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The J. Roger Glunt Fellowship at Penn State: Sensational success stories by Tess Wittler or the past 15 years, the J. Roger Glunt Fellowship at Penn State has provided remarkable opportunities for graduate students interested in a career in the residential construction industry. Although the fellowship is named for him, Roger Glunt, a Pittsburgh home builder and the 1993 NAHB president, is quick to explain that Bernie Hankin deserves all the credit for getting the idea started. “Bernie’s idea was to have better home builders and more professionalism in our industry,” Glunt said. “He wanted to expose these young people, who are the best and the brightest, to our industry with the hope that they will choose a career in home building. And, even if they are not directly involved with building homes, he wanted them to understand the issues that affect home builders.” We caught up with three of the past Glunt Fellowship recipients to see how their experience at Penn State shaped where they are today.
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Jesse R. Burow (2004-2005) When Jesse R. Burow made the decision to focus his studies on structural engineering, he knew that the building industry was a strong and stable element of Pennsylvania’s economy and would allow him to stay in the area – a primary goal of his upon graduation. Weeks after receiving his master’s degree, Burow started work at Rigidply Rafters, a family-owned manufacturer of glued-wood products and wood roof trusses. Today, he is Rigidply’s technical services supervisor, working out of the company’s Oakland, Md., facilities. He is involved with the design and layout of metal plate connected wood roof and floor trusses used in residential construction. On any given day, Burow works with a variety of customers – from lumber yards to individual contractors. Burow said that he owes much of what he’s doing today to the Glunt Fellowship at Penn State, explaining that his research for the fellowship focused on the lateral stability of wood I-joists. He said he first learned of the Glunt Fellowship from his advisor. “I really do appreciate the fellowship,” he added. “[It] took the financial stress away from the equation so I could focus on my studies.” Even though Burow has only been out of school for four years, he already considers his life a success.
“I feel like I’ve done pretty well for myself. I am happy to work for Rigidply and do what I do every day,” he said. He realizes that many graduates don’t get to choose where they want to live – that they have to go away before they can “come back home.” Not Burow. He and his wife are building a house just across Pennsylvania’s border with Maryland … only about 20 minutes from his hometown of Confluence. His advice for anyone who is going to engineering school and trying to decide on a focus is simple: Take it for a test drive first. “Go out there and experience the specialty [through internships] first before you decide. It is an important decision; you should decide whether or not it is right for you,” said Burow.
Katie Blansett (2006-2007) Katie Blansett is involved in a different aspect of construction – the water resources side of the industry. As she put it, “I don’t do the sticks and bricks part of construction. I work with the site layout and design.” It was during her pursuit of her master’s degree in civil engineering that she was introduced to the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center. There, she had the opportunity to speak to builders about the hurdles to affordable housing. She quickly learned that the price of the home is tied to the cost of the land and complying with site development regulations, including stormwater management. From there, she wanted to work toward creating a balance between “protecting our natural resources and developing land in an efficient and cost-effective way.” Blansett said that the Glunt Fellowship was invaluable for the connections she made within the industry. She found the experience of attending the International Builders Show incredible and is appreciative of the opportunities provided to her through the help of the Glunt Fellowship. “[The committee] really does care about the next generation of builders, engineers and developers,” she said. Blansett is currently pursuing her doctorate at Penn State in agricultural and biological engineering with a focus in natural resources conservation and management as well as working toward becoming a licensed professional engineer. Once her studies are complete, she plans to teach at the college level as well as do some consulting work. “I feel it is important that engineering faculty at colleges are actually professional engineers,” Blansett said. “PEs can guide students with practical experience and understand the issues their students will face.” Continued on page 8 May/June 2009 • Keystone Builder
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J. Roger Glunt Fellowship Continued from page 7
Brennan Glantz (1995-1997) As the first Glunt Fellow, Brennan Glantz had the distinct honor of being the trailblazer for the program. “It came at the perfect time,” he said. “It was at the end of one professor’s tenure, Dr. Jack Willenbrock, and the beginning of another, Dr. Eric Burnett.”
Glantz’s focus on residential construction came naturally. His dad, an attorney by day, always had a remodeling project or spec house project in the works. However, Glantz said that although he spent weekends and summers helping his dad, what influenced his decision the most was the fellowship. Glantz talked highly of his experience as a Glunt Fellow. “Penn State is a big school, and you can get lost in the shuffle really quickly,
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but once I received the fellowship, everyone knew who I was.” The fellowship also pushed him to focus. “In the end, I ultimately got more out of the experience,” Glantz said. After spending some time in southern California, Glantz returned to his hometown of State College. He is the owner of Engineering Projects Inc., where he employs two Penn State engineering graduates. Much of the company’s work involves planning and designing for builders and developers. On the construction side, he operates two businesses: LTG Construction and Bozak Construction, in which he is a partner.
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“I spent two years studying building science. Building science is what we called it then; now it’s called green building.”
