CoSci prof earns education award from national construction group

For exceptional teaching and service, George Eustace, industry relations coordinator for the Department of Construction Science at Texas A&M University, recently earned the 2014 W.A. Klinger Construction Education Award from the [American Institute of Constructors] (http://www.professionalconstructor.org) .

The AIC, which promotes industry professionalism and ethics, has annually presented the Klinger award since 1976 to honor educators who have distinguished themselves, advanced the construction profession, their institution of learning and the industry.

Eustace received the honor April 15 at the AIC’s annual award dinner in Greenville, South Carolina. He was recognized for heading numerous initiatives, including a construction ethics contest, field trips and job fairs.

Each semester, Eustace tasks students to become familiar with the AIC’s [Code of Ethics] (http://www.professionalconstructor.org/?page=Bylaws) and identify ethical dilemmas in a scenario he prepares. In the exercise, students analyze the situation and recommended [solutions] (http://one.arch.tamu.edu/news/2012/4/25/cocsi-students-ethics/) to a panel of industry professionals, who evaluate the presentations.

“Many students have told me that learning about ethical issues they will be encountering on a daily basis is one of the most eye-opening experiences they have at Texas A&M,” said David Fleming ‘75, AIC president and an executive at [Sundt] (http://www.sundt.com) , a construction company and general contractor, who nominated Eustace for the award.

“It’s been an honor to see how Eustace has trained young minds to consider these kinds of issues,” said Fleming, who has served as a panelist in the ethics competition since 2010 and is an [outstanding alumnus] (http://www.arch.tamu.edu/community/formerstudents/outstanding-alumni/past-honorees/145/) of the College of Architecture.

Eustace also added a written component to the department’s internship programs, requiring students to produce essays, memorandum reports and business letters.

As the [Department of Construction Science] (http://cosc.arch.tamu.edu) ’s industry relations coordinator, Eustace also works with industry partners across the state to facilitate daylong [field trips] (http://one.arch.tamu.edu/news/2013/11/8/cosci-students-visit-multiple-sites-during-field-day-trips/) to construction sites, where students learn the latest building, material production and manufacturing practices.

Students also polish their resumes and sharpen their interview skills at the four [job fairs] (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152732636385420.1073741896.11950375419&type=1) Eustace coordinates each academic year, which connect industry members looking for new hires or interns.

Eustace, who joined the Texas A&M faculty in 2005, has more than 38 years of experience in construction, facility planning, design, engineering, maintenance, operations and construction, contract administration, utility systems operations, project scheduling management and contingency planning.