Press Release

MSU announces Center for Project Innovation and Management Education (C-PRIME)

For immediate release (10/12/2009)

The Missouri State University Department of Technology and Construction Management (TCM) announces the re-tooling of the Center for Industrial Productivity, which will now be known as the Center for Project Innovation and Management Education (C-PRIME). The name change parallels that of TCM (formerly the Industrial Management Department) and reflects a new focus for the Center as an outreach unit of TCM aimed at assisting those who create the built environment. C-PRIME will deliver noncredit professional development courses to meet the needs of the regional design and construction community, connect local industry with TCM faculty for consulting or applied research projects, and disseminate the results of faculty research.

C-PRIME will be directed by Dianne Kay Slattery, Ph.D., P.E., associate professor of Construction Management in TCM. Dr. Slattery, a licensed professional engineer and certified professional constructor, joined the TCM faculty in August 2009 after more than 20 years at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she coordinated and taught short courses and workshops for professionals in the design and construction disciplines in addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in construction management and civil engineering. At MSU, her duties will be divided between teaching in the Construction Management program and C-PRIME. According to Slattery, “The location of C-PRIME at MSU, the state’s designated Public Affairs university, clarified the Center’s mission for me: get involved with local industry and find out how we can help meet their needs. C-PRIME will provide timely, cost-effective seminars and workshops that develop the skills and capabilities of designers, constructors, and project owners. In addition, the TCM faculty can provide project-specific consulting to industry and perform applied research in the effective use of new technologies and project management tools. I believe the expertise of the TCM faculty is a well-kept secret. C-PRIME will serve as a vehicle for putting this talent to use for the benefit of the region.”

The Department of Technology and Construction Management offers accredited undergraduate degrees that blend of engineering, business, construction, and project management bodies of knowledge, a highly marketable skill set even in today’s challenging economy. TCM also offers a unique online Master’s degree in Project Management. The undergraduate Construction Management enrollment approached 300 this fall, continuing its upward trend. Department Head Dr. Shawn Strong explains, “The construction industry has changed. Companies and even government agencies are recognizing the value of involving construction professionals very early in the design and budgeting process, using a design-build approach or other innovative strategies. The construction industry has computerized everything: drawing, surveying, estimating, scheduling, and managing projects. Everyone involved in construction--even our own alumni-- will need ongoing continuing education to keep up with the pace of change. C-PRIME will serve a wide variety of industries whose personnel have a need to develop more advanced technical, managerial and leadership skills.”

C-PRIME’s first professional development program, “Erosion from the Ground Up,” is slated for Friday, November 13, 2009, 8 a.m. to 12 noon in Kemper Hall 102. The second, “3-D Laser Scanning for Design and Construction Applications” will follow in December. For information or to register, contact Helen Barnett at the MSU Community and Social Issues Institute, 417-836-8857. For more information on upcoming programs and other services offered through C-PRIME, contact Dianne Slattery dianneslattery@missouristate.edu, 417-836-5171.