The annual Environmental Conservation awards picnic is traditionally where we honor the current year’s group of BCT award and scholarship recipients. This is always an exciting part of the academic year because we can shine a light on outstanding student achievements and provide scholarship support for our well-deserving students.

The complete list of the 2025-26 award and scholarship winners is shown below the image and more pictures from the event can be found at the end of this post and here.

Congratulations to all the recipients!!! We are tremendously proud of you all!!!

2025-26 Award Recipients

BCT Outstanding Senior Award

Brennan Ibbitson

Associated General Contractors of Western Massachusetts: Building and Construction Technology Endowment

Ana Guaman, Cadighan Gladu

Building and Construction Technology Alumni Scholarship for Academic Merit

Lucas Oles

Building and Construction Technology Alumni Scholarship for Leadership

Brennan Ibbitson

Harry L. Folsom Award from the Donald B. Hyde Memorial Scholarship Fund

D’jackyna Celestin

Harry and Virginia Braconier Scholarship

Tom Peti

Henry E. Zottoli Memorial Scholarship

TJ Michel, John Bowler

Gallery

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Our BCT Summer 2026 online courses are now available on UMass University+. These are open to you whether you are a matriculated student or not and can provide valuable skills as well as credits towards your major or minor. Want to complete a BCT Minor? You can use these courses for that.

Available Courses:

Energy Efficient Housing (BCT 211)

Energy conservation in contemporary residential construction. Emphasis on: energy efficient building materials, products and construction technology; alternative energy sources; passive solar design; environmental concerns, regulatory issues and building codes.

Construction Estimating (BCT 314)

Any successful building construction project relies on accurate and consistent cost estimates. This course provides students with the skills and background to perform construction estimating, bidding, and cost management. Lectures will cover quantity take-off from construction documents and estimate costs for material, labor, equipment, overhead, and profit. Students are required to prepare and submit a formal bid which details an estimate for a building construction project. Furthermore, students will also be introduced to leading construction estimating software utilized in the construction industry.

Introduction to CAD & BIM in Construction & Architecture (BCT 320)

This course provides students with a broad introduction into Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) with a focus on construction- and architecture-specific applications. By using industry-standard AEC software (such as Autodesk AutoCAD, Trimble SketchUp, and Autodesk Revit) in hands-on exercises, assignments and projects, students gain the capability to model construction projects and create and distribute industry-standard architectural drawings.

Construction Project Management (BCT 353)

Introduces business concepts to students interested in design and fabrication of structures. Managing a project, contracts, marketing, scheduling, personnel, leadership, interpersonal communication, human behavior, finance, budgeting, ethical and legal considerations.

Sustainable Building & LEED Certification (BCT 414 & ECO 614)

The LEED Professional Credentials indicate professional excellence and a strong depth of knowledge as well as practical understanding of the LEED Rating Systems and how they apply to the high-performance design and construction of the built environment. Preparing to take the LEED Green Associate and AP exams requires more than taking one course; it is a process that involves acquisition of disciplinary knowledge and understanding of complex building and environmental systems. This course introduces core concepts of the USGBC LEED Rating Systems and assists students in study and preparation for the LEED Green Associate exam.

Construction Internships (BCT 398 & 498)

Matriculated BCT students can get credit for their internships by following the instructions on this page.

Enroll by May 8!

Find more information and enroll at: umass.edu/universityplus/classes/explore/summer-2026

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BCT is this year again offering a summer pre-college program for high-schoolers that are interested in construction and in finding out how to make buildings sustainable! Rising 10th–12th graders get a feel for what college is like while earning two (2) college credits that can be applied towards the Building and Construction Technology Program (BCT) at UMass, or others. Enroll NOW to save your child’s spot in these exciting programs!

BCT’s Sustainable Building Lab

Discover how buildings shape the world – and how to make them better!

Join us for two action-packed weeks at UMass Amherst where high school students will dive into the world of building design, construction, and sustainability. This isn’t just sitting in a classroom – it’s about designing, building, and exploring the future of the built environment.

This pre-college course is dedicated to investigating sustainability in the Built Environment with a series of hands-on activities that will explore: 

• Digital design using the computer-aided design (CAD) software Sketchup
• Energy efficiency in residential and commercial buildings
• Water conservation strategies
• Sustainable material uses in contemporary buildings
• How the UMass campus incorporates elements of sustainability
• Analyzing buildings for sustainability and identifying solutions that address any shortcomings

Daily activities will include short field trips to a variety of locations, including sustainable material manufacturers, various recently built campus buildings, the UMass Power Plant, a Living Building, and the Trimble Technology Lab. Other locations on campus will illustrate energy efficiency, water conservation, and material use and disposal will be explored.

