By Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University’s Department of Construction Science National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Chapter wins first place in the Four-Year College – Production Home Builder category of the NAHB Student Competition. The team makes history as the first HBCU to win the competition.
The NAHB Student Competition was held during the 2022 NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando, FL. The competition is always a highlight of the IBS, as future homebuilders compete in a rigorous proposal based on real-world questions that builders and developers must answer daily. The Production Home Building Competition for four-year programs challenges students to identify an opportunity for a large homebuilder to develop a piece of property, build homes and produce a return on investment in a given market, simulating scenarios faced by production homebuilders.
“This win is so emotional for me. Being the first HBCU to win in February during Black History Month is very special. Tuskegee has let the world of residential construction know that African Americans are not only capable of being great project managers, schedulers, estimators, etc., but are willing and ready to be in this industry as knowledgeable key players,” said coach Dr. Charner Rodgers, associate professor and senior program coordinator of Industry Relations and Recruitment at Tuskegee University.
“We are so proud of our Tuskegee students who made history as the first HBCU to win and compete nationally. This win will prepare our students for future careers within the building industry,” said President Charlotte P. Morris. “For the last three years, our students have shown their resilience, and this national win is a testament to the caliber of professors here at Tuskegee.”
Forty-five teams representing universities, community colleges, high schools, and career technical schools across the U.S. participated in the annual student competition.
In the Production Home Builder competition for four-year programs, teams were asked to create a development plan for a specific 120-acre parcel in North Texas. The Tuskegee team presented their solutions to a judging panel of residential construction industry experts and successfully demonstrated a real-world application, including a proposal and presentation. The 10-member Tuskegee team included Alex Jones, Lawrence Thompson, Roy Barre’, Joshua Gordon, Lauryn Hereford, Nia Killins, Zaria Lee, Kaylan Parham, Monet Terrell, and Rikeya Wallace. Each spent an entire semester working on addressing and solving real-life construction management problems. Mariah Stewart served as Dr. Rodger’s assistant during the entire process.
“Being able to represent our university at an international level was an unimaginable feeling of achievement,” said Alex Jones, a fifth-year architecture major and two-time recipient of the Student of the Year Award. “The hours spent with the team and our advisor were priceless lessons of dedication and perseverance. This opportunity has established many connections and relationships that allow myself and my teammates to have confidence as we begin our careers.”
“I want to commend Dr. Charner Rodgers for working diligently to prepare the students for competition and her dedication to the construction science and management department overall,” said Dr. Carla Jackson Bell, professor and dean of the School of Architecture and Science and Management (TSACS). “We have phenomenal architecture and construction science students, and we are truly proud of this accomplishment. Finally, I want to thank the NAHB and the many industry partners for the endless support, making this historical recognition of our school memorable.”
Tuskegee has been competing in the NAHB Student Competition since 2020. The 2020 NAHB team made history by becoming the first all-female African American team to ever participate since the commencement of the competition, winning the Rookie of the Year award and placing seventh place. That year former student Alyssa Walker won Student of the Year for Tuskegee University. In addition to being crowned champions this year, Tuskegee was also recognized for their first-place award for Outstanding Student Chapter out of 150 student chapters, a distinction the team has won two years in a row. To see this years’ Tuskegee NAHB student chapter team proposal and video, visit the Student Competition page on nahb.org.
More than 70,000 home building professionals from around the world participated in International Builders’ Show (IBS) and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) once again combined for the annual Design & Construction Week® (DCW).
Indoor and outdoor exhibit space for DCW totaled approximately 725,000 square feet, where nearly 1,200 exhibitors displayed the latest home building products, technology, and services. Next year, IBS and Design & Construction Week will travel to Las Vegas, Jan. 31 – Feb. 2, 2023.
