Building Construction Leaders

Construction Management Program Recognized for Excellence

Within the UT Tyler College of Engineering, the construction management faculty aim to build up not just construction managers, but construction leaders. That educational excellence is apparent in the program’s most recent recognition.

UT Tyler’s new “Gamma III” student chapter of the Sigma Lambda Chi international construction management honor society was recognized by its international organization with a Gold Award for this year’s community service senior capstone project – building a “tiny home” in a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Smith County.

The International Sigma Lambda Chi Honor Society is the single, worldwide honor society that supports, recognizes and rewards excellence in construction management and construction engineering. Every year, SLC reviews community service projects performed by chapters and selects a handful for recognition at the bronze, silver and gold level. “Gold” is the highest recognition a chapter can earn.

“This recognition sends a powerful message about our students and faculty involvement in the construction management program here at UT Tyler,” said Dr. Torey Nalbone, Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Management chair. “To be recognized just after their first year of operations as a student chapter means they are all doing the right things and putting a face on UT Tyler and our program out in the community.”

UT Tyler instructor Joe Boylan is the chapter’s faculty sponsor and has served the University for four years. He said helping prepare the next generation of superior construction leaders and construction engineers at UT Tyler is a “rewarding experience.”

“These young men and women really want to make an impact on the world around them, and they certainly have the spirit and drive to make that a reality,” Boylan said.

The College of Engineering currently serves 118 construction management majors.

“A Strong and Focused Leader”

A recent program graduate, Haley Nemitz of Fort Worth also played volleyball for the Patriots athletics team. She served as the student chapter’s inaugural president and was among seven chosen students who worked on the award-winning project.

“We weren’t just building a house, we were building a home for someone who really needed it. Everyone with Habitat were great people to work with and very helpful along the way,” said Nemitz, who graduated in May 2020, and works for her family’s company, Panther Island Construction, which focuses of major repairs and renovations as well as commercial projects.

Nemitz discovered UT Tyler through their athletic recruiting. After her visit, she “fell in love” with the campus and its culture. She also thrived in the college’s tight-knit community.

“I also found that same type of “family” community within the construction management program,” Nemitz said. “During my last three years at UT Tyler, I was in class with the same people, which was a cool experience because we all became close and were able to help each other and work well together regarding projects and studying.”

Boylan said Nemitz is a “strong and focused leader.”

“Haley demonstrated great grit and determination to achieve success, and she accomplished that in a fun, people-caring manner,” Boylan said.

“UT Tyler gave me a great education to prepare me for the work I want to do, and they also gave me great connections – from fellow students to professors to working professionals,” added Nemitz, who also interned with Habitat during her time at UT Tyler.

Hands-on Training

The Habitat for Humanity programming allows CM students to receive real, hands-on training and apply what they learn in the classroom to create solutions for real-world design and construction problems. Boylan noted the partnership is invaluable to students and allows them to gain the real-world expertise they will need to be successful in the future upon graduation.

“The partnership gives our students an opportunity to use the knowledge they are gaining in the classroom for professional practice to accomplish great things,” Boylan said. “Their work truly impacts East Texas families and leaves a legacy for all to enjoy and benefit from.”

Habitat for Humanity of Smith County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing low income working families the experience of home ownership. The new homeowners help to build the house alongside many dedicated volunteers in the community. Habitat sells the house to the homeowner at cost and finances the mortgage at zero interest.

In their 30 years, Smith County’s organization has built and sold 112 energy efficient single-family homes to lower-income families. In the last 11 years, they have completed about 1,000 critical repairs for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.

UT Tyler currently provides about 10 percent of its CM student body to collaborate on two tiny homes in Habitat’s design and construction program and about 15 to 20 students to work on traditional homes in the repair program each academic year, Boylan noted. In the repair program, qualified CM students spend a few hours a week acting as an owner’s representative to oversee and approve home repairs for homes specifically built for the elderly and families in need.

Building Plans Going Forward

So, what are the future plans for UT Tyler’s program? Boylan said they would like to grow the program and expand upon the partnership with the Smith County organization.

“Our hope is to grow the program, so Habitat has the ability to tackle five new homes every year without any new resources needed in their organization,” Boylan said. “We also hope to improve the viability of this partnership with our local Habitat organization and then try and expand that to our Houston Engineering Center so a group can support the Habitat for Humanity organization there in Houston.”

Nemitz plans to continue working for her family’s company in Fort Worth, ultimately transforming it into a custom home design firm. In her free time, she enjoys reading, working on her new indoor garden and playing sand volleyball.

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