New Faculty Member to Introduce 3-D Modelling to Students

The CM department's newest faculty member, Brad Johnson, brings a love for building, teaching, coaching, and international project management to his new job. A Ph.D. student in education, Johnson was hired on a tenure-track line and will begin teaching full-time this fall.

"Construction management is something I've enjoyed doing my whole life," says Johnson, who started building while in his teens. "But teaching is my passion."

Johnson is particularly interested in introducing students to 3-D modeling, which has been central to research he and his adviser, CM Professor James Folkestad, have participated in during the last two years.

Johnson and Folkestad partnered on a Genesis Homes-sponsored project using 3-D modeling to create homebuilding plans designed to improve productivity and decrease waste. Information acquired from that project is a key component of Johnson's dissertation, "Virtual Construction as a Means to Capture and Transfer Knowledge to Reduce Product and Process Waste for Affordable Housing."

Three-dimensional modeling, says Johnson, "takes some of the craft out of homebuilding and makes it more of a manufacturing process. One beneit to this is that workers know beforehand what they need to do. They have the knowledge and all the parts to do the job when they get there."

Modeling enables the design-build process, says Johnson, because it integrates the knowledge of architects, engineers, developers, and subcontractors into a building plan. He's now evaluating different software programs that will be suitable for more advanced modeling elements, such as scheduling, estimating, and facilities management.

Johnson believes research enhances the educational experience, and he looks forward to applying this in the classroom. "Nothing is stagnant in any industry," he says. "Bringing research into the classroom gives students a vision of what future change might look like." Next year, the Associated Schools of Construction will sponsor a student competition in Building Information Modeling. Johnson hopes to coach Colorado State's CM student team as well as continue his work with the NAHB student team.

Johnson is also co-principal investigator on the CSU-Helwan University project, a partnership with Egypt that involves teaching project management to students from both schools via online instruction. "I think working with smaller countries provides a huge opportunity to marry international project management with 3-D modeling," says Johnson. "A picture is a lot easier to understand than lines on a piece of paper."

Residing in Wellington, Colo., Johnson is married to Letitia. The couple has three children: Jaylynn, 9; Aleia, 5; and Spencer, 2.

2005-2006 CM Faculty and Staff Award Winners Lenora Bohren, Ph.D., Director of the National Center for Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety/Clean Air Center: 2006 Omer Stewart Award, High Plains Society for Applied Anthropology, for significant achievements in the field of applied anthropology. CM Professors Steve Jaouen and Chuck Smith: 2006 National Teaching Awards, Associated Schools of Construction, for contributions to construction education, excellence in teaching, and dedication to the construction profession.

With An Artistic Flair

Even though Ron Holt has "beenaround construction forever," it was art that brought him to Colorado and led him to Colorado State's CM program, and now, art is enhancing his new career as an assistant professor in construction management.

Holt, whose art appears in collections in the United States and overseas, started his construction career doing rough-in work while earning a degree in art. Later, he served as general contractor, real estate broker, superintendent, homebuilder, and director of real estate and construction for a large restaurant company. In 1999, Holt and his wife, Marilyn, decided to move from Florida so Holt could further pursue his art. The couple was drawn to Loveland, Colo., the largest sculpture community in the world. In 2000, they moved west. Within a couple of years, their two sons gravitated to Loveland as well.

Once settled, Holt considered pursuing an advanced art degree. While perusing Colorado State's Web site, he was surprised to discover a master's program in construction management. Believing an advanced degree in construction management would be a beneficial career move, Holt enrolled in CSU's CM program.

While in school and also working as a teaching assistant, Holt discovered he enjoyed teaching. "I was interested in doing something different, giving back to a great industry, and having some time to pursue my art," he says. "Teaching construction management seemed to be a really good mix of what I like to do."

CM Department Head Larry Grosse liked the assortment of knowledge and experience Holt brought to the classroom. He hired Holt as a lecturer initially; beginning this fall, Holt will be part of the department's faculty, teaching the Senior Capstone course.

Holt already has made several contributions to the department. His thesis on case studies for construction management courses at CSU has led to developing a case study library for the department. He donated one of his bronze sculptures to the department for the 2006 Ram Built Gala 60th Anniversary auction. Recently, he presented a concept drawing for a proposed mural in the department's new JE Dunn Construction classroom. (See related stories, pages 8 and 9.)

Holt believes his art training is a major asset to his construction and teaching careers. "Having a trained eye for seeing detail is very beneicial," he says. "Additionally, I use illustration as a visual aid when describing ideas and images to others." He often uses his graphic skills in the classroom to create 3-D drawings that help students better understand concepts.

"There's a lot of construction in art and a lot of art in construction," says Holt. "In constructing sculptures and buildings, everything must be put together in such a way that the inished piece will stand up."

CM Professor Brian Dunbar: Excellence in Education Award, Waterpik Technologies, for outstanding effort in helping to shape the future of education. CM Professor Mostafa Khattab: 2005 Educator of the Year, Mechanical Contractors Association of America, for superior performance as a leader, mentor, educator, and adviser to members of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of MCAA at CSU. Finance Manager Sue Wagner-Renner: 2006 Outstanding Achievement Award, Colorado State University, for exemplary team leadership, mentoring abilities, and substantial contributions to the community.

 

 

 

 

About Brad Johnson

Education B.S. Industrial Teacher Educati Utah State University, 2001 M.S. Construction Manageme Colorado State University, 200 Ph.D. Education with a concentration in Construction Management, Colorado State University, 2006 Recent Positions Instructor and Teaching Assist Construction Management, Colorado State University, 2002-2006 Graduate Research Assistant, Construction Management, Colorado State University, 2004-present Faculty Intern/Consultant, He Phelps Construction Company General Contractor/Owner, Br Johnson Construction, Inc., 1997-present

Meet Ron Holt

Education B.A. Art, University of Missouri, 1970 M.S. Construction Management, Colorado State University, 2006 Recent Positions JE Dunn Construction Company, Medical Center of the Rockies, Summer 2006 Instructor and Teaching Assistant, Construction Management, Colorado State University, 2003-2006 Director of Real Estate and Construction, TPI Inc., 1990-1996 President, Holt-Stephan Construction Company, 1985-1990

Visiting Scholar The Department of Construction Management ipleased to announce Jung-Kyu Kim will spend the 2006-07 academic year as a visiting scholar. Kim is an assistant professor in the Department of Architecture, Mokpo National University, Republic of Korea. He will work with Angela Guggemoto research details of hybrid construction materials.