Father, Daughter Pursuing BSCI Degrees Together

Mark Bratton is the President of Summit Electrical Construction in Birmingham, a position that he worked his way up to after graduating with a degree in communications from the College of Liberal Arts in 1990. But when his daughter explained why she wanted to study Building Science, Mark saw a sentiment and a sense of pride he shares.

“She said, ‘I need something tangible. In construction, I can see the fruits of my labor,’” he said. “I thought that was wise. That’s why I still do it, too. I need the visual of what we put our effort into.”

As Julia Ann got deeper into her classes in the McWhorter School of Building Science (BSCI), she would call her dad to share what she was learning and ask questions. When Mark didn’t have the answers, he called the School to see how he could learn and was introduced to the Executive Certificates program.

“He has this spark for wanting to learn more,” Julia Ann said. “He doesn’t have time to do school with his work, but he makes time for it.”

Taking distance classes at night, Mark is halfway through his second of three 12-hour certificates, having already earned the Executive Certificate in Construction Management. Following the completion of the Executive Technical Certificate and Executive Integrated Processes Certificate, he can complete a capstone project and earn a master’s degree.

“For him to be able to take time out of his work life to do school shows how hard he’s working.” Julia Ann said. “I think it’s cool and inspiring for me and for everyone else in his cohort.”

While Mark doesn’t have plans to change jobs following graduation, the certificates program allows him to explore the emerging technologies in the construction industry.

“I’ve been in the industry for 40 years, and I’ve picked up something from every class I’ve taken and apply every day in my job,” he said. “There is a misconception among my peers that if you’ve gotten to the top of the industry, why would you want to do anything else? But at our business, we want to be the best, and to do that you’ve got to stretch the limits.”

In addition to their studies, both Brattons have found camaraderie within each of their programs with Julia Ann making friends with the other women in her program and Mark building a network of construction contacts across the country.

The pair are set to graduate in 2026, but for the next few months, they will continue to be classmates in the School, before their respective educations carry them forward in their respective professional journeys.

“It’s not a normal thing to be able to do the same thing as your dad,” Julia Ann said. “It’s cool because we’ve been able to learn a lot from each other, talk about what we’re learning and bounce off ideas with each other.”