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LTG builds spec homes, and Bozak builds grander, custom homes in Centre County. With green building being the buzz in the industry, Glantz is particularly thankful for his time as a Glunt Fellow and feels that it has given him insight into where the industry is heading. “I spent two years studying building science. Building science is what we called it then; now it’s called green building.” Over the last two years, Glantz has been slowly incorporating green building practices into the homes he constructs. “As we could, we’d include one or two new [green] features into a home, until we got to the point where, just recently, we built a full-blown green home that was verified at the silver level,” Glantz said, who also earned the NAHB Certified Green Building Professional designation. Glantz is serving his second year on the BA of Central PA board of directors, and he would like to help educate members and consumers in green building practices – something he started learning about years ago. “The Glunt Fellowship was a remarkable experience, and something I am certainly proud of. In fact, I still have the plaque and photo of Roger Glunt and me on the wall.” s
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Glunt Fellows 1995-1997
Brennan Glantz, P.E.
1997-1999
Edward J. Bosack III, P.E.
1999-2000
Benjamin Wisniewski
2001-2002
Julie Masser Bailey
2002-2003
Joseph P. Pinon
2003-2004
Xing Shi, Ph.D.
2004-2005
Jesse R. Burow, E.I.T.
2006-2007
Katie Blansett
2007-2009
Maral Amini, E.I.T.
2007-2009
Tanya Myers
2008-2009
Brian Wolfgang
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May/June 2009 • Keystone Builder
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Meet the current Glunt Fellows by Tess Wittler ince 1995, the J. Roger Glunt Fellowship has provided additional financial resources to cover travel, research and educational expenses. The Glunt Fellows also receive travel funds to attend the International Builders Show. In total, the Glunt Fellowship has seen eight students successfully complete their master’s degree programs, with three more students currently part of the Glunt Fellowship program: Maral Amini, Tanya Myers and Brian Wolfgang. Maral Amini earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in architectural engineering. She is a doctoral student working on the effects of wind loads on low-rise buildings. Tanya Myers is working on her master’s degree in structural engineering. Prior to attending Penn State, she worked for a New Jersey home builder where one of the managers was a civil engineer. From there, she knew she wanted to pursue civil engineering. Myers first learned of the Glunt Fellowship from Bo Kasil, the Bernard and Henrietta Hankin Chair of Residential Building Construction, who encouraged her to apply. “The Glunt Fellowship has helped me out tremendously,” said Myers. “I was able to attend the IBS [International Builders Show] in 2008, and, financially, it has allowed me to focus on my studies.” Myers’ research project is investigating aspects of IRC that deal with the wind loads of low-rise buildings. “I am looking at the bracing table in the IRC and simulating wind loads on a house to see how they compare,” she explained. Her research is run through the PHRC, so she’s been able to present her results to the PHRC Advisory Council for input and feedback. When Myers graduates in May, she plans to return to New Jersey and find a job with an engineering firm where she can get her professional engineering license. After that, “if the opportunity arises in residential construction,” she said, “I’d be more than happy to get back into the residential building industry.” Brian Wolfgang is working toward his master’s degree in architectural engineering. He received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, along with a housing certificate from Penn State in May 2008. “I decided to take some residential construction classes and the interest just kept growing,” he said. Wolfgang is the president of the NAHB Student Chapter at Penn State, which he sees as a vital component of his interest in construction. “It’s helped me learn more about the industry and introduced me to some remarkable people.” Like so many other Glunt Fellows, Wolfgang appreciates having the financial stress removed while in graduate school. But even more rewarding for him is the exposure to “amaz-
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ing industry people, including Roger Glunt. Just the amount of knowledge he has is unbelievable to me.” Wolfgang’s research project focuses on basement insulation. He’s conducting a retrofit study where three different types of insulation are being studied to see how they perform during temperature and moisture changes. “My goal is to provide useful information to the industry,” he explained. Another advantage of being a Glunt Fellow is attending the IBS in February. “I was there at 8 a.m. every day going to seminars and walking the show floor. I was overwhelmed by how much was there.” Wolfgang admitted that the economy will play a huge role in what’s next for him when he graduates in December. Ideally, he’d like to stay in Pennsylvania, and his dream is to get exposure to both home building and development. He concluded, “I would love to work with a builder who will give me field experience.” s
About the Bernard and Henrietta Hankin Chair Established in 1979, the Bernard and Henrietta Hankin Chair in Residential Building Construction at Penn State was created with the generosity and foresight of the Hankin family with a $1 million endowment. The original goal of the program was to prepare young engineers for a career in the residential construction industry. This program has grown to include both undergraduate and graduate courses, research programs, a Housing Certificate (12 total credits), and various scholarships and fellowships to recruit the best and brightest students into the program. In the last three years, the current chair, Bo Kasil, has introduced new elements. The NAHB student chapter now competes every year at IBS, and students receive one course credit for their participation. Kasil has also developed the Hankin Distinguished Lecture series, which continues to grow each year. To learn more, visit www.engr.psu.edu/ce/ divisions/residential/res_program.htm.
About the J. Roger Glunt Fellowship Donations to the J. Roger Glunt Fellowship make it possible to recruit the best and brightest graduate students to Penn State. Donations are applied toward student research, travel and educational expenses. Donations also make it possible for the NAHB Student Chapter to travel to the IBS to compete in the NAHB Residential Construction Management Competition. To donate, contact Dr. Bo Kasil, 814-863-9788, or by e-mail at Buk13@psu.edu. To apply: The J. Roger Glunt Fellowship is run through the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. To learn more about the program, including how to apply, visit www.engr.psu. edu/ce/divisions/residential/Glunt.html.
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