Throughout this program, we will explore the issues of sustainability and resilience from the perspective of the built environment. This will consist of a series of experiential learning exercises where students are exposed to examples of sustainability on campus and locations that are a short drive away. This program will examine the built environment and how humans interact with it.

When? July 12 – 25, 2026

Where? This course is offered at the UMass Amherst campus with commuter and residential options available.

Instructor: Michael McNally

The post Sign up now for our Summer 2026 Pre-College Program: BCT’s Sustainable Building Lab appeared first on Building and Construction Technology.

Invest one year into exploring a facet of sustainable construction that is most interesting and intriguing to you. Our professional, course-only Master’s program allows you to do that! Or consider our part-time graduate certificate if you are not ready to commit to a full graduate prgram. For those wishing to advance their academic career, we are also offering research M.S. and Ph.D. prgrams.

Professional Master’s (M.S.):

A professional Master’s (M.S.), which allows students to complete a graduate coursework-based direction of study that does not include research or a thesis. This degree usually takes 1-2 years to complete.

Learn More: Professional Master’s (M.S.)

Research Master’s (M.S.) or Ph.D.:

A research Master’s (M.S.), which centers on a research thesis project and combines it with graduate coursework. This degree usually takes 2-3 years to complete.

A doctoral degree (Ph.D.) with its main focus on an independent, advanced dissertation research topic. Course requirements are set mainly by the advisory committee. This degree usually takes 3-5 years to complete.

Learn More: Research Master’s (M.S.) and Ph.D.

All of these are offered through the “Sustainable Building Systems” concentration of the Department of Environmental Conservation’s graduate program.

Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Building Construction:

Not sure yet if a Master’s or PhD is for you? You can start in our Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Building Construction (one course at a time) and decide later whether you want to count all credits towards our Master’s program.

Learn More: Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Building Construction

Apply Now!

Applications are accepted until March 1st for the Fall semester. Deadline for Spring semester starts is October 1st.

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Peggi L. Clouston and Alexander C. Schreyer, professors in the Building and Construction Technology program at UMass Amherst and experts in wood engineering, have written a comprehensive new book, “Mass Timber: Materials, Design, and Construction,” an extensive 576-page volume that serves as a one-stop resource for the rapidly evolving field of mass timber construction.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, the book arrives at a critical time as the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry increasingly turns to sustainable wood products to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment.

Clouston and Schreyer’s book bridges the gap between traditional timber knowledge and modern engineering, covering a wide array of topics essential for students and professionals alike, including:

• Sustainability: Exploration of the climate-related benefits of wood and forest health
• Material Science: In-depth technical details on Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), Glulam, and structural composite lumber
• Practical Design: Guidance on building codes, gravity and lateral loads, and complex connection detailing
• Construction Excellence: Insights into procurement, risk management, and on-site hoisting and storage.

The book also features detailed case studies of pioneering projects, including the John W. Olver Design Building at UMass Amherst, one of the most technologically advanced CLT buildings in the United States.

“We designed this to be both a classroom companion and a valuable desk reference,” says Clouston. “It includes many illustrative examples to make the material relevant for current practitioners as well as the next generation of builders.

For more information about the book, or to order copies, visit the John Wiley & Sons website.

View the entire news item on the UMass News site…

The post Clouston, Schreyer Co-Author Definitive Guide on Mass Timber Materials, Design and Construction appeared first on Building and Construction Technology.

The start of a new semester brings with it a new series of public lectures. We are happy to announce the four speakers mentioned below, who will present on various current topics in the built environment as part of our Spring 2026 BCT Lecture Series.

All lectures are open to the public and are held on Mondays from 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm in the Olver Design Building Room 170. Attendees can get continuing education credits (AIA/USGBC). Zoom options will be available, too.

Want to get notified when these are? Sign up for our email list.

Speakers:

Consigli Construction: Applied Construction Fundamentals

Scott Drumm, Project Manager, Thomas Duszlak, Senior Project Superintendent
02.09.26 | 4:00-5:15pm | John W. Olver Design Building Room 170

CORA Structural: Curiosity, Collaboration, & Carbon-Conscious Thinking

Michael Gryniuk. P.E., Founder and Principal of CORA Structural
04.06.26 | 4:00-5:15pm | John W. Olver Design Building Room 170

Construction Challenges and Solutions in Polar Environments

David Malpas, Construction Manager, Antarctic Support Contract
03.30.26 | 4:00-5:15pm | John W. Olver Design Building Room 170

Tools of the Trade for Building Diagnostics

Kohta Ueno, Principal, Building Science Corporation
04.27.26 | 4:00-5:15pm | John W. Olver Design Building Room 170

Lectures are free and open to all.

You can find the calendar entries for these on our Calendar page.

