The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), as well as Iowa State University and Pittsburg State University were named the nation’s most outstanding student construction chapters of 2022, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) announced.
The student chapters were each honored for one of three categories; Emerging Student Chapter Award, Community Service Award, and Construction Management Skills Award.
“We honor these three student chapters for their dedication to the construction industry and commitment to supporting local communities,” said Lester C. Snyder, the association’s president and EVP of Brightline West in Las Vegas. "These students showcase the future of our industry, and we look forward to them welcoming them into the construction workforce."
UNLV won the Emerging Student Chapter Award. In August 2021, a group of motivated students got together to revive the AGC Student Chapter at UNLV. To successfully increase participation and engagement, the leadership team approached professors who taught construction and engineering courses and to present information about the chapter to their classes.
The Iowa State University Student Chapter won the Community Service Award for its impressive portfolio of projects totaling 1,771 volunteer hours across sites in Iowa, Tennessee, and Texas. The chapter partnered with Habitat for Humanity and Appalachian Service Project to repair and build houses as well as design and build a memorial bench and obtained sponsorships from AGC member companies for their activities.
The Pittsburg State University Student Chapter won the Construction Management Skills and Project Award for its work on the Carver League Project, a renovation of a historic African American community center in Pittsburg, Kansas. The Carver League and building was originally developed to provide a place for social activities for the African American residents of Pittsburg and the surrounding communities. In 2021, former League members approached the School of Construction to assist in the building renovation. AGC students were heavily involved in labor, skilled trades, and management of trade contractors. The project was funded by WATCO Companies in a partnership with the Carver League Foundation. The student chapter members contributed 1,238 work-hours of management and 261 work-hours of labor.
The three winning chapters received $2,000 each, as well as an additional $1,000 travel stipend to attend AGC’s Annual Convention, which was held last month in Las Vegas. The chapters were selected by a panel of judges made up of practicing commercial contractors. Student chapters were evaluated on qualifying criteria in each of the three categories for exemplary demonstration of the AGC of America tenets of Skill, Responsibility & Integrity.
Source: AGC
