April 17, 2024
Ferris State Construction Management Alumni Use Talents, Technology to Bolster Case for Nationally Recognized Program
Construction crews are active year-round in Michigan and across the United States, as operations develop new facilities to advance their efficiency and mission, or businesses reconfigure existing buildings.
Ferris State University’s Construction Management degree program is recognized as a national leader in this high-demand field and a “first choice” for firms seeking new talent to direct development of future spaces for commerce, healthcare, transportation, along with the strengthening of infrastructure and utility networks.
Construction Management Program Coordinator Suzanne Miller said the comprehensive nature of the Associate of Applied Science and Bachelor of Science degree curricula has been a constant since the program was established in 1960.
“Ferris graduates are adept at entering the corporate culture, ready to contribute to the pursuit of excellence from their first day on the job,” Miller said. “Our professors can relate from their broad experiences and bring industry knowledge to laboratory instruction that evolves with the development and influence of technology in this field.”
A recent study by the American Association of Retired Persons touts the $52.02 per hour average pay for construction managers and cites a 7.6 percent increase for jobs in that category over a ten-year period ending in 2031.
Miller and 2021 Construction Management alumna Marisa Roberts both spoke of associate professor Mark Dyke’s efforts to promote awareness and ability in multi-dimensional modeling as part of the curriculum. Roberts said after accepting an internship and part-time position with Southfield-based Barton Malow during her senior year, she joined the company as a Virtual Design Construction Engineer-I.
“In that first experience with Barton Malow I was contributing from home, owing to pandemic restrictions,” Roberts said. “I also was involved in 3-D modeling from my Big Rapids residence in a part-time role, as I completed my degree.”
Roberts said her early involvement in 3-D modeling demonstrated the contribution she could make before the physical work of a project began.
“I received an offer to join the company full-time during the Fall 2020 semester, which I was happy to accept and establish my career path,” Roberts said. “In a short time, I was involved with four-dimensional modeling, to address project considerations at any point in that development. Thanks to this technology, our clients can view a 30-second video clip and review details that had made up 400 pages of check points in a construction plan.”
In 2022 Marisa was assigned to the management team for construction of a $5.8 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Kentucky, and her responsibilities with Barton Malow continue to rise and impress.
“We are coming to the end of that project, and I am proud to have just become a senior project engineer,” Roberts said. “My emphases include virtual reality production and involvement with a drone team. I am a licensed drone pilot and lead a team of 10 in these efforts. I love all aspects of my role with Barton Malow and really feel it was the Construction Management program at Ferris that made all this possible for me.”
Roberts’ next project is a 1.2 million square foot assembly plant the Boeing Company has planned for St. Louis, Missouri. All the while, Marisa makes the time to contribute to Ferris State’s CONM program as a presenter and Barton Malow representative.
“I enjoy being at career fairs on behalf of our company, which has included returning to Ferris since I graduated,” Roberts said. “I have also stayed connected with Mark Dyke, making virtual presentations on 3-D modeling for his classes. I feel it is important to help current students know what kind of opportunities lie before them, so they are ready to lead and succeed.”
Shane Napper, a 1997 Construction Management alumnus, has made great success by investing the sum of his career with Rockford Construction. He began in a superintendent’s role, rising to more than a decade of administrative service and is now the firm’s president and chief operating officer.
“At the time, I was also considering a couple of other firms as I completed my degree,” Napper said. “The Construction Management program at Ferris continues to be top-notch, producing highly-sought-after candidates for the construction industry. I loved my CONM experience because our laboratory learning, success in student competitions and focus on team building in our curriculum gave each graduate a ‘touch and feel’ ability in a field where ‘hands-on’ understanding of processes is crucial to success.”
Napper is a member of the Construction Management Program Industry Advisory Board and proud that Rockford Construction’s operations team boasts many Ferris State graduates.
“Ferris gave me the knowledge and experience to be where I am, along with the opportunity to invest in my abilities as a leader,” Shane said. “Our growth as students was fostered by dynamic and inquisitive instructors who understand the importance of keeping in contact with alumni to stay abreast of the market – this keeps the program fresh and vital. When we seek to fill leadership positions, Ferris has presented candidates, year after year with consistently excellent results.”
Claire Whitman studied Growth and Structure of Cities at Bryn Mawr College for her Bachelor of Arts degree and followed that with a Juris Doctorate at the University of Michigan Law School. Success was a constant as a professional, but Whitman turned to the Ferris CONM program to give her personal interests an outlet.
“Being a lawyer did not afford something tangible, or ‘a thing’ resulting from the work I did,” Whitman said. “I wanted specialist training to supplement my education to show the seriousness of my intentions to switch to the construction industry.”
Claire took Construction Management courses through Ferris State and was able to earn a Construction Administration certificate in 2022.
“I want to recognize the efforts of emeriti professor Bob Eastley and associate professor Ferrell Clark, who really helped me to make connections and achieve my goals,” Whitman said. “They were wonderful professors in what is the best possible program for anyone interested in becoming a leader in the construction industry.”
Whitman has made rapid advancement at Honor Construction and Development, having been named Vice President of Operations in the summer of 2023 for the Grand Rapids-based and veteran-owned company offering management consultancy in mid-to-large scale commercial projects.
The Construction Management program is part of Ferris State’s College of Engineering Technology, in the School of Built Environment and is accredited by the American Council for Construction Education.