MARIETTA, Ga. | Jan 25, 2017

Students sweep national competition, faculty members earn endowment grant

Kennesaw State University National Association of Home Builders Student Chapter swept the competition at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando earlier this month. The team placed first in the nation at the NAHB Student Chapters Residential Construction Management Competition for four-year programs.

The annual competition attracted more than 1,000 students, composing 60 teams, who each completed a management proposal encompassing residential product components. The proposals typically involve all aspects of residential construction management, including market analysis, product and site design, project schedule and estimates, financial analysis, green building initiatives, project management overview, and sales and marketing strategies.

“The competition is a lot of work, but it is the most rewarding experience that I have ever been a part of,” said Myles Cardenas, KSU chapter president, who also received the NAHB’s Outstanding Student Award this year. “I am extremely proud of every single person who has been involved in the chapter over the years, and those who have graduated from the university and still dedicate time to come back and help the chapter in any way that they could.”

Now in his third year of competition, Cardenas led the six-member KSU team (along with three non-presenting members), creating a 100-page business proposal and presenting their work to residential construction company executives who served as judges during the three-day competition.  

For the first time, the KSU NAHB student chapter advisors and construction management professors Charner Rodgers and Brandi Williams brought home a 2017 National Housing Endowment Homebuilding Education Leadership Program (HELP) Grant, providing the university’s Construction Management Department with $60,000 over three years. The grant will help to further programs of study in residential construction, provide the tools and skill sets needed by graduates to prepare for the future, and increase the number of qualified college graduates entering the residential construction industry.

“The team was definitely making waves at this competition,” said Rodgers, assistant professor of construction management. Rodgers advises KSU’s team alongside Williams, also an assistant professor.

The Kennesaw State’s NAHB student chapter was created in 2014, and entered the competition in 2015 and placed 23rd. Last year, the team took 10th place.

The team was also recognized as the 2017 NAHB Outstanding Student Chapter for the second consecutive year, earning the top award among 160 student chapters across the nation.

Pictured (L-R): Victoria Carnes, Christy Graham, Tyler Dees, Rebecca Barber, Afelle Petersen, Murray Calhoun V, Charner Rodgers (advisor), William Davis, Christopher Kim, and Myles Cardenas

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.