Photos and story by Regan Horn, senior BCS student
Senior students in the Building Construction Science Program at Mississippi State University participated in a field trip to Denver, Colo., the week of Feb. 19. This was part of an annual field trip week in which students from the BCS Program travel to metropolitan areas to meet with construction professionals, visit construction sites and observe urban environments.
Eighteen students in BCS 4126 Building Construction Studio 6 (taught by Assistant Professor Michele Herrmann) traveled to Denver with Visiting Associate Professor George Martin. This group was able to visit the following sites:
- Charles Hay Elementary School (Fransen Pittman)
- Hosted by: John White, Burns Morrison, and Jacob Miles
- Clayton Elementary School (Fransen Pittman)
- Hosted by: John White, Burns Morrison, and Steve Gilmor
- Colorado State Capitol Building (Fransen Pittman)
- Hosted by: John White, Burns Morrison, and Rich Mendez
- Water Treatment Facility (Garney Construction)
- Hosted by: Jefferson Lewis and Adam Theriault
- Lockheed Martin Satellite Production Facility (Hensel Phelps)
- Hosted by: Jonathan Couch
Activities such as site visits and meetings with professionals have a significant positive and long lasting impact on students. In addition to increasing the relevance of information addressed in the BCS curriculum, site visits and meetings with professionals provide additional reference points that faculty incorporate in studio projects and discussions. These experiences also expose students to the variety of career paths and professional opportunities available to them.
The BCS Program is committed to increasing the scope and value of educational experiences for its students by engaging with professionals; achieving this goal would not be possible without the generous time and commitment of many individuals, companies, organizations and institutes who supported and hosted BCS students during the 2018 spring field trip.