An interdisciplinary team of Cal Poly students earned second place at the 2018 National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Residential Construction Management Competition held Jan. 8-10 in Orlando, Florida.
The Cal Poly students, all members of the university’s NAHB student chapter, competed against 33 other university teams, including first-place winner Penn State University, Brigham Young University (third place), and the University of Denver (fourth place).
The NAHB Student Competition, a highlight of the International Builders’ Show, charges students with completing a management project/proposal. This provides them the opportunity to apply skills learned in the classroom to a real construction company. Proposals are submitted to a group of construction company executives serving as judges. Students defend their proposals to the judges in front of an audience.
This year, teams were asked to prepare a proposal to acquire (or decline to acquire) a 72-arce parcel in Okemus, Michigan. The proposal included a market analysis; product design and selection, site design; cost estimate and schedule; site management and logistics; sales and marketing strategy; financial analysis; risk analysis; and sustainability.
The Cal Poly team was led by construction management seniors and team captains Jeremy Suryadi of Fresno, California, and Jeffrey Hammond of Paso Robles, California. They were joined by architecture students Alexander Gama, of San Diego, California, and Tyler Hall, of Denver, Colorado; business finance students Tyler Ingel, of Carlsbad, California, and Carter Jones, of Encinitas, California; city and regional planning student Eric Martinez, of Rialto, California; and construction management students Abraham Ahmed, of Oakland, California, Sarah De Los Reyes, of Long Beach, California, Thomas Fuentez, of Arroyo Grande, California, Trevor Nally, of Valencia, California, and Jeffrey Phunmongkol, of Orinda, California.
The team was advised by construction management faculty members Scott Kelting and Stacy Kolegraff.
“I’m extremely proud of the proposal and presentation our team created over the course of the competition,” Suryadi said. “The competition is no easy task and truly exemplifies Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing motto. The competition will be remembered as a valuable experience in our education as we move forward with our careers.”
Cal Poly’s interdisciplinary team has consistently placed in the top three spots in the annual competition. The team was awarded third place in 2017, second place in 2016 and second place in 2015.
Photo Information: NAHB Team.jpg — Cal Poly team members (left to right): Stacy Kolegraff (faculty adviser), Eric Martinez, Jeffrey Hammond, Tyler Hall, Alexander Gama, Trevor Nally, Sarah De Los Reyes, Thomas Fuentez, Jeremy Suryadi, Tyler Ingel, Jeffrey Phunmongkol, Carter Jones, Abraham Ahmed and Scott Kelting (faculty adviser).
Cal Poly Honors Faculty, Staff Who Received $32 Million in Grant Funding in 2015-16
Cal Poly honored faculty and staff who received a record $32 million in grants and whose research resulted in five patents for the university in the 2015-16 academic year.
The patented inventions include an automotive air-conditioning system, an in-wall air-filtration system, CubeSats (or small satellites that launch as secondary payloads), a computer-implemented process to allow the visually impaired to transform touch into an audio response, and an environmentally benign packing design.
“I just want to say how proud I am of the work that you are all doing,” Dean Wendt, dean of research in the Office of Research and Economic Development, told about 80 faculty and staff members gathered at the annual reception held in the fall. “We are celebrating an unprecedented year of externally funded research activity at the university.”
Grant funding for research projects was up 25 percent over last year’s $26 million, and “ranks as the highest amount of external funding on record at Cal Poly,” Wendt said.
“Let me put that number in context for you: The annual base budget for the College of Science and Mathematics is around $37 million, and it includes all the salaries and wages and operating budgets for the college,” he said. “The $32 million is a significant contribution you are making to our institution and to the education of our students.”
There are other benefits to campus research, Wendt said. The grants contributed to more than $250,000 in tuition, fees and scholarships for students; funded more than $650,000 in lab equipment in the university’s six colleges; supported the wages of 58 Cal Poly Corporation employees; and paid $1.8 million in wages to more than 800 student researchers.
President Jeffrey D. Armstrong praised the faculty, who in addition to their teaching duties also apply for and oversee the research, and the staff of the Sponsored Programs and Grants Development offices who administer the more than 500 grants.
