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News Release BOISE STATE NEWS RELEASE / November 26, 2008 Boise State Students and Alumni are Hard at Work on the Idaho State Capitol Renovation and Expansion Project High above Boise, a gilded eagle spreads its wings over the dome of the state Capitol, a treasure owned by millions and home to more than a century of Idaho history. Construction began on the original structure in 1905, and though renovation buzz surrounded the 2005 centennial, the Idaho State Capitol renovation and expansion project didn’t get under way until the spring of 2007. Its completion depends on a diverse crew that includes alumni and students of Boise State University’s construction management program in the College of Engineering. Thanks to their work on everything from cost projections to electrical installations to schematic renderings, the Capitol is on course to reopen by the end of 2009. The massive makeover is being facilitated by the joint venture Jacobson Hunt. Sharing the responsibility of “Construction Manager at Risk,” the partnered companies are on the hook for any costs that exceed the budget. Boise State alum John Emery (BSCM, ’86) is the project manager with Jacobson Hunt, and he said such a high-pressure project required “value-based” subcontractor selection. “It wasn’t just based on cost; it took into consideration past work experience and the quality of that work,” Emery said. “This is the gem of Idaho, the most important, influential building in the state. So the selection process makes sense,” added Boise State alum Jake Claridge (BSCM, ’07), a project engineer also with Jacobson Hunt. As a result, the Capitol endeavor has drawn veterans like Boise State construction management professor and alum John Clark (BSCM, ’99), project manager on the shell and core of the new underground wings through a separate contract between McAlvain Construction Inc. and the Idaho Department of Public Works. “This is a unique industry because it’s cyclical, high-stress and mobile,” Clark said, “and networking is crucial.” Boise State’s construction management program is part of that network, and the name carries weight. “I’ve talked to people in programs in many other states, and Boise State has a reputation for being one of the premier programs in the country,” Emery said. Boise State construction management professor and alum Dave Stauffer (BSCM, ’99), representing Alpine Construction Management LLC on the Capitol project, said student demographics have shifted dramatically in the last decade. While nontraditional students entering a second professional phase used to fill most of the classroom seats, more and more traditional undergraduates are seeking degrees in construction management. It is one of the highest paying disciplines for new Boise State grads, and it demands broad expertise. “You’re part accountant, part engineer, part architect, part businessman,” Emery said. “You go to a job and they slide you in where you’re good,” Clark added. Internships help students become good, and Stauffer said almost all of them are involved in hands-on work for local companies before they graduate. Morgan Richardson, Kiki Sam, Tyler Resnick and Victoria Wolter are Boise State construction management students in the Capitol project “bull pen,” a reserve of up-and-comers ready to work on anything and everything that needs to be done. Wolter and Sam are seniors who will soon graduate; Resnick is a junior and Richardson is poised to walk in 2010. They have very different reasons for joining the program, from family ties to business connections to formative construction experiences, but they agree it is as rewarding as it is challenging. “We come from a really tight program. When I’ve gone to career fairs at Boise State, I can look at representatives from almost every company there and see people I’ve either worked with who are a generation before me or that I’ve gone to school with. And a lot of them come back to teach,” Wolter said. “I’ve learned a lot. When I started this internship I was just starting the construction management program,” said Richardson, adding that Claridge is the reason he did. “Now I have more knowledge of the field, which gives me an advantage.” Knowledge of the field is important, but an ability to work within its dynamic framework is essential. So says Boise State alum Mark Reed (BSCM, ’93), a Quality Electric Inc. project manager working on the Capitol expansion. “This has been the most intense coordination effort I’ve ever seen. All of the trades got together and put their systems on one plan. Then we looked for conflicts between systems,” Reed said, adding that his father’s advice speaks to what it takes to manage such a large project. “My father built large projects, including nuclear reactors, and he always said, ‘You do it one system at a time.’ Each one of us takes a bite, and it comes together one part at a time.” For Boise State alum and Jacobson Hunt project engineer Lynn Dille (BSCM, ’84), the bite involves mechanical, electrical and plumbing. He and Emery knew each other as students, and he said the industry is such that a professional reunion so many years later isn’t surprising. “The key thing about being in construction management is that we all find the variety appealing. We come from various backgrounds and wear different hats, but we depend on each other’s expertise,” Dille said. With so many experts working on the same project, the Boise State group admitted things can get tense. “That’s the first thing you learn — to get along,” Clark said. “You learn to speak the truth but also walk softly.” “Everyone in this room is a professional, bar none. There’s money at stake, vision, expectations and schedules. You have to balance things,” Emery said. “You have to be able to communicate with everyone, from providing direction to the guy sweeping the floor to walking into the owner’s office and discussing contracts.” “That’s the definition of construction management,” Claridge said. “They tie 1,000 little strings to you and pull you in every direction.” What makes it worth it? The singular satisfaction of looking at something you helped create, something that could stand for generations. “It’s fun to drive down the street and say, I built that,” said Reed. “It thrills me to be part of this project. If you had told me 10 years ago I would be doing this, I couldn’t have imagined it.” “I don’t think you realize how meaningful it is until you can show it to someone, tell your kids this is something they can show their grandkids. There are not very many of these projects going on,” Stauffer added. On the day of the grand reopening, it will not be these men and women holding the scissors or making speeches. The people of Idaho may never know who did the work, but that doesn’t bother Emery and his team. “We know,” he said, “and the owners know too. If we do our job, we’ll get the phone call for the next time.” -30- Media Contact: Erin Ryan, University Communications, (208) 426-4910, erinryan@boisestate.edu Boise State University is “The New U Rising” with record student enrollment, new academic buildings, additional degree programs and a growing research agenda. Learn more at www.boisestate.edu.
Last reviewed on Tuesday, December 02, 2008
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