Creating a Roadmap for Collaboration between Academia and Industry
The goal of the address is to chart a roadmap for improving the collaboration between Academia and Industry. The presentation will share several experiences that the speaker has been a part of both in his university career and now in industry for the last 20 years. These experiences include key initiatives where effective working relationship were developed to advance the interests undergraduate and graduate programs and in solving real problems for the design and construction industry. The challenges and opportunities will be discussed and a start for a roadmap for others to build upon in their own programs will be advanced.
Jim started his career in construction working as a boilermaker for CBI while working his way through school. Upon graduation with a BS degree from Purdue in 1975 he joined Aramco in Saudi Arabia as a construction engineer on projects ranging in scope from $60 million to $2.3 billion. He returned to Purdue in 1979 and completed an MSCE and PhD while teaching and conducting research.
Upon completion he developed the construction program at University of Kansas and then led to top Construction Engineering program in the US at Iowa State University for 15 years as it’s Professor-in-Charge. As a teacher and academic researcher, Jim has developed new approaches to student learning, and employee training. Jim was recruited to join Kiewit in 2001 to work in the area of organizational development. Jim moved to Boston in 2004 to lead the Organizational Development activities for Mass Electric. He returned to Omaha and led the establishment of Kiewit University over a decade ago and currently oversees the technical development programs for the employees across 5 colleges, 8 core schools, several technical schools.
Professionally Jim has had help several leadership positions including President of AACE International Cost Engineers, Chairman of ASCE’s Engineering Management Group, Chairman of DBIA Education & Research Foundation, Editor of ASCE’s Construction Engineering & Management Journal, and Trustee of NCCER. He was elected Fellow at ASCE and AACE and was named to the National Academy of Construction in 2016.
