Fiscal Year 2021-2022
J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management Program Impact Report engineering.sdsu.edu
J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management Program
ACADEMIC YEAR (AY) 2021-22
Message from Faculty
During the 2021-2022 academic year, the J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management (JRFCEM) Program has finally fulfilled a long-held promise to the local industry: the Construction Management major started in Fall 2021. The first class is involved in its coursework at SDSU, engaged in program-related activities, and networking with our local industry. The achievement of this major milestone would not have been possible without the unparalleled support the JRFCEM Program receives from our donors, friends, and supporters. The program needs all the help it can get to educate students and prepare them to join the thriving construction industry in San Diego and beyond. Dr. Takis Mitropoulos continued his work on the ABET re-accreditation process alongside Department Chair Dr. Janusz Supernak. The ABET accreditation "visit" happened online during October 2021, and the department is still awaiting a final disposition for the reaccreditation process. During the process, we received constant support from the Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) advisory board led by Jim Haughey and Jeremy LaHeye, who are also teaching our students in CIVE 495-Capstone Design alongside Mark Filanc and John Price. Jim and Jeremy’s advisory board leadership and the commitment of our advisory and the capstone design instructors were essential parts of our re-accreditation process.
Thais Alves, Ph.D. Associate Professor The Associate General Constructors (AGC) Paul S. Roel Chair in Construction Engineering and Management
Dr. Reza Akhavian's lab is outfitted and ready to support his research work for his prestigious $700,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award. This award will study “Co-Adaptation and Trust in Worker-Robot Interactions: Scalable Adoption of Collaborative Robots in Construction". Dr. Akhavian has just been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure and has remained very active on his research endeavors, pursuing additional grants with state and federal agencies and publishing new studies with his advisees.
ALL CAREER FAIR (virtual)
As the JRFCEM Program 45 participating director, I have employers been committed (42% increase to overseeing from the year dailyprior) operations 386 students attended and 386 being closely engaged with student activities. This includes planning for their courses, teaching an additional seminar on the Fundamentals of Construction Management for the new class, traveling with students to the ASC Competition in Reno, Nevada, and encouraging students to apply for available scholarships, internships, and jobs. As an educator, I find every bit of my work very rewarding and inspiring, as documented in the video for the 2021 Alumni Association Award. At SDSU, we are in the business of educating our students to be technically competent, socially engaged, and responsible professionals. We help students build careers and achieve their best potential, and your support is much appreciated and essential to what we do. Thank you! Thais Alves, Ph.D. Associate Professor The Associate General Constructors (AGC) Paul S. Roel Chair in Construction Engineering and Management
College of Engineering
Points of Pride
Thank You
New Construction Management Major
The J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management Program has added a Construction Management major, which makes San Diego State University one of only a few universities in the nation to offer majors in both Construction Engineering and Construction Management.
STUDENTS
35
The new Construction Management major has 35 students, including freshman admitted last year and transfer students.
Dr. Alves is contacted weekly by students who want to join the new major. Interestingly, many of these students are business, political science, and other engineering majors who are looking for a more specialized field of work.
The J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management Program program continues to be thankful for its philanthropic and industry support. To date, almost $2 million has been raised in support of the AGC Chair in Construction Management to attract and retain high-level faculty to lead the program.
Faculty Achievements
Dr. Alves, director of the J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and
Management Program, recently received a 2021 Distinguished Faculty Award from the university. She also published two papers with collaborators on her studies on Collaborative Schedules in Construction highlighting collaborative practices and their impact on key performance indicators in Engineering, Construction, and Architectural Management and Construction Management and Economics, highly respected journals in her field of work.
Student Spotlight
Dr. Akhavian is working on his $700,000 National Science
Foundation (NSF) CAREER award to study “Co-Adaptation and Trust in Worker-Robot Interactions: Scalable Adoption of Collaborative Robots in Construction.” For reference, a CAREER award, as defined by the NSF: “The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of earlycareer faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.” Dr. Akhavian has recently published with his students about trust and artificial intelligence (AI) implications and automated estimation of construction equipment emission.
Nensi Lakrori, PE, our full-time lecturer, is the Women in
Transportation Studies (WTS) International Pacific West Regional Council Representative and the Pacific West Regional Council Vice Chair.
Nima Nasirpour (BS, Construction Engineering ‘22)
Nima Nasirpour, an officer with SDSU’s Associated General Contractors (AGC) & Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) student chapter, co-organized Professional Development Day (PDD) with the SDSU American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) chapter last October. The student-organized career fair brought 60 companies to campus, including 30 related to construction firms and the other 30 distributed within engineering design and services and public organizations.
Student Success
Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) competition
Three teams, including 22 students, participated in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) competition in Sparks, Nevada (the “Reno” competition). The teams were led by AGC & CMAA student officer Kyle Jones (BS, Construction Engineering ‘22), with support from Kellie Korhonen (AGC San Diego), Dr. Alves, and the AGC San Diego Construction Leadership Council (CLC).
Women in Construction Chapter at SDSU
The commercial team was mentored by Clark Construction, the preconstruction team was mentored by Swinerton, and the Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) team was mentored by Balfour Beatty Construction. The teams did not place this year, but construction management sophomore Diego Mendoza was on an alternates team that placed third in the alternates category. It was a very meaningful experience for all students who attended the event.
Ines DaCruz (BS, Construction Management ‘24)
Commercial team (ASC Competition, Feb.2022)
Virtual Design and Construction team (ASC Competition, Feb.2022)
Ines DaCruz is working with Dr. Alves to re-start the Women in Construction chapter at SDSU. Ines is leading a group of female students to get the chapter officially recognized in the Fall 2022 semester. In the meantime, a group of students and faculty are meeting to start networking and planning future activities.
Preconstruction team (ASC Competition, Feb.2022)
Women in Construction meeting (March 24, 2022)
Professors Lakrori and Alves with current and former students (Feb.2022)
Thank you for your generous support.
For questions regarding this report please contact DonorRelations@SDSU.edu or call (619) 594-2448.
Donor Relations University Relations and Development San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego, CA 92182-8030 SDSU.edu