Associate professors of Construction Science Ben Bigelow and Anthony Perrenoud recently won the 2019 “Keiwit Best Journal Paper” Award, given by the Associated Schools of Construction.
Their paper titled “Attracting and Retaining Tradespeople, an Evaluation of Influencers on Construction Workers in Two Different Trades in Texas,” co-authored with Veronica Zarate, Jose Soto, and Javier Arenas, was selected from among all articles published in 2019 in the International Journal of Construction Education and Research.
This is a “back to back” win for Dr. Bigelow, who also won this award last year.
Congratulations!
"The shortage of workers across construction trades is a growing concern in the United States. This study collected the perceptions of 429 construction workers in two different trades to explore and contrast their perceptions and experiences in choosing and remaining in their trade. Worker perceptions were collected using open ended and Likert scale questions to explore the influencers on workers. While higher salaries were indicated as perhaps the single best means of attracting and retaining workers to these trades, the results suggest that money is not the only effective means to attract and retain workers, in both high and low skill construction trades. Resources for training as well as family and friends have a strong influence in career choice among construction workers. The results also indicate that while there is a level of consistency between different trades regarding what attracts and retains them, strategies should not simply be geared to construction in general, due to ethnic, skill-level, and unionization differences between trades, efforts need to be catered to the specific trades within the construction industry."
Bigelow et al. 2019
The Gibbs Design in Action Awards (GDAA) program, led by Dr. Wanda Liebermann, has announced its 2026–2027 funded student projects. The initiative supports design and research work that addresses social, cultural, and economic issues in the built environment through collaboration with faculty and community partners.
The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Camille Germany, Chief of Staff, has been named the 2026 recipient of the university-wide Jennifer L. Wise Good Stewardship Award.
