The prospect of restoring Gary’s once majestic downtown City Methodist Church after nearly four decades of neglect may seem highly unlikely.

On schedule to graduate

But if it were to happen, a Purdue University Calumet construction sciences student has done the initial heavy lifting, so to speak, of preparation.

Merrillville resident and New Lenox, Ill. native Brianne Slick is on schedule to graduate Sunday (5/19) from Purdue Calumet’s construction management and engineering technology program. One of her final assignments was to complete an extensive design project, required of all seniors, that enabled her to apply lessons she has learned as a prospective construction project manager.

Senior project

Her senior project, which she initiated last fall, provided restoration plans for the sanctuary within the multi-faceted, 1925 circa City Methodist Church, once considered among the most magnificent in Indiana.

Changing times in northwest Indiana, however, led to the church’s demise, closing and ultimate abandonment in 1975.

When a Gary faith-based community advocate sought to find out what it would take to restore the grand old worship facility, Purdue Calumet Chancellor Thomas Keon became aware. He then contacted university Professor and Head of the Department of Construction Sciences and Organizational Leadership Anthony Gregory.

“I put it out there as a possible senior project for our students, and Brianne stepped forward,” Gregory said. “She researched the church’s history and did a proposal last fall focusing on the sanctuary portion only. Then she did an analysis to determine whether or not the sanctuary could be made usable and if so, what the rehabbing would cost.”

Dean’s List

For the ambitious, 25-year-old Dean’s List student, the project got off to a challenging start.

“I couldn’t find any architecture plans for the church, so I had to do my own measurements,” she said. “Professor Gregory helped with the perimeter measures, and I did the interior myself.”

And she did them during the brutal winter months of January and February. Purdue Calumet Professors Dennis Korchek and Jose Pena also provided assistance.

She then went about employing lessons of her Purdue Calumet education.

“I had to decide what needed demolishing and what could be replaced,” she said. “Then I did a quantity take-off to determine material needs. I also used the RSMeans software program, which provides material and labor costs based on geographic location.”

Sometimes overwhelming

Brianne Slick

 Though admitting the project at times was frustrating and overwhelming, “I fell in love with the (the building) right away,” she said. “The sheer beauty of the architecture and that it brought so many people together appealed to me.”

Along with other Purdue Calumet construction management and engineering technology seniors, she presented her project last week. A few weeks following graduation, she will begin her professional career in construction as an estimator with an electrical contractor in Denver, Colo.

Like so many students, Slick had other ideas of what she thought she wanted to study after high school. Briefly, she tried civil engineering. Then for two and one-half years, she explored veterinary science while working as a vet assistant. Though she adopted three dogs and two cats, her career path remained uncertain.

Meantime, while continuing to assist her father with home remodeling, she took the advice of family members and friends who encouraged her to resume her college education.

Accredited program nearby

“At the time, I didn’t realize construction management was a degree,” she said. “Purdue Calumet appealed to me because it offered an accredited degree program nearby.”

Three years of study and two paid internships later, she acknowledges that the Purdue Calumet program “covers the fundamentals of construction as to what you need to know in order to manage projects.” 

She adds that she also has benefited from helpful professors and flexible course scheduling. 

“Brianne is one of those students with a critical mind who makes a professor better,” Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Technology Jose Pena said. “I have no doubt she will be a success in any area and endeavor she initiates. I wish we had more students with her discipline, drive and, above all, capacity for analyzing, asking questions and looking beyond the surface of things.”

One of the best decisions

Reflecting on her Purdue Calumet years, she said, “I can honestly say this has been one of the best decisions of my life. Being a woman in construction is not only a challenge, but it is also a reward knowing that I can do anything I put my heart into…”

This year’s event attracted more than 500 participants not only from NW Indiana, but also from Chicago and Indianapolis. Students that attended this conference not only learned new EHS topics during various sessions, but they also encountered opportunities to network with local safety professionals.

Two students that attended were able to arrange summer internship interviews with a company in the region.

Angela Quail, OLS – EHS student, said “Attending the Beyond Safety Conference allowed me to be exposed to many different aspects of EHS. It also aided me in securing my first internship.”

Prospective Students, Parents, High School Teachers, and High School Counselors should plan on attending to:

• Tour Construction Management and Engineering Technologies Laboratories
• Participate in live demonstrations
• Meet faculty and students
• Learn about career opportunities
• Department give-a-ways

RSVP by calling the CSOL Office at (219) 989-2332, or by e-mailing at csol@purduecal.edu

Implemented this fall, this initial articulation between the two institutions provides graduates of the College of DuPage Associate of Applied Science in Construction Management degree transfer admission into Purdue Calumet’s Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and Engineering Technologies program.

“This agreement certainly benefits Purdue Calumet and our Department of Construction Science and Organizational Leadership,” Purdue Calumet Department Head Anthony Gregory said. “Additionally, students from College of DuPage benefit in that they now have a clear path to follow that will allow them to continue their education in the construction management field to the B.S. degree level.”

According the agreement, College of DuPage graduates may transfer and apply to the Purdue Calumet baccalaureate degree program up to 66 credits from courses in which they earned a grade of “C” or better. Accumulation of an additional 64 credits at Purdue Calumet is required to earn the baccalaureate  degree.

“This is an excellent opportunity for College of DuPage students to continue their education at one of the top construction management programs in the country,” COD Architecture Professor Jane Ostergaard said. “The construction industry is continuing to become more complex, and advanced credentials are important for our students as they prepare themselves for careers in this field.”

Purdue Calumet’s baccalaureate degree construction management and engineering technologies program prepares graduates for leadership positions in construction and related industries. The program, accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc. serves some 125 students and includes an option in surveying technology.

Purdue Calumet is a comprehensive regional university of more than 10,000 students within the Purdue University system. The Purdue Calumet campus, located in Hammond, Ind., is three miles east of the Indiana-Illinois state line off Interstate 80/94.

College of DuPage is the largest single-campus community college in the nation outside of California and the second largest provider of higher education in Illinois, serving nearly 30,000 students each term. Currently, College of DuPage offers more than 90 certificate programs and degrees for today’s occupational and technical careers and nine associate’s degrees in 59 occupational and 45 transfer pre-baccalaureate programs. In addition, College of DuPage is nearing completion of a 12-year, $600 million building plan that has included the construction and renovation of more than one million square feet of educational space

• Matt Magurean, Construction Science and Organizational Leadership
  Measuring The Diffusion Of Oxygen In Concrete By Physical Methods
  Mentor: Jose Pena, Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Technology

• Brianne Slick,  Construction Science and Organizational Leadership
  City Methodist Church Restoration Project in Gary, IN
  Mentor: Jose Peña, Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Technology & Dennis Korchek, Professor, Architectural Engineering Technology