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Graduate ProgramWhen is the right time for you to pursue a graduatedegree? For some, the right time is immediatelyafter earning a bachelor’s degree. However, for thosealready working, the decision to come back to school to geta graduate degree may be a little more daunting. There are anumber of reasons why working prior to pursuing a graduatedegree may be beneficial for you. First, you often have abetter handle on your career path. Second, your experiencecan provide you with a more practical mature outlook onyour schooling. Finally, your professional experience withproblem solving can greatly enhance your ability to performacademic research. Is a Construction Management master’sdegree right for you? It may be a great way for you to enhanceyour resume, sharpen your skills, and fulfill that inner desireto further your education. For those of you who have everconsidered pursuing a CM master’s degree, is the time rightfor you now?The Technology master’s degree continues to be an importantaspect of the BYU Construction and Facilities Managementprogram. While the undergraduate degree focuses onpreparing students to manage construction projects,the graduate program has been tailored to prepare andstrengthen individuals in managing construction companies.Required coursework includes construction company humanresources, managing risk in construction, constructioncompany financial management, construction companydevelopment, technology leadership, and trends and issuesin managing construction. Graduate students also have theopportunity to take at least six elective credits from otherplaces on campus, with most students selecting classes fromthe business school.CM graduate students also have the opportunity to participatein meaningful research. Our graduates often note that,although initially a little daunting, working on research andwriting a thesis is one of the most valuable elements of theirgraduate experience. The thesis experience gives students theopportunity to define, solve, and share real-world problemsand solutions occurring within the construction industry.Graduate ProgramNew FacultyWe congratulate Liz Ricardo-Belliard for completing herthesis and graduating this past year! Her thesis topic was“Implementation of BIM in the Municipal Plan ReviewProcess.” We also congratulate some of our recent graduatestudents for having their research published this past year.These include:Journal ArticlesGeorge Williams - Responding to the Approaching MassDeparture of Building Code Professionals in Utah: Journal ofProfessional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice,Vol. 142, No. 4, 2016Evan Danforth - Measuring Organizational Learning Successin Commercial Construction during Economic Recession: TheProfessional Constructor: Journal of the American Institute ofConstructors, Vol. 40, No. 1, 2016Rebecca Warr - Effects of CM/GC Project Delivery onManaging Process Risk in Transportation Construction:Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol.142, No. 3, 2016Conference PapersCharles Petrinovich - Technological Advances in the FacilityManagement Profession: IFMA’s World Workplace, October2016Liz Ricardo-Belliard - A Case Study for Assessing the Use ofBIM in the Plan Review Process: UK BIM Academic Forum,Glasgow, Scotland, September 2016Rebecca Warr - Perceptions of Historic Projects in theConstruction Industry: ASCE Construction Research Congress,San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 2016Spencer Blaylock - Methods for Evaluating Financial Riskin Small Construction Companies: ASC Annual Conference,Provo, UT, April 2016For more information about the construction managementgraduate program at BYU, please check out the graduatebrochure at cfm.byu.edu. If you have any questions, contact usat cmmasters@byu.edu. We’d love to hear from you!For More Informationvisit cm.byu.eduemail cmmasters@byu.educall 801.422.20216 CFMJames SmithJames Smith was born and raised in Holladay, Utah.He had originally intended to study architecture,but because of his desire to go to Brigham YoungUniversity, he found the most similar course BYU hadto offer, and enrolled in the Construction Managementprogram. He soon grew more interested inconstruction rather than architecture. After graduatingin 2003, Smith worked in the industry for sevenyears in Las Vegas, Nevada and Park City, Utah beforereturning to BYU for his master’s degree in 2009.Once he obtained his master’s, he attended Texas A&Mwhere he received his PhD.While in college, Smith began working in theconstruction industry with a framing contractorin Utah Valley. This helped him to gain experiencein the field as he learned in the classroom. Afterfinishing his undergrad, he began working for DelWebb Corporation in Las Vegas, Nevada. He waswith Del Webb for a few years before he got anopportunity to return to Utah and work with SilverCreek Development Group. As a project managerfor Silver Creek, he built high end custom homes inPark City ranging from two to five million dollars. Asthe economy began to slow down, Smith decided toreturn to school and prepare for his future as a collegeprofessor.Smith has always had a strong desire to learn and toshare his knowledge with others. “I am interested inthe people side of construction,” he says. “My researchhas focused on trust-building in the constructionprocess, and alternate project delivery methods, whichinfluence the way trust is built and managed. I amalso interested in interdisciplinary learning and leanconstruction.”After receiving his PhD, he began his teaching career,first as a professor at Clemson University in SouthCarolina, and now as the newest faculty memberof BYU’s Construction and Facilities Managementprogram. He teaches the Capstone class for seniorsand the Introduction to CFM course for students newto the program.Smith’s true love for teaching began when he was ateacher at the Missionary Training Center. He lovedbeing a part of the learning process, and always hadan interest in making that become a full-time andlong-term profession. His favorite part about teachingclasses is the interaction and relationships with thestudents, which is what motivates him each day.“The learning process and the idea of selfimprovement and progression are things that I’mpassionate about. As that relates to the gospel and tohigher education, that is something that I like to be apart of,” says Smith.His work experience has helped him connectthe technical aspects of construction with theinterpersonal aspects. As a home builder, Smithlearned that successful contractors must effectivelymanage the people side of construction. Homebuilders have to understand and deal with people whohave a deep emotional connection with the projectbecause it’s their home. The way this process ishandled is extremely important.Smith served in the Japan Tokyo South missionfrom 1998 to 2000. He started dating his wife Kimwhile they were both teaching at the MTC after theirmissions. They have been married for 15 years andhave five kids between the ages of two and 13. Smith isa huge BYU sports fan, and enjoys playing any and allsports and coaching his children’s teams.Faculty Spotlight2017 7

