Jerald Rounds, recently named the endowed chair in Construction Management and Construction Engineering at UNM, said he wants to work with the construction industry to strengthen relationships and develop training programs.
"There are hundreds of construction associations in New Mexico," he said. "UNM can provide a rallying point - a forum to solve common problems."
Rounds, a professional engineer with a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Dundee, Scotland, is a fourth-generation contractor on his father's side and an educator, following in the footsteps of his mother.
The Associated General Contractors Endowed Chair is a position created by the New Mexico Building Branch of the organization to enhance opportunities for students in Construction Management and Construction Engineering and to provide a link with commercial contractors, he said.
"Construction is the nation's single largest industry," Rounds said. "The endowment allows unique educational opportunities to prepare students for entry into this important and challenging industry."
UNM offers two bachelor's degree programs adapted to specific aspects of construction, he said. Construction engineers coordinate and direct the efforts of labor and equipment, and control the time and cost demands of field operations, Rounds said. Construction managers combine engineering, management and field construction skills with administration and management, he explained.
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"I plan to expand the program, collaborate with other construction engineers to define the core process used in commercial building, teach that process, and help students find their niche," he said.
Rounds said the deficit of workers in the field creates an open market with good salaries. He said when the economy improves, some of his students are recruited from their dorm rooms and asked to sign letters of intent before they graduate.
"There is a solid job market even in a down economy," he said. "Eighty to 90 percent of students in the program work part-time or full-time already. I have never seen a graduate not have a job. We can place graduates anywhere."
He added that the program is well endowed in scholarship funds.
UNM's program has a higher ratio of females to males than any other in the country, which is probably due to Deborah Fisher, the previous chair, Rounds said. Females are in higher demand and receive higher salaries than males, he said.
In the program, students can choose a technical engineering aspect or a management and business position, he said. They can use their people skills or, if they are less people oriented, they can work in research and design, Rounds said.
"Whatever your talents, you can find your niche in construction engineering or management," Rounds said.
The endowment also creates opportunities to collaborate with people in commercial construction. Through the funding of the endowed chair, UNM and several partners have created the Construction Advancement Institute. The institute allows individuals in the industry to continue their education, applying credits earned toward a bachelor's degree if they wish, he said.
Rounds said he encourages students with an interest in math, science or business and management to call him at 277-3658.
