U.S., Canada conference on American Indian construction industry at Arizona State University

Conference and golf mixer benefit educational opportunities for American Indian students and construction project management efforts for tribal nations

TEMPE, Ariz. – May 13, 2009 - Arizona State University’s Del E. Webb School of Construction and the Office of American Indian Affairs at ASU will partner again this year to host the sixth annual Construction in Indian Country (CIIC) international conference and golf mixer. This year’s conference will be at the Radisson Fort McDowell Resort in Fort McDowell, Ariz., May 19 and 20.

The CIIC annual conference was established to assist in quality management of construction projects for American Indian nations and to provide educational opportunities to American Indian students. 

The mission of the conference is to educate tribes and contractors about the realities and opportunities of construction endeavors in Indian communities, to maintain an educational grant and endowment for American Indian students attending ASU’s school of construction, to begin “Growing Our Own” future construction professionals and to provide research and training efforts for tribal nations.

This year’s conference is expected to draw about 400 people from throughout the United States and Canada, including tribal leaders and representatives, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, project managers, engineers, architects, planners, lawyers and school board members.

The conference will examine:

Funding
Design
Economy
Infrastructure
Cultural Sensitivity
Sustainability
Alternative Materials
Community Development

Conference activities will include a golf mixer May 18 at the ASU Karsten Golf Club in Tempe, Ariz. The annual tournament has become a traditional event to kick off the two-day conference.

Sponsorships and proceeds from the conference and golf mixer benefit the CIIC educational grant and its endowment fund, in addition to research and training for tribal nations, and help fund the conference events.  Last year’s conference proceeds provided another two American Indian students with a $2,000 grant each and added $48,000 to the organization’s endowment.

Peterson Zah, the Special Advisor to the President on American Indian Affairs at ASU, says the CIIC conference was created to bridge insecurities between the tribes and the larger construction industry and to provide a forum for finding solutions to the challenges of construction in American Indian communities. 

“The initial founders of the CIIC program wanted to bring these two entities together to sit at a table over coffee and get to know one another, talk about the issues and how they can best be resolved, but also to address the lack of Indian professionals in the industry,” Zah says.

“We want the industry and tribes to successfully partner with one another, have tribes partner with other tribes, and at the same time have tribes start growing their own professionals,” he said. 

Registration fee for the conference is $495 per person. The cost for the golf mixer is $125 per player for conference registrants.

For more information contact Kimberly Silentman-Kanuho at (480)727-3105.

Del E. Webb School of Construction

Founded in 1957, the Del E. Webb School of Construction, part of ASU’s Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, is accredited through the American Council for Construction Education, and one of only three named schools of construction in the country. The school’s mission is to become a national center for construction education, research and technology transfer; to study innovative technologies for implementation in the construction industry; and to promote international relationships. The Del E. Webb School of Construction is a unit within the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering at Arizona State University. For information visit http://engineering.asu.edu/sebe

Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering

The Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering at Arizona State University serves more than 4,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students, providing skills and knowledge for shaping careers marked by innovation and societal impact. Its 200-plus faculty members teach and pursue research in areas of electrical, industrial, chemical, mechanical, aerospace, civil and environmental engineering, bioengineering, computer science, biomedical informatics, construction and construction management. For more information, visit the web site www.fulton.asu.edu/fulton
 

Media Contacts:

Kimberly Silentman-Kanuho, ksilent@asu.edu

Coordinator for American Indian Initiatives

(480) 727-3105 direct line

Del E. Webb School of Construction

Arizona State University

Tempe, Arizona USA

http://ciic.construction.asu.edu

Joe Kullman, joe.kullman@asu.edu

(480) 965-8122 direct line/ (602) 703-2988 cell

Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering

Arizona State University

Tempe, Arizona USA

www.fulton.asu.edu/fulton/