ToolsOf TheTradeContinuing ExcellenceHundreds gathered for the ninthannual CM Alumni and Friendsdinner on Sept. 28. All wereexcited to renew friendships and createnew contacts.Beverly Harmon, who retired in earlySeptember, was recognized for herwork and contribution as the advisorin the School of Technology and as aninternship advisor for the Ira A. FultonCollege. She has contributed much tothe success of the students in the CFMprogram, and will be greatly missed byboth students and faculty members.The Industry Advisory Council awarded17 scholarships to students in theconstruction management programthis year. Each of these students wererecognized for their hard work anddetermination to strive for excellence intheir studies.The CM program was pleased torecognize and award the Jay S. NewittAward for industry excellence to: KingFiroz Husein. The Jay S. Newitt awardis presented to individuals who areleaders in the construction industrywho make a positive difference in theworld within their sphere of influence.(read more on page 16).Husein and his company havesupported BYU and have worked on theIndoor Practice Facility, the HinckleyAlumni Building, and are currentlyworking on the new engineeringbuilding. Husein has used his position inthe construction industry to lead others,focus on keeping commitments, andconduct business with integrity.state and now has projects on fourdifferent continents. Span Constructionhas been the exclusive worldwidebuilder for Costco for 23 years. Theyhave proven to build efficiently andeffectively as they are able to constructthese 150,000 square feet buildings injust 110 days.The CM Alumni and Friends dinnerwas a great opportunity to makeconnections and learn from industryprofessionals. We have decided to movethe annual alumni dinner to the springbeginning in 2017. We look forward tomany more alumni in attendance andhope to see you there!Span Construction started as a smallsteel supplier in California, but due toHusein’s business tactics and ingenuity,Span quickly spread throughout thePictured: Award winners Jessica Sellers, Jake Tarabilda, Todd Tanner, and Jason AndersonThe Facilities Management students participated inboth the IAC student competition and the AssociatedSchool of Construction (ASC) competition this schoolyear. The students who competed were able to representBYU’s CFM program proudly as they applied what they havebeen learning in school in order to perform well in theircompetitions.A team of students competed in the IAC competition this pastNovember on the BYU campus. This was BYU’s first year tohost such an event. Students Todd Tanner, Jason Anderson,Jake Tarabilda, and Jessica Sellers represented the FMprogram at the event.Tanner, a senior in the program, says, “Since this was thefirst FM student competition of its kind, we didn’t knowwhat to expect; therefore, we prepared by assembling a teamcomprised of various people with complementary workexperiences and skills.”Fellow teammate Sellers, a junior in the program, added,“What I believe truly set us apart from the others was ourability to collectively come together as a team and work off ofeach other’s strengths and weaknesses.”8 CFMCM Alumni DinnerAlong with earning a 250 cash prize, they were able to gainvaluable experience and learn how to work together in orderto solve a problem.“I found that winning the competition was not only arewarding learning experience, but also a great opportunityfor my teammates and I to test and verify knowledge ofpreventative maintenance, and the money it can save afacility,” says Sellers.During the winter semester, the first ever FM teamparticipated in the CM focused ASC competition in Reno,NV. The competitive events at this competition are gearedtowards the construction management field, but the CFMprogram entered a team of FM focused students into thesustainability competition. Although they did not place, theydid an outstanding job during their presentation and werecomplimented by many other schools, as well as the judges.On their performance, head of the FM program Michael Bownsays, “Their presentations were great, and they learned a lotfrom their experience. Our team made quite an impression onthe judges.”The CFM program is proud of how each student participatedand placed in their events, and they are determined toprepare and win more awards next year.FM Conferences2017 9

Get ConnectedThe Third Annual FacilitiesManagement NetworkingNight was held on Sept. 22,2016. It was located on the thirdfloor of the Wilkinson StudentCenter with sponsors such asSodexo, Peg Development, OnLineFM, Entrata, RBM Services,Commercial Real Estate Services(CBRE), Building Owners andManagers Association International(BOMA), and Rocky MountainStriping.A total of 31 companies were inattendance, ranging from real estateinvestment and management, tothe associations that support thefacility and property managementindustries. Students were ableto meet with these companyrepresentatives and professionalsto learn more about careeropportunities.This year’s event had the higheststudent attendance yet with over 70students present. These studentswere able to network with industryprofessionals and learn about theamazing industry opportunities.Senior Benjamin Leutze, the FPMSApresident for this past school year,says, “The Networking Night isthe best

aspect of the BYU Construction and Facilities Management program. While the undergraduate degree focuses on preparing students to manage construction projects, the graduate program has been tailored to prepare and strengthen individuals in managing construction companies. Required course