by Michael Dey | Sep 15, 2014 | Uncategorized
We told you last week that Todd Usher is mentoring construction students at Clemson University. He serves as the HBA’s professional adviser to the NAHB Student Chapter at Clemson and also serves as a member of the Industry Advisory Board for Clemson’s Construction Science and Management program.
Read last week’s article by clicking here.
This week NAHB featured Todd’s efforts on NAHBNow.com, the national blog. Among Todd’s efforts is to mentor the competition team at Clemson that will be competing in the student competition at the International Builders Show.
“The Residential Construction Management Competition provides the most real-world experience these students are likely to have prior to graduation,” said Usher, who is using his green building experience ( he was named NAHB Green Advocate of the Year in 2011) to prep the Clemson team on sustainable construction methods and materials. “It’s a hands-on opportunity to put theory into practice,” he said.
Having industry professionals mentor the Clemson team takes students well beyond their reference books, said Jason Lucas, assistant professor in Clemson’s department of Construction Science and Management.
“Having Todd come in and discuss his experiences provides students with a current market view and practical application of the theories we discuss in class,” Lucas says. “By going over the National Green Building Standard and ICC 700 worksheet, he took something that was abstract to them and put it into practical terms. This gives the students a real head start getting into the RCMC project.”
by Michael Dey | Sep 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
 |
| Todd Usher |
Todd Usher is helping a team of seven Clemson University students prepare for the National Association of Home Builders’ Student Chapters Residential Construction Management Competition (RCMC).
The students – all juniors and seniors in Clemson’s Construction Science and Management program – are competing with peers from across the country as they apply skills learned in the classroom to a real-world construction project. Each team receives a problem statement outlining an actual project for which they must produce working drawings, schedules, budgets, project management, sustainability standards, sales and marketing, and pricing/financial analysis; then, they must defend their overall proposal to a group of construction company executives.
“The Residential Construction Management Competition provides the most real-world experience these students are likely to have prior to graduation,” says Usher, president of Addison Homes, who prepped the Clemson team on sustainable construction methods and materials. “It’s a hands-on opportunity to put theory into practice.”
Having industry professionals mentor the Clemson team takes students well beyond their reference books, says Jason Lucas, assistant professor in Clemson’s department of Construction Science and Management.
“Having Todd come in and discuss his experiences provides students with a current market view and practical application of the theories we discuss in class,” Lucas says. “By going over the National Green Building Standard and ICC 700 worksheet, he took something that was abstract to them and put it into practical terms. This gives the students a real headstart getting into the RCMC project.”
The Clemson RCMC team received their problem statement Monday, Sept. 8, and will defend their proposal in front of judges – and an audience – during the International Builders’ Show in January in Las Vegas.
by Michael Dey | Mar 22, 2012 | Uncategorized
Lillian Wyckoff, NAHB Student Chapter President at Clemson University, earned a scholarship from the Retail Contractors Association. The scholarship is awarded annually to a student who has declared an interest in pursuing a career in commercial construction.