“You are impacting lives. You are helping students succeed,” he told the group. “And your careers are just blossoming and growing. It’s very, very exciting.”
Five university centers that each received more than $1 million and those who manage them were singled out: Stuart Styles and Charles Burt of the Irrigation Training and Research Center; John Keller and Chance Hoellworth of the Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (CESaME); Sam Blakeslee and Christine Robertson of the Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy; Wendt of the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences; and Suzanne Phelan of the Center for Solutions Through Research in Diet and Exercise (STRIDE).
In addition, four individuals who secured a combined $50 million in grant funding over their Cal Poly careers were honored. Styles and Burt, director and chairman of the board respectively for Cal Poly’s Irrigation Training and Research Center, each has procured more than $20 million in external funding. Blakeslee, IATPP director, and Trevor Cardinal, an associate professor of biomedical engineering and director of the Regenerative Medicine Program, each has procured $5 million in grant funding.
The patent holders from the 2015-16 academic year are:
— Jay Singh and former student Evan Cernokus, patent for “System, Method and Apparatus for Making and Using Flex Column Void-Based Packing Materials.” Their system for forming space-consuming, shock-absorbing packing materials uses a three-sided flex-column to eliminate the need for non-recyclable polystyrene packing peanuts and better protect shipped items saving time and money in a manner that is also easier on the environment.
— Patrick Lemieux, patent for “Air-Cycle Environmental Control Systems and Methods for Automotive Applications.” This air-cycle air-conditioning invention uses an automotive turbocharger as the system core to maximize cooling while minimizing weight and space, as well as impacts on engine performance.
— Jordi Puig-Suari and Austin Williams of aerospace engineering, patent for “CubeSat Systems, Method and Apparatus.” These nano-satellites piggyback on the launches of larger satellites. The basic CubeSat unit is a box about 4 inches square; larger CubeSats are multiples of that unit.
— Dennis Fantin and Art MacCarley, patent for “Transforming a Tactually Selected User Input into an Audio Output.” Fantin, blind since age 12, and MacCarley developed a computer-implemented process to assist the visually impaired, transforming the touch of a selected Braille key into an analog audio signal output as human speech with an electro-acoustic transducer.
— Carmen Trudell and student Natacha Schnider, patent for “System and Method for Air Filtration Via Cyclone Separators Enclosed Within Exterior Walls.” The invention uses cyclone separators mounted within walls to purify the air in buildings.
Wendt recognized the individuals who had the highest grant funding totals in their colleges:
— Orfalea College of Business: Stephen Hamilton, economics.
— College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences: Stuart Styles, bioresource and agricultural engineering.
— College of Architecture and Environmental Design: Cornelius Nuworsoo, city and regional planning.
— College of Engineering: Trevor Cardinal.
— College of Liberal Arts: Patrick Lin, philosophy.
— College of Science and Mathematics: Stan Yoshinobu, mathematics.
Cal Poly Interdisciplinary Team Ranks High at Construction Management Competition
The student chapter of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) at Cal Poly was awarded third place in the four-year college category of the NAHB Residential Construction Management Competition on Jan. 11.
Sixty teams representing universities, community colleges, high schools and career technical schools across the U.S. participated in the annual competition at the 2017 NAHB International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Florida. It challenged students to solve a real-life construction management problem — to develop a 32-acre parcel of land by determining costs, scheduling, marketing, the design of the homes, and a feasibility analysis for the project. In front of an audience of peers, this solution was presented to an investment committee, which judged the student proposals.
The Cal Poly team was led by construction management senior and team captain Eric Bet (Woodside); with teammates agricultural business student Bercut Smith (Pasadena); architecture students Billy Blaha (Alpharetta, Georgia) and Joe Lynch (Petaluma); business students Tiffany Chen (Fremont) and Sam Godfrey (Poway); and construction management students Keenan Brekke (Oakland), Zak Faber (Santa Rosa), Kyle Haggard (Danville), Jeffrey Hammond (Paso Robles), Peter Lee (Broomfield), Jimmy Materne (Fresno), and Jeremy Suryadi (Fresno). The team was advised by construction management faculty members Scott Kelting and Stacy Kolegraff.
