Dear all:

After a long wait we are back again with the new format for the CEM NEWS magazine. We plan to publish the web magazine twice a year. As we publish more of these issues, we will generate an archive that is easily accessible from the website. A lot has happened in the last few years. We added two new faculty, Dr. Ted Weidner (2014) as Associate Professor of Engineering Practice and Dr. Robert Patty (2015) as Associate Professor of Engineering Practice and the Beavers Heavy Construction Distinguished Fellow. Both of them bring extensive industry experience and make a great addition to our distinguished faculty. In addition, three of our faculty received promotion and tenure, Dr. Kandil in 2014 and Drs. Cai and Karava in 2015.

The student numbers are increasing with one of the largest classes admitted this year. More importantly, over 35% of our new students are women. In addition, our faculty is engaged in enhancing the curriculum by refining existing courses and considering new courses that reflect the changing needs of the industry including courses in facilities engineering, lean construction, industrial construction, as well as means and methods.

We hope you enjoy the four stories in the News Magazine that highlight the engagement activities of our students, experiential learning as a centerpiece of our curriculum, discovery and innovation led by our faculty, and finally the impact of scholarships on our students.

Makarand Hastak
Head
Division of Construction Engineering and Management