Collins Honored as ASC’s International Outstanding Educator

Associate Professor Wes Collins of the McWhorter School of Building Science is the recipient of the Associated Schools of Construction’s (ASC) 2022 International Outstanding Educator Award. Collins was honored during the Teaching Awards Ceremony at the 58^th Annual ASC International Conference in Atlanta on April 21.

This award recognizes Collins’ contribution to construction education, service to ASC, excellence in teaching and dedication to the construction industry. After winning a Regional Outstanding Educator Award, for which he was nominated by school head Dr. Richard Burt, Collins was then selected for the International Outstanding Educator Award from a pool of awardees from ASC’s eight regions.

Collins holds a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from East Carolina University, a Master of Technology Management and an MBA from Bowling Green State University and a Ph.D. in Construction Management from Arizona State. He is a dedicated teacher who consistently receives high student evaluations in his classes, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has worked to make improvements to the school’s estimating and preconstruction/project management classes and lead a group of faculty in restructuring the undergraduate thesis class. He has also played a significant role in the development of the school’s new PhD program in Building Construction. Former student John Shreve, now employed as a Project Manager with Brasfield & Gorrie, said that Collins thinks outside the box to help his students learn and grow. “Students in his classes experience building wall formwork in the field lab, engage with real-life case studies and participate in simulated ‘bid room’ environments, all of which are a welcome departure from the lecture halls and PowerPoints found in other departments,” Shreve said. “I found that his dedication extends beyond the classroom. He truly enjoys working with students and building relationships.”

In addition to his teaching duties, Collins has published 27 academic articles and papers and has served as the associate editor for ASC’s conference proceedings for the past four years. He also volunteers to work as a session moderator and reviewer at annual conferences, both for ASC and for other organizations. “He has been a strong advocate for high impact educational experiences, most notably in providing students with the opportunity to participate in student competitions,” stated Burt. Collins has coached 13 different competition teams since 2016 in regional, national and international competition, including a recent first place finish in ASC’s Region 2 graduate student competition. “Dr. Collins aspires to be the best in everything he does,” Shreve stated. “He was just as invested in winning in competition as we were, and he was ecstatic when we emerged victorious. His competitive spirit also extends to the classroom, a quality I think is essential for students to embrace as they enter the competitive construction industry.”

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