News & Notes from the Field  Announcements

PrecisCx President Kari Anne Donovan, PE, CxA, recently guest lectured to engineering students at Penn State’s University Park campus, an activity she’s done regularly since 2018. Speaking to the Spring 2022 semester of AE 472: Building Construction Planning and Management, Kari spoke about ‘Partners in Construction.’ The course introduces students in the construction management track of the architectural engineering program to the process by which construction contractors acquire building projects and the range of services they typically provide.

Kari’s presentation segued neatly into the course’s emphasis on team building. She spoke about the different roles of construction teammates – from the big players like the owner, contractor, architect, and engineers to the specialists including commissioning providers – who must all work together to contribute to a project’s success. Kari shared real-world examples as she emphasized the value of building strong professional relationships. She also described the importance of being involved in your professional community outside of projects, from continuing your student friendships to having a presence on LinkedIn to joining professional organizations. Fostering and supporting a network helps individuals and the industry. “There’s something out there bigger than you in this career,” she explained. “It’s all about relationships and people.”