The first class of students is thriving, and Small predicts that there will be about two dozen sophomores in the program this academic year.

Tomi-Lynn Paolino, a sophomore from Freehold, New Jersey, joined the construction engineering and management program because she envisions her future in the field.

Paolino has an affinity for — and aptitude in — math, a critical subject for construction engineers, who calculate forces on structures and much more. As a second grader, Paolino would finish all of her math homework for the week on Monday night. By eighth grade, she was moved a year ahead of her peers in math classes and often tutored her classmates. Paolino has also had lifelong exposure to the construction industry through family connections. Her dad owns a masonry company and often used their home and backyard to test new ideas.

“I want to love what I do but also earn a good salary,” she said. The median salary for a construction engineering manager is $88,505, according to PayScale.

A.J. Richardson, a sophomore from Mount Royal, New Jersey, has always dreamed of building sports stadiums. The student manager of UD’s baseball team, he has toured several baseball facilities and always found himself fascinated by the structures and designs.

“When I was younger, I would take random things and put them together to make something new,” he said. He spent last year’s Thanksgiving break helping his younger sister make a toy for their cat out of wrapping paper rolls and string.

Students in the construction engineering and management program benefit from the generosity of alumni and organizations that support construction education.

Doug Gianforte, president of GBuild Construction Managers, based in Exton, Pennsylvania, graduated from UD in 1984 with a civil engineering degree. During an internship with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DELDOT) during college, Gianforte realized that he wanted to pursue a career in construction. After graduating from UD, he started working for a major national construction group, and now, he runs a firm that builds and renovates facilities for a variety of industries, including higher education. GBuild has completed over 100 projects at UD, including renovations to Perkins Student Center and civil engineering laboratories in DuPont Hall.

Gianforte said the construction engineering and management program at UD gives students ideal training for careers in the industry.

“What I like about this degree is that it’s still an engineering degree, based in science and engineering, but with additional skills,” said Gianforte. “Graduates of this program will get a leg up on skills such as logistics, procurement, scheduling, bidding and estimating, skills that took me a while to learn.”

The construction engineering and management program offers students engineering foundations, modern construction techniques such as building information modeling, and business essentials. A required co-op ensures that students will graduate ready to make their mark. Through an optional winter session study abroad session in Dubai, home to the world’s tallest building, students can learn about international construction and project management.

Two construction engineering and management students spent the summer of 2018 as research fellows, studying the use of drones in construction. As drones fly around a site, they collect data on a project’s progress — such as how many bricks are being laid each day.

“Drones can help people like me better estimate costs for construction projects,” said Gianforte. He and his wife, Jan Gianforte, a 1984 UD graduate, sponsored the summer researchers.

Doug Gianforte is not the only executive taking notice of the program. A construction engineering and management kickoff event in February 2018 attracted local construction industry influencers, who talked with students about the opportunities this degree could open for them.

Bob Aydukovic, president of the Maryland Center for Construction Education, noted that companies in the state of Maryland need to hire about 1,000 construction industry professionals per year, but there is a short supply. Many come from Pennsylvania or Virginia.

“The career possibilities and opportunities in this field are almost endless,” he said. “Whether it’s entrepreneurship, apprenticeship, project management, field labor, design, or engineering, the career pathway is yours to build.”