Inside Look - Construction Engineering & Management

As a kid, like most of us, I was the Lego extraordinaire. If it could be imagined, it could be built. My passion for building with Legos slowly transformed from designing abstract towers to building strong structures in my attempt to resist the wind and rainstorms that my little brother and sister would subject them to! When arriving at Purdue University, I discovered that this hobby could become a career path through the school of Construction Engineering & Management (CEM). I quickly discovered that there were hundreds of ways to cater my engineering experience to my personality. The First Year Engineering (FYE) program is designed to help incoming engineers develop their technical and teamwork skills, which are necessary for a successful undergraduate career. For me, the FYE program was critical in introducing me to all 16 schools and helped me ultimately decide which was the best fit for me – the CEM program!

Workers complete a concrete pour planned by a Construction Engineer on my jobsite.

Construction Engineering is a field for individual’s with strong people skills, problem solving skills, and creativity. I always wanted to be an engineer, but I was worried that the only way to be an engineer was by sitting behind a desk, all day, every day, continuously doing math and physics to solve problems and invent products. Boy was I wrong! A Construction Engineer typically works outdoors on a job site, walking around, getting their hands dirty, and solving construction problems. However, in the same day, a Construction Engineer is likely to take off his or her hard hat, collaborate with owners, designers, and other engineers, and create the plan to change a design into reality. The versatility of a Construction Engineering & Manager is endless! Skyscrapers, hospitals, bridges, highways, dams - there is always something to build!

Myself (right) with Brandon Fulk (CEM)
and my project team from Messer Construction
 Co. outside of IU Health W Hospital

My experience within the CEM program has been nothing short of spectacular. The program’s close ties with companies nationwide NEARLY GUARANTEES INTERNSHIPS FOR ALL STUDENTS AFTER THEIR FRESHMAN YEAR! The program requires three internships in the construction industry for graduation, giving Purdue students the necessary experience to be hired at a perfect 100% Job Placement Rate! I have experienced two internships with Messer Construction Company out of Indianapolis, IN. These internships put me in charge of portions of a building façade at Butler University (Indianapolis, IN) and even gave me experience renovating an active Emergency Department around hospital patients and staff! Internships are amazing opportunities to travel and test the waters to see what the industry holds!

The school of Construction Engineering and Management is one of the smaller schools of engineering, contributing to strong, exciting relationships between students and faculty. The involvement of the academic and professional advisors in this program sets it a part as one of the best experiences Purdue has to offer! Through my relationships within the program, I have been able to become involved in the CEM academic honors fraternity, Beta Tau, the College of Engineering Ambassadors Program, and the Old Master’s program, all which have enhanced my professional development. I am excited to see where my bachelor’s degree in CEM takes me!