SPOKANE, Wash. — A Washington State University Spokane faculty member has been named a charter professional in the new Design-Build Institute of America designated design-build professional certification program.
Darlene Septelka, associate professor of construction management and coordinator of the graduate design-build management track, is one of only 85 charter members named out of 1,082 DBIA members reviewed for nomination. Charter members will be honored at a convocation ceremony in Washington, D.C., April 18.
The DBIA established the designation to serve as an accepted and recognized educational standard for practitioners who possess a qualified and quantified level of expertise in design-build.
An individual who successfully completes the requirements is recognized as a Designated Design-Build Professional and earns the right to display “DBIA” after his or her name. The designation indicates to design-build end users and the community at large that the individual is a professional in the design-build field.
Septelka previously received DBIA’s Special Recognition Award at its annual conference in October 2001. She received the award in part because of her research in alternative delivery and promotion of design-build, and her establishment of the design-build management track within WSU Spokane’s master of science architecture program. Also in 2001, DBIA awarded one of only four research grants they gave nationwide to Septelka and a graduate student in the design-build management track.
Septelka created the design-build track within the master of science in architecture program at WSU Spokane in 2000 to fill a need in the industry. Since then, the program — which is geared toward working professionals — has grown from three students to a dozen. The field of study is housed within WSU Spokane’s Interdisciplinary Design Institute, which brings together design and construction students to study in an atmosphere that encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration
Septelka holds a master’s degree in construction management from the University of Washington. Prior to entering her academic career, she worked in the construction industry for 27 years as a contractor, architect/engineer, construction manager, and business owner, and managed a number of projects for The Boeing Corporation. Septelka is vice president and a founding member of the Spokane section of the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering, and the Northwest Construction Consumer Council.
For more information, contact Septelka at 509/358-7910, septelka@wsu.edu, or see designbuild.spokane.wsu.edu.
