Contact: Aaron Hoskins
SDSU Marketing & Communications
(619) 594-4119
ahoskins@mail.sdsu.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SDSU Receives $500,000 Pledge from Roel Construction to Support New Construction Engineering and Management Program

SAN DIEGO, Thursday, August 1, 2002- Roel Construction has pledged to give San Diego State University $500,000 to help fund Southern California's first Construction Engineering and Management (CEM) Program. With Roel's pledge, SDSU's College of Engineering has raised more than $1.2 million in cash and pledges for the program, which will address San Diego's acute shortage of qualified engineers with construction and project-management skills.

Members of the San Diego chapter of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) have agreed to contribute a total of at least $2.5 million for the success of the new program. The gift from Roel Construction will be combined with other contributions from AGC members and will endow the AGC-Paul S. Roel Chair in Construction Engineering and Management. In addition, the gift will create the Roel Construction Engineering and Management Faculty Excellence Fund to support general program activities for the CEM program.

"It's a great opportunity to partner with SDSU and respond to one of San Diego's most pressing needs - expert construction professionals," said Kevin Elliott, president and chief operations officer of Roel Construction, a San Diego-based and family-owned commercial general contractor started in 1917 by Tom Roel, Paul S. Roel's father. The company was moved to San Diego in 1959. "Despite a struggling national economy, San Diego continues to attract new businesses with the accompanying demand for office space, new homes, retail centers and recreation facilities. Local universities to this point have not been able to produce enough entry-level engineering graduates to meet the demands of local construction firms. The new construction engineering program at SDSU will provide enough graduates to meet the industry's needs."

SDSU Provost Nancy Marlin said the construction engineering and management program meets the university's core mission. "Once again SDSU will utilize its resources and partner with the local community to directly address a regional need," she said. "It's rewarding for the faculty, staff and students as well as the generous benefactors such as Roel Construction that make it possible for the university to have such a positive impact on the San Diego community."

Pete Filanc, president of the local chapter of the Association of General Contractors, said the program will benefit the entire community.

"We are pleased with the cooperative efforts between San Diego State University's College of Engineering and the construction industry that have brought this new and exciting program the San Diego," Filanc said. "We will continue working together to develop a world-class program designed to fulfill the current and future professional construction engineering and management needs of the construction industry."

In August, the SDSU College of Engineering will welcome Dr. Kenneth Walsh, P.E., as the chair of the new program. Walsh, who was most recently at the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University, has been charged with establishing and growing the CEM program. The goal is to have approximately 225 students enrolled in the program, producing 55 graduates each year - 55 potential new employees who are likely to stay in the area and contribute to the continued growth and success of the construction industry in San Diego.

"This is a giant leap forward for the region's construction industry," Walsh said. "SDSU will produce the most advanced construction engineers in San Diego as our research and training will enable local builders to construct better, cheaper and safer buildings, schools, and homes more quickly."
Graduates of the program will receive a new degree in Construction Engineering and Management, through the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at SDSU's College of Engineering. Walsh said students enrolled in the program will benefit from a partnership between the university's College of Engineering and nationally ranked College of Business Administration. The expanded curriculum will introduce engineering students to a variety of business-related courses including cost accounting, estimating and marketing.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Founded in 1897, SDSU has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 78 areas, master's degrees in 61 areas and doctorates in 13. SDSU's more than 34,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information log on to www.sdsu.edu.

Roel Construction Co., Inc., is celebrating 85 years as a family-owned business with offices in San Diego, Irvine, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Palm Springs. In addition to general construction, Roel provides tenant improvement and special projects, structural concrete, surety support, construction management and consulting services. For more information log on to www.roel.com.

AGC is the nation's largest and oldest construction trade association. The association is dedicated to improving the construction industry by employing the finest skills, promoting the latest technology, and advocating building the best quality projects for public and private owners. The San Diego Chapter has over 800 member companies and is celebrating its 75th year. For more information or to inquire about membership please call (858) 558-7444.

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