Myers-Lawson School of Construction celebrates 20 years

A Virginia Tech football game is built on ritual. “Enter Sandman” echoing through Lane Stadium, 65,000 fans jumping in unison, the Marching Virginians striking the first notes of the fight song, Skipper’s cannon marking the moment.

But in September 2004, amid the noise and pageantry of a matchup against NC State, something quieter but longer-lasting took shape. In the stands, Mike Vorster and Ross Myers ’72 weren’t focused on the field. Instead, they were sketching out an idea that would reshape construction education at Virginia Tech.

Vorster, now the David H. Burrows Professor Emeritus, remembers that game vividly. At the time he was a professor in the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and coordinator of its Vecellio Construction Engineering and Management graduate program. He and Myers had known each other for many years. Both understood the dynamics and demands of the construction industry.

“Ross and I were not really football fanatics, and our conversation soon turned to students and academics,” said Vorster. “We knew our graduates and we knew the demands of the construction industry. We were producing excellent engineers, but we both wanted to improve their strengths in management and leadership.” 

Myers and Vorster spent the game sharing ideas back and forth. Finally, Myers got ahold of a program and made a sketch that outlined their goals for a school whose graduates would be ready to work in the construction industry from day one.

Two years later, through the leadership and philanthropy of Myers and his longtime friend John R. Lawson II ’75, that vision sketched on a football program came to life. Together, the fraternity brothers and industry trailblazers provided a cornerstone gift that helped unite Virginia Tech’s building construction and construction engineering and management programs into one innovative, industry-focused academic unit: the Myers-Lawson School of Construction, which in 2026 celebrates its 20th anniversary.

“Timing is almost everything, and the timing was really, really right,” said Lawson. “Ross and I had a vision to bring together engineering, architecture, and business to cultivate students that were ready to run companies. That model didn’t exist anywhere else in the country, and to this day, that approach has been what makes Virginia Tech distinctive. We pitched the idea to then-President Charlie Steger, and with his support we were off to the races.”

Laying the foundation

For 20 years, the Myers-Lawson School of Construction (MLSoC) at Virginia Tech has worked tirelessly to change the traditional narrative associated with the construction industry. The school’s approach is grounded in strong construction fundamentals, safety, emerging technologies, research, and workforce development to help build the next generation of industry leaders – and they’re just getting started.

“Our goal has always been to give our students the practical, hands-on experience they need to be successful in the industry,” said Brian M. Kleiner, the Vorster-Kleiner Endowed Director of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction. “We also want to be at the forefront of innovating the industry in partnerships with industry. Our faculty are doing research that is changing the way we approach construction, and our students get to be a part of that innovation, too.”

With dreams for what the built environment could be, generous alumni, industry partners, and enthusiastic faculty and administrators helped grow the school from a back-of-the-napkin idea into a national leader in construction education.

“We knew that if we started out with what industry needed and built our programs from that, we would be successful,” Myers said. “You can’t do anything by yourself, so we sought a lot of input from folks who could help us build this. It was absolute magic.”

Myers and Lawson’s initial investment was matched by the university, the College of Engineering, and the then–College of Architecture and Urban Studies – showcasing a shared belief in a curriculum that blends classroom learning with real-world, hands-on experience.

Co-founding faculty members Vorster and Yvan Beliveau then led the curricular trailblazing to successfully combine the building construction and construction engineering and management programs. 

“Both of these programs are needed desperately in the world of construction,” Beliveau said. “The original concept was that you would work with both parties and understand each other so that when you're out in the field, you could work together. The school was built on collaboration, not competition.”

Since then, the school’s offerings have expanded to include diverse areas like construction safety leadership, AI, robotics, innovation in building processes, performance and materials, as well as curricula in areas like real estate development. Many students double-major in building construction and real estate development through the Pamplin College of Business, a combination that prepares them for the many large-scale private construction projects in the nation that blend development, finance, and ownership.

Milestones

Note: These milestones relate to those since the founding of the MLSoC. Construction education has been a part of Virginia Tech since its founding. Building Construction was formed in 1947 and the Vecellio Construction Engineering and Management program in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering was formed in 1986.

Changing the tools of the trade

Alongside teaching and learning that prioritize practical skills, MLSoC is known for research that propels the industry forward.  

Beliveau Professor of Building Construction Andrew McCoy believes new technology, materials, and methods can help remedy the U.S. housing crisis. With a Community Innovation Grant from the Virginia Housing Development Authority and support from industry partners, McCoy and other Virginia Tech faculty and students are using 3D concrete printing to build affordable housing units in the Williamsburg and Richmond areas, with plans to expand into Southwest Virginia.

The technique is about to get even more high-tech with a new project to use artificial intelligence to track printed concrete quality, funded by Virginia Tech’s Coalition for Smart Construction. The coalition launched a seed program funding five projects with the goal of modernizing the construction industry and setting the stage for large-scale investments down the road. 

“Through this partnership with the Coalition for Smart Construction, we’re opening new pathways for faculty and students to engage directly in research that is driving change in construction,” said McCoy, who serves as interim managing director of the coalition. "It’s exciting to see their ideas and expertise contribute to a collaborative effort with industry to accelerate innovation and translate solutions into practice.”

