Roger Williams University
SECCM NEWS THE NEWSLETTER OF THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, COMPUTING, AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
SPRING 2024
WELCOME! Welcome to the spring 2024 newsletter of the School of Engineering, Computing and Construction Management (SECCM) at Roger Williams University (RWU)!
Dean Griffin with Godric Griffindog.
In this edition, you’ll learn about current happenings in the School as well as some of the achievements of our SECCM faculty members during the fall semester of 2023. You’ll also get to know more about one of our Computer Science faculty members, a Construction Management alumna, and three of our current undergraduate students. As we continue to celebrate the 2020 opening of the Bready Applied Learning Laboratory, this edition of our newsletter also shines a spotlight on the Construction Management ‘BIM Lab.’ You’ll also hear about some exciting research being done by some of our amazing students under the guidance of our electrical engineering faculty. I also hope you enjoy reading about the newly reinstated student Green Building and Sustainable Construction (GBSC) Club and their activities. Efforts to reinvigorate GBSC were spearheaded by our newest full-time, tenure-track faculty member, Dr. Shay Kurzinski.
I hope you all received and read with interest our fall 2023 newsletter, in which we introduced Computer Science alumnus Jason Giroux. If you are a dog lover like I am, you probably noticed that his photo included two dogs. To follow suit, my photo in this edition includes my family’s Australian shepherd, Godric Griffindog (Harry Potter fans, IYKYK). The first thing I do every morning (except when it’s raining – Godric is a diva and won’t go outside if it is raining) is take Godric on a one-mile walk around my neighborhood. It’s often dark at this time of morning (I get up early), sometimes I don’t see a single car, and most of the time, the only other life Godric and I see are deer and rabbits. These walks are when I think – without the worry of getting to my next appointment or crossing something off my to-do list. On one of my recent walks, I thought about what makes SECCM and RWU so special – and the main thing I thought of was the relationship between our faculty and our students. I have had a more-than-twenty-year career as an academic, and I observe that the interaction of faculty and students is deeper here than at any other institution of which I have been a part. SECCM faculty and current students, keep up the great work! SECCM alumni, please reach out to touch base with some of your favorite faculty members to say hello and check in. We want to know how you are and what you are doing with your career. Trust me, it will certainly make your faculty member’s day! As always, please let me know if you have any questions or comments — I’m always available by phone or electronic mail (401-254-3498, rgriffin@rwu.edu). May you and yours stay safe and well. Enjoy the upcoming summer – I hope you’ll find some time to relax! With warmest regards, Rob