FLUOR Government Group Makes Donation To CWU

March 5, 2004

Contact: Contact: Catherine Scarlett (509-963-3083/fax 509-963-2301/e-mail: scarletc@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- Fluor Government Group of Richland today (MARCH 5) joined more than 40 companies, organizations and individuals who have made donations to Central Washington University's Construction Management Endowed Professorship.

David Foucault, director of construction at Fluor, presented a $5,000 check to Dr. Rebecca Bowers, dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies.

"As part of the mid-Columbia region and central Washington, we are committed to participating locally with students in a relationship we feel will be beneficial to everyone," Foucault says. "Our long-term focus is to meet the needs of the Department of Energy. To do that, we will need to continue to grow and develop our resources, particularly our human resources. We've been impressed with the curriculum at Central and we already employ several university alumni. We see it as a good feeder school, because it meshes well with Fluor's philosophy and construction management practices."

Joining Bowers in accepting the donation were CWU construction management professors Bill Bender and Dave Carns, who have been actively seeking donations from the construction industry to endow a professorship that will allow for concentrated curriculum in the heavy/civil and utility construction sectors.

A total of $250,000 in private investment is required to receive equivalent state matching funds.

"The department is now 96 percent of the way toward reaching their goal," says Catherine Scarlett, CWU assistant director, associates and stewardship. "Once the endowment is fully funded it will support the only focused program in the state for heavy/civil and utility construction."

The CWU Construction Management program is fully accredited by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) and is a member of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), Region 6.

Fluor Government Group provides engineering and construction services to the federal government in the areas of defense, energy, government facilities and homeland security.