Kereshmeh Afsari, associate professor of construction engineering and management, is modernizing construction with AI-driven drones and robotics. These multi-robot systems are being used to make on-site inspections simpler and safer.

Afsari has seen firsthand how these new approaches inspire undergraduates to think outside of the box.

“We have a responsibility to challenge students to question the way construction has always been done,” Afsari said. “When they begin to see AI, drones, and robotics not as add-ons but as integral tools for safer, smarter jobsites, their mindset shifts. They start asking bigger questions, testing new ideas, and reimagining what’s possible for the future of our industry.”

Breaking new ground

Just as construction research continues to evolve, so does the Myers-Lawson School. Preston White ’63, a graduate of the building construction program, points to the pivotal moment in 2022 when MLSoC moved from the College of Architecture and Urban Studies to the College of Engineering. 

“That was probably the most formative moment in the last 20 years,” White said. “The move helps better support students by opening new doors to industry internships, co-ops, and collaborative projects focused on some of construction’s most challenging problems. Our students are graduating with six or seven job offers, and you just don’t see that in many other disciplines or at other universities.”

In recent years, the Hitt family and HITT Contracting have also played a major role. A lead gift from the Hitt Family Foundation helped fund Hitt Hall, a striking physical presence for the school that opened in 2024. The family also established a scholarship endowment in memory of Russell Hitt to expand access for future leaders in the industry. 

“Equal opportunity for everyone was something that was part of my dad’s legacy,” said Hitt. “He spent years writing checks to individuals who couldn’t pay for college and ultimately formalized that through multiple scholarship programs at several universities. Our support of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction is a way for me to pick up where my dad left off. We’re helping our industry from a broader perspective and will continue to play that role.”

With more than 150 Virginia Tech alumni working at HITT Contracting, the proof of industry support and mentorship is in the pudding. Hitt noted the importance of the school’s approach to experiential learning as a differentiator for graduates. 

“Construction isn’t something you can learn from a book,” he said. “Virginia Tech grads are coming to HITT and are in charge of putting up buildings at the age of 26, 27, 28. I can’t think of another industry where there’s quite that level of autonomy at that age.”

As HITT Contracting builds a new transit hub and headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia, it’s dedicating 40,000 square feet on the ground floor as the physical footprint of the Coalition for Smart Construction. The building is projected to open in 2027.

From classroom to jobsite

"The Myers-Lawson School of Construction is a rewarding learning environment, thanks to the enthusiasm from faculty, staff, alumni, and industry,” said Thomas Feely, a senior in construction and engineering management, and student member of the Board of Visitors. “There are numerous extracurriculars to enrich the student experience, and the content is relevant, hands-on, and prepares us well for our internships and careers." 

Students live out Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) around the world through service-learning experiences. During one faculty-led experience in 2024, students designed, funded, and constructed small projects in a high mountain village. The work-based international project in collaboration with the ANDES Association counts as a bridge experience — experiential learning required for graduation — and offers students real-world experience aligned with their post-graduation goals. Students and faculty from the school are heading next to Malawi, where they will build homes in a rural village in partnership with a community partner and Malawian college students.

Back on campus, pop-up lunches and events throughout the academic year provide informal settings where students can meet new people or catch up with old friends.

"Joining MLSoC is more than becoming a part of a community. You are joining a family,” said Chase Witmer, a junior double majoring in building construction and commercial real estate. “Here you’ll find support and a sense of belonging that goes beyond your shared interest. This is a place where people lift each other up, celebrate each other’s success, and grow together."

The next phase

To mark the school’s first 20 years, faculty and staff, students, alumni, and friends gathered in April to celebrate, reflect on its success, and look ahead to what’s next. 

Julie Ross, executive vice president and provost at Virginia Tech, was heavily involved in the school’s transition to the College of Engineering in her former role as dean. She emphasized the importance of celebrating without slowing down.

“Over the past two decades, this school has distinguished itself as a national leader in construction education, and a campus benchmark for industry partnerships” said Ross. “The transition into the College of Engineering has elevated its role on campus and is turbo-charging its trajectory, built on a shared vision for the value of integrating construction into the broader engineering enterprise. Now that work has positioned Virginia Tech to lead in preparing graduates who are technically strong and ready to shape the future of the built environment.”

She added, “As we celebrate this milestone, we remain future-focused. The needs of the construction industry are evolving rapidly, and we need to continue to listen, adapt, and innovate to ensure our graduates are prepared to lead amid the complex challenges ahead.” 

At the 20th anniversary celebration, Kleiner outlined a forward-looking vision for the school – one that reimagines undergraduate and graduate education, expands industry-facing programs, leads research and innovation, and extends the school’s reach into the greater Washington, D.C., area.

“As a community, we’ve accomplished a great deal over the last 20 years, being built by the industry, for the industry,” Kleiner said. “Over the next 20 years, alongside our partners, we will help define and lead the industry by building what it becomes.”

Video by Clark DeHart.