Brad Benhart
2014 Outstanding Educator
The 2014 Outstanding Educator, Brad Benhart, joined the Purdue Building Construction Management program in 2009. Since that time he has made a significant impact on that program and the construction industry through his dedication to developing future construction professionals. He has focused on superintendent training, healthcare construction, project management and strategic planning using real-world applications and classroom training. Benhart has won numerous awards for his impact on education, including Purdue University's Charles Murphy Award for excellence in teaching, a prestigious award given to only six of Purdue's more than 2,000 faculty members.
Also providing guidance to his students outside the classroom, Benhart hosted a study abroad for Global Construction Managers in Saudi Arabia; serves as a graduate instructor and student advisor; and is the faculty advisor for the Purdue Construction Leadership Council (CLC). He is also active in AGC and other construction-related organizations, among them serving as co-advisor for the Purdue AGC student chapter; on the AGC Training and Education (TED) Executive Steering Committee; as a member of the joint AGC/ASC committee to develop industry case studies and the recently launched Faculty Internship program, helping to organize one of the first faculty internships. He is also chair of the AGC Credentialing Task Force; an AGC STP trainer; and a member of the Builders Educational Training Foundation.
One of his former students, Branden Burke, 2012 Allhands Essay Competition first place winner, noted that Dr. Benhart typifies "what it means to be an outstanding educator in the classroom, what a true mentor is to students and alumni, and what it is like to be an inspirational leader in the construction industry." Burke remembered Dr. Benhart's final capstone lecture as he looked over the graduating seniors and challenged them to be all they could be, saying "You have the world by the tail. Give it a good shake!"
Jason Kyle Bailey
First Place Winner
2014 James L. Allhands Essay Competition
Jason Kyle Bailey, a December 2013 graduate of Texas A&M's Construction Science Department, was the first place winner in the 2014 James L. Allhands Essay Competition for his outstanding essay on the topic, "Using Virtual Construction Tools in Pre-Project Planning."
Bailey was born in Hallettsville Texas and graduated high school from Gonzales High School in Gonzales, Texas. He moved to the Bryan/College Station area and eventually got a job in land surveying He is currently the Survey Supervisor responsible for the Brazos Valley area for the same company. He and his spouse, Brandi, have been together for over 13 years and have two children.
He graduated from Texas A&M with Cum Laude honors and is a member of Sigma Lambda Chi honor society. He would like to become a superintendent and eventually progress through upper management of a construction firm. He is currently pursuing his Surveyor in Training certification which will allow him to obtain a Registered Professional Land Surveyor certification in Texas.
Ryan Mahoney
Second Place Winner
Marquette University
2014 James L. Allhands Essay Competition
Stephanie Tovar
Third Place Winner
Texas A&M
2014 James L. Allhands Essay Competition