“I’m proud of the professional proposal our team put together over the past several months,” Bet said. “This experience truly exemplifies Cal Poly’s motto of Learn by Doing and will be remembered as one of our most valuable experiences in our education as we embark on our careers.”
Kelting added: “This competition is invaluable for the students, as it immerses them in all management aspects of the home building industry from land acquisition and development to applying their skills in construction operations, finance, purchasing, marketing and sales. The students were able to practice what they learned in school and use feedback from industry professionals and alumni to solve a real-world problem.”
Cal Poly teams are no stranger to the podium at NAHB student competitions. This year’s third-place award marks the 12th time since 2001 that Cal Poly has finished in the top five at the competition. Cal Poly placed first in 2005, 2006 and 2011.
More than 100,000 builders, remodelers, students, faculty members and suppliers packed the aisles at the 2017 International Builders’ Show, part of Design and Construction Week. Students learned about new products, many of which focused on home technology and increased energy efficiency.
For more information on the competition, go to http://www.nahb.org/en/industry-professionals/student-chapters/residential-construction-management-competition.aspx.
Photo: Members of Cal Poly’s interdisciplinary NAHB Student Chapter, which took third place in the four-year college category of the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Residential Construction Management Competition, are pictured left to right: Joe Lynch, Sam Godfrey, Zak Faber, Jimmy Materne, Chris Bet, Tiffany Chen, Kenan Brekke, Jeremy Suryadi, Scott Kelting (faculty adviser), Jeffrey Hammond, Stacey Kolegraff (faculty adviser), Kyle Haggard, Bercut Smith, Billy Blaha and Peter Lee. Sixty teams participated in the competition held in January at the 2017 NAHB International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Florida.
Cal Poly Students Tie for First in Low-Income Housing Plan Competition
An interdisciplinary team of Cal Poly students shared first place in the 2016 Bank of America Merrill Lynch Low-Income Housing Challenge (LIHC). The team included students from architecture, economics, finance, city and regional planning, and construction management.
While a Cal Poly team has taken first place in the conceptual contest for six of the last 11 years, this year’s entry, Sanctuary 6, was designed to be something that could actually be built to house veterans in the City of San Luis Obispo. The name Sanctuary 6 comes from the military adage “got your six,” which refers to standing back-to-back with a comrade to provide defense and support.
To develop the comprehensive proposal, the team partnered with more than 17 community groups including People’s Self Help Housing, the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo, and Supportive Services for Veteran Families. Dozens of veterans and veterans’ service professionals gave direct feedback on what was needed for a development to be a successful community for veterans.
The project was designed around six key pillars specific to the veteran community: a veteran population, independence, support, camaraderie, connectivity and sustainability. The project combined innovative architectural and planning practices, including LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification, pet-friendly amenities, and fully accessible floor plans for residents with disabilities.
“Sanctuary 6 is positioned to be the first grassroots veteran housing project of its kind,” said Bryan Shields, architecture professor in Cal Poly’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design. “The level to which this project has engaged the community alone puts it on the cutting edge of community planning initiatives.”
Other finalists included UC Berkeley, which tied for first place; UCLA; the University of Washington; and the University of Arizona.
Cal Poly team members include:
– Architecture students Annelise Barbieri (Stockton, Calif.), Amy Rutty (Folsom, Calif.), Chloe Eitzer (Bethany, Conn.), Chris McCoy (Galt, Calif.), Jordan Keiser (Muskego, Wis.), Mengdi Zhang (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) and Rodrigo Robles-Gonzalez (San Jose, Calif.);
– City and regional planning students Justin Frentzel (Pittsburg, Calif.) and Emily Foley (Santa Clara, Calif.);
– Construction management major Charlie Andrews (San Diego, Calif.);
– Economics major Nathan Roberts (Orange, Calif.); and
– Finance major Andrew Fortner (Los Osos, Calif.).
Shields and Finance Professor Pratish Patel from the Orfalea College of Business served as faculty advisors.
“The team worked diligently and passionately on a project that can make a difference,” Patel said, “and team members will continue to work their hardest in the hopes that this project gets started.”