Construction Students Compete at International Builders' Show
Four Eastern technology students recently participated in the Residential Construction Management Competition in Las Vegas as part of the 2009 International Builders' Show, which featured 250 education seminars and more than 1,600 exhibits.
Zach Bloomfield of Lexington; Joey Isaacs, McKee; Josh Murtaugh, Whitesburg; and Scott Schwenk, London, submitted a written proposal for a housing division on campus during the competition for four-year institutions, part of the show's National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Chapters activities. An oral defense was presented at the show.
"They performed well and learned a lot from the experience," said Wayne Reynolds, professor of technology at EKU who accompanied the students on the trip.
The International Association of Homebuilders provided scholarships to defray costs, and the Homebuilders Association of Kentucky matched those scholarship monies, so the students were able make the trip at no cost.
In addition to attending the Builders Show, the students also had the opportunity to take a guided tour of a major construction site, the City Centre project, guided by EKU alumnus Matt Owens, who graduated from the Construction Management program last spring and now works for Clark Construction. Owens also arranged a luncheon for the group with his company officials.
Housed under the Residential Construction Academy, and funded by NAHB, corporate partners, and student member dues, the NAHB Student Chapters program helps to enrich the educational experience of students enrolled in construction-related fields such as construction management, engineering, architecture, real estate, and the trades.
Chapters are located at high schools, vocational and technical schools, community colleges (two-year programs) and universities (four-year programs) across the county.
Published on February 23, 2009