Boston, MA – November 14, 2007 – Wentworth Institute of Technology today announced six students in the Institute’s construction management program placed first in the Commercial Building division at the 2007 Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) and Associated General Contractors (AGC) Regional Student Competition in Fairfield, NJ. The Wentworth students utilized their training in construction, engineering technology, presentation, and group projects to propose a four-story parking garage building, which included extensive site work, to be constructed on the campus of Yale University with an estimated cost of $11-12 million.

The students earned the opportunity to represent the region at the national championship in Las Vegas in March 2008, and they won a cash prize of $2000, which will help defray the cost of attending the championship.
 
The competition required the participating teams to prepare a construction plan, estimate, construction schedule, safety plan, key issue analysis proposal and formal presentation to the clients. The judges were representatives of the actual project at Yale University and were impressed how well the Wentworth team answered their difficult questions.

The students were sequestered in a hotel room for 12 hours to prepare their project from a set of construction documents given to them at the start of competition. The team of Wentworth students fulfilled the requirements of the project within the allotted time. Team members include Mike Gawendo, Adam Wood, Steve Gelinas, Joe Wayne, Nick Rouleau, and Jared Crowley. Professor Scott Sumner of the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environment served as the team’s coach.

“The Wentworth students clearly demonstrated their knowledge and skills in the development of their project,” said Dr. Craig Capano, department head for the Department of Civil, Construction and Environment. “I am impressed with their level of sophistication and I am confident these students will be leaders in their respective fields.”

This competition included eight regional teams including Wentworth, Roger Williams University, University of Maine, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Central Connecticut State, Rochester Institute of Technology, Old Dominion and Alfred State.

The event was co-sponsored by the ASC and the AGC and through generous donations by local construction companies, and the competition was conducted by Whiting-Turner Construction, a major commercial contracting corporation.

Wentworth Institute of Technology
Founded in 1904, Wentworth Institute of Technology is an independent, co-educational nationally ranked institution offering career-focused education through 15 Bachelor degree programs in areas such as architecture, computer science and systems, construction management, design, engineering, engineering technology, environmental science, and management. For over a century, Wentworth has been a leader in technical education known for its academic excellence, community service, and support for the economic growth of the region. For more information, please visit www.wit.edu.