Career Change was Right Choice for Auburn Building Science Alum
Justin Lanfair ’08 was well on his way to becoming an engineer when a friend changed his life.
That friend told him about Auburn’s Building Science program, housed in the McWhorter School of Building Science. The rest is history.
“After graduating from high school, I started my college experience at the University of North Alabama with the intent to eventually transfer to obtain an engineering degree,” Lanfair recalled. “During my first year at UNA, an Auburn student and friend of mine informed me about the university’s Building Science curriculum. I knew right away it was the program for me and called the university that same day.”
Following his Auburn graduation, Lanfair joined Turner Construction Company in Huntsville as an assistant project engineer. Over his 15-year career there, he has led projects in the commercial, manufacturing, sports and aerospace industries as well as in Turner’s Special Projects Division.
He also spent two years as Self-Perform Manager for Turner’s regional SelfPerform Operations, which includes the company’s Nashville, Memphis and Huntsville offices. In that role he oversaw all concrete, general trades and carpentry work.
Lanfair has completed a number of notable projects for clients in the Huntsville area, including the Aerojet Rocketdyne Advanced Manufacturing Facility. Nationally, he was a key member on the reconstruction of Camping World Stadium (formerly the Citrus Bowl) in Orlando, Florida—a fast-tracked project that was completed in just 12 months.
Recently promoted to the role of project executive at Turner, Lanfair—LEED Green Associate through the U.S. Green Building Council and most recently DBIA-certified by the Design-Build Institute of America—now leads and directs the overall management of construction projects across multiple market segments and building types while overseeing owner, architect, subcontractor and vendor partnerships.
His fast-track career has not escaped notice. Lanfair was recently recognized as recipient of the 2024 Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) North Alabama Rising Star Young Professional of the Year Award. The ABC North Alabama chapter created the award to celebrate notable achievements by those under 40 in the region’s construction industry.
“I was deeply honored to receive the award, considering the pool of talented young professionals in our area,” Lanfair said. “I can only attribute this accomplishment to my employer for affording me the opportunity to work on world-class projects; my amazing wife for allowing me to focus on my career; and Auburn’s Building Science program for preparing me for the challenges and complexities of the construction industry.
“The Building Science curriculum and professors in it represent the best in the industry,” he added. “The knowledge I gained at Auburn has empowered me to take on projects of all sizes and scopes—and for that I am forever grateful.”