Message from Robert Cox, BCM department head
BCM poised to address industry needs, celebrates 40th year
I have now reached the end of my first six months as department head for Building Construction Management. As a matter of fact, it was one year last week (January 29, 2006) when I came for my interview at Purdue. In the dead of winter, several people will still ask me why I would ever come here from sunny Florida.
BCM's reputation and recent developments were the major attractions. These initiatives have the potential to make our program globally recognized. And I am excited to share with you several that have reached various levels of fruition.
Students are currently enrolled in the recently established demolition and restoration management specialization. Kevin Behling, assistant professor, leads the program and has done an exceptional job bridging the gap between industry and applied academic curriculum development.
We are currently in the midst of an international search to secure a faculty member to take over leadership of the disaster restoration specialization. This new faculty member will work closely with Behling. These two specialties go hand-in-hand and will open many avenues for our faculty and graduates in addressing natural and man-made disasters.
Coursework toward the healthcare construction management specialization began this past fall, and the program will have its first graduates by next fall. Greg Lasker, assistant professor and leader for this specialty, is taking a holistic approach to the subject of health care in linking design, construction and operations to the overall quality level of health care that is being realized in newly constructed hospitals.
We just recently completed our second on-campus session for the distance master's program, which has 16 students enrolled from across the country. Each semester begins with a three-day on-campus session for students to meet with faculty and classmates. During the fall, the program went international as it included class participation while the department head was in China. This international application demonstrated that graduate distance education has no geographical boundaries.
BCM has gone global. The first set of formal summer study-abroad programs has been established for this Maymester. A 10-day program in international construction management will be offered in Ireland in partnership with Dublin Institute of Technology. Also, the department has established a study abroad program with China. The 18-day international Maymester program involves five universities and five major cities — Beijing, Tianjin, Harbin, Xi’an and Shanghai.
Spring 2007 marks the 40th anniversary for BCM. In recognition of this achievement, regional celebrations will take place throughout the year and will begin on April 11 during Technology Week with a reception and dinner that pays tribute to Dr. D. Dorsey Moss, the founder of BCM.
It is our goal to continue to provide world-class construction education on the Purdue University campus, and we are optimistic that the future is very bright for our program. The excitement is contagious!
Robert F. Cox, department head of Building Construction Management
Biometrics Brown Bag
The Biometrics Lab is hosting a Brown Bag research meeting on Wednesday, February 7 at 11:30 a.m. Matthew Young will discuss "bioKey." BioKey is one component of a privacy preserving biometric authentication system, which also provides the use of uniquely generated cryptographic key. The session will update participants in the ongoing research in this area. This work is a collaboration with CERIAS. Please register by Tuesday at the lab Web site: They also will be streaming the presentation live on the Internet. For the access URL, please email Stephen Elliott.
Alumna Earns Thai LPGA Title
Onnarin Sattayabanphot, December 2006 OLS graduate, was the top Thai golf player at the fall Honda LPGA in Thailand. This year, she will attempt to secure an LPGA Tour card through the Futures Tour. She also plans to play on the Asian Tour to gain experience in the professional arena and look for sponsorship. Onnarin was a member of the Purdue women's golf team for three years and was named first team All Big Ten in 2004-05.
Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium April 4
The Purdue College of Science, Purdue Science Council, and College of Agriculture will host an undergraduate research and poster symposium on April 4. The event is open to any undergraduate student in Science, Agriculture, Technology, Education, Engineering and Child Development and Family Sciences. The event recognizes students involved in research activity and brings awareness to Purdue's undergraduate research programs. Students can learn more by visiting
the College of Science Web site.
Technology Week Web site
Bookmark the Technology Week Web site as a reference for the week's activities. Among the events are a gift announcement, competitive blood drive, health care poster display, Dean's Distinguished Lecture, BCM 40th Anniversary Celebration, Project Lead the Way teachers seminar, Distinguished Technology Alumni dinner, and IAB and DEC meetings.
International Poster Collection
Professor Don Buskirk, international program coordinator for the college, has asked CoT Faculty that have international connections with higher education entities to request a poster from these institutions for a display at Knoy. The purpose of the poster display is to stimulate student interest in study abroad opportunities and showcase the college's global involvements. The posters also will be on display during Technology Week when many external audiences will be in the building. Contact Professor Buskirk for more information.
Faculty Honors
Jeffrey Brewer, assistant professor of computer and information technology, recently authored four articles. He was a co-author with Professor Michael Kane of "An Information Technology Emphasis in Biomedical Informatics Education," to be published in the Journal of Biomedical Informatics. Brewer and Professor Kevin Dittman authored "Meeting the Challenges of Today's IT Labor Demands by Building a Better Prepared Student Though Targeted Curricula Enhancements," published in The Review of Business Information Systems Journal. Brewer also co-authored with Dittman and G. Ghatge of "A Study of Software Methodology Analysis: Great Taste or Less Filling?," published in the Information Systems Educators Journal. In addition, he was the co-author with Professors Alka Harriger and John Mendonca of "Beyond the Model: Building an Effective and Dynamic IT Program," published in the Journal of Information Technology Education. Brewer also recently received a Global Partners grant for summer study in India.