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November 13 was moving day at the DesignBuild Site at UMass Amherst—which means that three giant flat-bed trucks and three enormous tow trucks, plus a crane and a crew of a dozen hard-hatted operators to manage it, were ready for work. Instead of people moving into a house, though, moving day for the undergraduate and graduate DesignBuild students means lifting the small, high-performance, high-efficiency house they built over the course of a year off its blocks, hoisting it 40 feet in the air, placing it gently on those flatbeds, driving it down to its final resting place in Holyoke, and then putting it back together so that it can become the permanent home of one of the many Holyokers currently facing housing insecurity.

Read the full UMass News story here…

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A little while ago, Dr. Peggi Clouston and Alex Schreyer joined Galen Nelson, MassCEC’s Chief Climate Officer, to talk about mass timber. This was part of their Thoughtful Climate Live Interview Series, which is a dialogue that features experts, pioneers, and practitioners from a variety of existing and emerging climatetech sectors and disciplines, as well as subject matter experts who can provide insights into broader economic, social and technological dynamics shaping our industry.

This interview gave them a great opportunity to talk about mass timber buildings like the John W. Olver Design Building and also discuss where the mass timber Industry is heading – especially here in the Northeast.

You can watch the full interview below.

The post Clouston and Schreyer are Talking Mass Timber on MassCEC’s Thoughtful Climate Interview Series appeared first on Building and Construction Technology.

The annual Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 1 Competition offers a unique learning environment for students, significantly enhancing their educational experience. ASC organizes regional competitions sponsored by construction companies, with many programs across the U.S. The BCT program recognizes and supports the benefits of student participation in intercollegiate competitions like this and we have sent teams to this competition for a few years now. In this competition, students submit proposals to construction industry executives, who serve as judges, and then defend their proposals in front of an audience during the event.

Throughout the competition, students face real-world scenarios that challenge their skills.

The BCT program began participating in the ASC Competitions in 2019, finishing last in our first year. We improved to 6th place in 2020. In 2021, we created a dedicated course (BCT 392C) to better prepare our students, resulting in a 3rd place finish. We continued to climb the ranks, achieving 2nd place in 2022 and finally securing 1st place in 2023. In 2024, we placed 4th, and in 2025, we returned to the podium with another 2nd place finish in the Preconstruction track.

The UMass team under the guidance of Professor Fernando Romero that achieved this year’s 2nd place consisted of:

• Brennan Ibbitson (Project Manager)
• Omer Mian (Safety Manager)
• Matthew Bombara (Estimator)
• Kylie Horne (Assistant Superintendent)
• Paige McGettrick (Schedule Manager)
• Quinn Redpath (Superintendent)

At the ASC Competition, our UMass team once again demonstrated excellence, earning 2nd place in the Preconstruction track. We are proud of this team’s consistency, determination, and skill.

The post UMass BCT Preconstruction Team Secures 2nd Place at Region 1 ASC Competition appeared first on Building and Construction Technology.

Our BCT Winter 2025-26 online courses are now available on UMass University+. These are open to you whether you are a matriculated student or not and can provide valuable skills as well as credits towards your major or minor. Want to complete a BCT Minor? You can use these courses for that.

Available Courses:

Construction Estimating (BCT 314)

Any successful building construction project relies on accurate and consistent cost estimates. This course provides students with the skills and background to perform construction estimating, bidding, and cost management. Lectures will cover quantity take-off from construction documents and estimate costs for material, labor, equipment, overhead, and profit. Students are required to prepare and submit a formal bid which details an estimate for a building construction project. Furthermore, students will also be introduced to leading construction estimating software utilized in the construction industry.

Introduction to CAD & BIM in Construction & Architecture (BCT 320)

This course provides students with a broad introduction into Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) with a focus on construction- and architecture-specific applications. By using industry-standard AEC software (such as Autodesk AutoCAD, Trimble SketchUp, and Autodesk Revit) in hands-on exercises, assignments and projects, students gain the capability to model construction projects and create and distribute industry-standard architectural drawings.

Sustainable Building & LEED Certification (BCT 414 & ECO 614)

The LEED Professional Credentials indicate professional excellence and a strong depth of knowledge as well as practical understanding of the LEED Rating Systems and how they apply to the high-performance design and construction of the built environment. Preparing to take the LEED Green Associate and AP exams requires more than taking one course; it is a process that involves acquisition of disciplinary knowledge and understanding of complex building and environmental systems. This course introduces core concepts of the USGBC LEED Rating Systems and assists students in study and preparation for the LEED Green Associate exam.

Construction Internships (BCT 398 & 498)

Matriculated BCT students can get credit for their internships by following the instructions on this page.

Enroll by December 12th!

Find more information and enroll at: www.umass.edu/universityplus/classes/explore/winter-2026

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