Jason Love, a senior construction management student, received the Bob Krier Scholarship from the Lean Construction Institute Chicago Community of Practice in November.

Jason Love receives the Bob Krier Scholarship from the Lean Construction Institute.

Jason Love receives the Bob Krier Scholarship from the Lean Construction Institute.

After being introduced to lean construction during his academic studies at Illinois State University and his internship at River City Construction, Love became an advocate of the practice. He feels lean construction provides benefits to all stakeholders on a project by eliminating waste and maximizing the value of work tasks. Implementing lean principles during the design and construction stages of a project by all involved parties means the project can be delivered to the owner with higher quality, at a lower cost, and in less time than with traditional methods. Furthermore, the process allows design and construction partners the opportunity to more efficiently deploy their resources and make a profit at the end of the job.

Not only does lean construction provide useful tools for improved coordination and problem-solving, but it establishes an environment of continuous improvement, accountability, and collaboration aimed at maximizing value for each organization involved with the project but increasingly project clients are contractually being required to implement components of lean in their design and construction. As current students in the construction management program enter the industry, they will have an opportunity to become leaders in an evolving field with the assistance of lean construction.

“I decided to major in Construction Management because of the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects, the ability to work within a team to accomplish a shared goal, and the satisfaction, which results from seeing a completed project in which you played a role in building,” Love said.

Love has been actively involved in the Construction Management Student Association and student competition teams. He feels the competitions provide a great opportunity to expand knowledge in construction, strengthen professional skills, and build relationships with faculty, students, and leaders in the industry. Competitions also provide an opportunity for students to travel and represent the construction management program in a competitive setting. In 2018 and 2019, Love participated in the Associated Schools of Construction Region 3 Commercial Estimating Competition and in March 2019, he participated in the American Concrete Institute Eco-Concrete Student Competition in Quebec City, Canada.

After his December 2019 graduation, Love will begin his career as a project engineer with River City Construction.