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Faculty Honors (cont.)
Yi Jiang, associate professor of building construction management, recently returned from a stint as a visiting professor in China. He conducted joint research on new technologies of pavement rehabilitation with faculty at Chang'an University in August and September. The pavement rehabilitation technologies are seen as much-needed for China's rapid nationwide highway construction. As a result of his effort, Jiang and Chang'an faculty members co-authored and submitted two papers to technical journals. At Xi'an, he also met department head Robert Cox, who was attending an international conference. They identified some possible cooperation opportunities with China's universities. In addition, Jiang received a Cooperation Research Award from Chang'an University. The award provided grant to cover Jiang's expenses at Chang'an. In April 2006, Jiang, along with S. Li and D. Shamo, authored "A Platoon-Based Traffic Signal Timing Algorithm for Major-Minor Intersection Types," published in the Journal of Transportation Research.
Timothy Ropp, visiting professor for aviation technology, developed and delivered front-line management training on coaching for leaders of technical teams in aviation for Timco Aviation Services in May 2006. He also is involved in developing and implementing a safety management system to meet Transport Canada regulatory requirements into its existing production processes. From March to August, he was a consultant for Standard Aero Aerospace Engine Services in Winnipeg, Canada. Ropp has incorporated principles developed from these experiences into Purdue courses he teaches. He has been able to do this in the form of relevant training development projects and the development of key leadership performance indicators he uses to assess and give interactive feedback to AT402 students in the simulated airline-level maintenance management lab that utilizes the Boeing 737 and 727 aircraft. Ropp also has given several international presentations. In October, he represented Purdue, along with other faculty from the aviation department, at the Aviation Management Exchange in Beijing and Tianjin, China. He also developed and presented a two-day industry workshop for major airlines and maintenance operators in China on safety in operations. In addition, he presented concepts of safety management systems and regulatory considerations for implementation into aviation operations and along with Purdue deans, met with the president of the Civil Aviation University of China to discuss possible avenues of aviation research, and student and faculty exchanges. Ropp's recent publications include "Developing Learning Outcomes to Fit Industry Metrics," co-authored with Professor David Stanley, in the spring 2006 edition of the Aviation Technician Education Council Journal. He was the co-author, along with Professors Raymond Thompson and Michael Suckow, of "Simulating Airline Level Maintenance in the A&P Program," published in the spring 2006 edition of the Aviation Technician Education Council Journal. Ropp, Thompson and Suckow also co-authored "Developing A Broad-based Active Learning Capstone Experience," presented by Thompson at the fifth Annual ASEE Global Colloquium on Engineering Education in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in October.
Karl Perusich, associate professor of electrical engineering technology, at the South Bend location is serving as president of IEEE Society of Social Implications of Technology.
CoT News Submissions
Report your CoT news through the online reporting form. The next e-newsletter is scheduled for distribution on Monday, February 19. The deadline to submit items for consideration for the February 19 edition is February 13.
Sponsored Research Update
For an updated look at sponsored research activities within the College of Technology, visit the applied research section of the CoT Web site.
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In the News
Purdue to expand presence in Southern Indiana
Debra Beatty, a mother of four, will be able to get a bachelor's degree from Purdue University — but only because of the school's growing presence in Southern Indiana.
The Purdue College of Technology at New Albany, a branch campus, is increasing the number of four-year degrees it offers, including computer graphics technology, the area Beatty is interested in.
Because the New Albany branch previously offered only a two-year degree in her specialty, Beatty could have received her bachelor's only by taking classes at the main campus in West Lafayette. Late last year, however, the Purdue trustees approved computer graphics technology as a four-year program in New Albany, and officials hope to start offering courses for it in the fall.
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Resort-like hospitals in the future
Lean manufacturing — with a focus on minimizing waste — both in terms of cost and in the way space is allocated may result in resort-like U.S. hospitals.
In years to come, hospitals and other healthcare facilities will look more like hotels or resorts and less like the institutional, often inconveniently designed buildings many think of today, says Gregory Lasker, a Purdue University expert on building construction management.
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UNS Release.
Kokomo students work on computer projects for Girl Scouts, Shrine Club
Nonprofit organizations in Logansport benefited this year as a result of two Purdue College of Technology at Kokomo courses. Students in computer and information technology and programming for the Internet worked on a Web site for the Logansport Girl Scouts and created a database for the Logansport Shrine Club.
The students created a Web site for the Girl Scouts in addition to creating a virtual private network that connects the Kokomo Girl Scout site to the Logansport site. They also created a database to help the Logansport Shrine Club to keep track of members' information and dues.
Purdue also helped the Logansport Shrine Club in establishing a database with members' mailing addresses and other information. According to Rick Homkes, associate professor of computer and information technology, the service is free to nonprofit organizations. "This method of teaching is really a cool idea," he said. "It's a way of learning through doing."
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