Auburn University Building Construction Honored at 100th Annual BUILDSouth Awards

Two special awards, one very special occasion. The Alabama Associated General Contractors (AGC), celebrating its 100^th year in existence, held its centennial awards ceremony on January 16, 2020, and honored Auburn’s McWhorter School of Building Science (BSCI) with two awards: the Community Development Award and the AGC Impact Award. The Alabama AGC is the preeminent construction industry organization in the state, connecting general contractors and building science educators across Alabama. More than 150,000 Alabama residents work in this booming industry, and the BUILDSouth Awards are an annual event honoring the best in the state each year.

The Community Development award was given to Auburn specifically because of the work done through the Building Construction course BSCI 4360, Construction Field Lab. This graduation requirement, taken by seniors in their final year on campus, connects students with local non-profit organizations to develop and execute service learning projects. Since its inception in 2018, 180 students have taken the course, putting in over 1200 service hours and completing 18 construction projects for community organizations.

The second award was the AGC Impact Award, which recognizes the incredible impact the school has made on the state’s construction industry. Billy Norrell, the CEO of Alabama AGC, stated, “Throughout the 100 years of Alabama AGC, our partnership with Auburn University and the construction program has produced the best and brightest to fill the needs of the industry – a critical component in the economic health of Alabama.” Norrell said that Auburn’s faculty and students are an important part of filling roles in the industry. “Through its AGC student chapter, corporate industrial support and the relationships with Alabama AGC, the preeminent pipeline for construction professionals in the state has been established at Auburn,” he stated. Auburn graduates are highly-qualified industry leaders, and many have served in leadership roles at Alabama AGC. Over the years, 26 Auburn graduates have served as president of the AGC, with the first serving in 1941 and the most recent in 2019.

As it turns 100 years old, the Alabama AGC has recognized Auburn as the state’s leading producer of qualified building construction grads. Through service learning, professional career preparation and a superior building science education, Auburn’s Building Construction program demonstrates it is truly deserving of these awards.