Orlando, Fla.—A team from University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., was selected as the winner of The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress' second student construction management competition, which took place during the National Roofing Contractors Association's (NRCA's) 129th Annual Convention held Feb. 17-19 in Orlando.
Members of the winning team were Eddie San Juan (team captain), Nick Loewenthal, Caleb Strauss, Drew Winant and faculty advisor Jim Sullivan.
The competition was part of an educational partnership with three schools of construction management: McWhorter School of Building Sciences at Auburn University, the Department of Construction Management at Colorado State University and the M.E. Rinker Sr. School of Building Construction at the University of Florida. The goal of the partnership is to raise awareness of the roofing industry by developing roofing-related curricula that can be incorporated into existing construction management undergraduate degree programs, exploring scholarship programs for students and faculty members, and developing an internship program with interested Alliance members.
The teams participating in this year's competition (Auburn University, University of Florida and the Bert S. Turner Development of Construction Management at Louisiana State University) were presented with a problem statement—they were asked to bid on installing a roof system on the Orange County Convention Center. Each team had to research the project, review the plans and specifications, and assemble a full estimate proposal to submit a qualified bid package. Each team submitted written proposals and supporting documents in December 2015 and gave oral presentations at the convention Feb. 18.
The University of Florida had the highest cumulative score for its presentation as Blue Cypress Construction. The team had strong presentation format, a competitive bid, its safety and quality control plan was well-established, and the team thoroughly answered judges' questions. Overall, the proposal contained a detailed explanation of workflow.
The winning team received a team trophy, a $5,000 L.B. Conway scholarship for its school, and individual prizes that were presented during NRCA's Industry Awards Ceremony and Cocktail Reception Feb. 18.
For more information about the Alliance student competition, contact Bennett Judson, the Alliance's executive director, at (800) 323-9545, ext. 7513 or bjudson@roofingindustryalliance.net.
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The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress was established within the National Roofing Foundation (NRF) to create an endowment fund to serve as a highly focused resource for the roofing industry and its customers. The Alliance's objectives are to conduct research and education projects that support high quality programs for roofing contractors; ensure timely and forward-thinking industry responses to major economic and technological issues; and enhance the long-term viability and attractiveness of the industry to roofing workers. The Alliance also reached out to the roofing community and its members and helps fund efforts dedicated to good works and charitable giving. More information about the Alliance is available at www.roofingalliance.net.
