Imagine a world without roadways...

...or railways, bridges, dams, or power plants. Certainly you can’t imagine a world without the infrastructure produced by the heavy construction industry. The construction industry is the economic engine in our nation. It is often the barometer for our economy. Because of the industry’s importance to the health of our nation, it is critical that higher education provide a steady stream of well-trained and educated heavy construction managers. These managers will oversee billions of dollars of roadways, railways, bridges, and other heavy construction in the future.

To provide the future managers for the industry, the Construction Management Program at Colorado State University has developed an initiative that will positively impact the heavy construction industry into the 21st century and beyond. Colorado State University’s commitment to the industry is to provide a champion who can inspire and lead students to choose heavy construction management as a career choice. This leader will create a culture of understandin about heavy construction and its importance to the future of our state, region, and nation. This will be achieved through the creation of a permanent faculty position to be known as the Heavy Construction Management Endowed Chair.

The Heavy Construction Management Endowed Chair will:

• Provide a permanent emphasis in heavy construction management at Colorado State University as part of the Construction Management curriculum
• Conduct research to benefi t the heavy construction industry with an emphasis in asphalt pavement technology through laboratory and full-scale testing programs
• Develop partnerships with the College of Engineering to promote a better understanding of the roles each discipline plays in heavy construction
• Energize Construction Management students regarding the heavy construction industry and the career opportunities available

The Heavy Construction Management curriculum will challenge students in all types of heavy construction with significant emphasis in asphalt pavement construction. Colorado State University will be the only university in the state to include an asphalt curriculum. More than $130 million annually is spent on asphalt pavement construction and rehabilitation in Colorado, making the economic benefi ts of this new program very significant.

Our goal of $3 million is needed to endow the Heavy Construction Management Endowed Chair. Our plan is to start the curriculum phase now, which is possible due to the commitment of Colorado State University. The University will provide $420,000 total for the next five years to support this position until the fund-raising is complete.

It is crucial for our economy and our quality of life that the heavy construction industry continue to improve productivity. It is just as crucial that the University and the industry invest in this important economic engine and understand its signifi cance to our way of life.

This important goal cannot be a reality without your financial commitment to develop and sustain the heavy construction emphasis at Colorado State University. We hope you will join us and others in the heavy construction management industry to prepare the industry’s future leaders.

Total to Date: $720,942.54

James Parnell Student Professional Development Fund.

Dr. James Parnell, the industrial sciences/construction management teacher who began teaching at Colorado State in 1972, once said that one of the most rewarding aspects of his career was witnessing the success of his students.

Parnell planned to retire in May 2003, but never had the opportunity to experience that transition. On September 19, 2002, an aneurism suddenly took his life.

Parnell mentored and helped students, inside and outside the classroom. He contributed to award-winning floats that CM students built for the Homecoming parade each year. He brought professionals into the classroom to help students see the application of what they were learning. Nothing thrilled him more than running into former students at national association meetings and conferences and seeing how they were succeeding in their careers.

The department is now honoring Parnell through the James Parnell Student Professional Development Fund. The goal of the $250,000 campaign is to create an endowment that will help pay for travel and other expenses related to students' participation in professional development activities.

To donate to the fund, send your pledge or gift amount via cash, credit card, or check, made payable to CSU Foundation, to Sue Wagner-Renner, Department of Construction Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1584.

Total to Date: $129,284