After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, a Washington State University student team took the top prize in the recent Northwest Construction Consumer Council (NWCCC) Annual Student Bid Competition, a student competition for construction management programs in the Pacific Northwest. The competition is held as the main event for the NWCCC meeting in January every year.
Teams from construction management programs at University of Washington and Washington State University participated in the competition, which was held at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. Skanska USA was this year’s project sponsor and developed the competition around a new classroom building at University Prep school in Seattle. The competition requires that students solve complex problems based on an existing project, present proposals, and participate in a rigorous question and answer session in a conference-like setting.
Coached by Professor Jason Peschel, interim director and associate professor in the School of Design and Construction, the WSU commercial team used construction management skills such as scheduling, estimating, site logistics, site safety, and technical writing to develop a proposal for a real-life construction project. The students included Shaaki Shaik, Cameron Stout, Sarah Robinson, Jaeden Biehn, Logan Prouse, and Molly Mahoney.
“I am proud of this group of students and how they have come together as a team,” said Peschel. “The results here will serve as a confidence boost for the team as they prepare for the Associated Schools of Construction student competition in early February.”
Several industry partners, including Exxel Pacific, Howard S. Wright, and Mortenson provided financial support and practice problems for the WSU Commercial team before the competitions.
“The industry support we receive — in the form of financial gifts but also in time and talent — is so beneficial to the students in preparing for the competitions,” said Peschel. “The alumni and industry partners are amazing and the students benefit greatly from engaging with these industry professionals.”
