One Iowa State engineering alumnus still is bringing prestige and honor to ISU.

Recently, the Committee on Curricula and Accreditation from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) presented an award to Doug Powell, vice president of the Weitz Company at ISU and 1971 construction engineering graduate.

The Association of General Contractors selected Powell for the award based on recommendations and letters from ISU construction engineering students and faculty.

“[Powell] was awarded a certificate of recognition for his work as a person from the industry who has helped in academics,” said Brian Ellsworth, graduate student in construction engineering.

“Weitz is one of the biggest supporters of our construction engineering program,” he said.

The Weitz Company, which was established in 1855, is an employee-owned, full-service, general building contractor. Its headquarters is located in Des Moines.

According to Powell, Weitz is believed to be the oldest building contractor west of the Mississippi River.

Powell and the Weitz Company have an ongoing alliance with construction engineering students and faculty at ISU.

Through the alliance, they conduct the OWLL program, which stands for On-Site Weitz Learning Lab. The lab features guest lectures and formal and concurrent internships and co-ops.

“I am involved with OWLL through my coordination responsibility with the Weitz Company,” Powell said.

“I work along with Dr. Jim Rowings, who is a faculty member in the construction engineering department at Iowa State. He, too, was assigned to OWLL,” he said.

According to Powell, Weitz is under contract with the university to serve as construction manager for Howe Hall, the new engineering building currently under construction on the west side of campus.

Construction engineering students who are enrolled in independent study are working with OWLL in one of the three job trailers under Ellsworth’s management.

“Brian is the day-to-day manager of OWLL,” Powell said. “He receives direction through Jim [Rowings] and myself.”

Ellsworth said OWLL is one of the most publicized labs in the construction engineering department and in the College of Engineering.

“OWLL is a learning-based environment that gives students a new way to learn,” