belief that the Building Construction curriculum and the VCEMP will do more than simply provide technical instruction to students. They aspire to do more. These discussions along with faculty involvement evolved to include three areas of fundamental understanding and branding for our students. These areas are: 1.) values based leadership, 2.) excellence in creative learning and research environment, and 3.) integrating and sustaining the built environment. In short, the overriding hope is to breed "leadership in construction" within our graduates so that they recognize the importance of, and commitment to people, society, and our environment through a creative learning and research environment. We want our graduates to stand out in these areas and have these overarching beliefs at the core of their being.

In order to accomplish this leadership in construction, the faculty has made an equally important commitment. This commitment requires a rethinking of how we teach, what we teach, and where we want to go.

The home for the Myers-Lawson School of Construction will be Bishop-Favaro Hall. Bishop-Favaro Hall is the result of the vision put forth by the Building Construction Industry Board in 1998. The building is named after Richard Bishop (a 1968 Graduate of BC), and William Favaro, the department head of Building Construction, who lead the department from its inception in 1947 until 1977. The Building Construction Department and the contributions to this building have made it possible to house the Myers-Lawson School of Construction. Bishop-Favaro Hall is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in November of 2007. Fundraising for this building and future expansion continues with naming opportunities and other involvement.

It is appropriate to close by stating the vision and mission of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction:

The vision is to be a constant beacon of innovation and excellence in construction education, research, and outreach.

The mission is that we provide a unified identity for excellence in construction education, research and outreach within Virginia Tech, to the academic community, and to the construction industry.

We have several initiatives started to help us along our path. These include a center for construction safety, a center for leadership, and an across immersion into the world of sustainability and integrated facility.

I want to recognize the contribution made to Bishop-Favaro Hall by the Virginia Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (VRMCA). VRMCA is the first association to get involved by naming a laboratory in new building. This experimental laboratory will ensure that practice will always be a part of construction education at Virginia Tech.

This naming should be the beginning of a long-term relationship. I hope this relationship allows us to work together to solve real problems and to best educate our graduates. I personally look forward to the journey ahead.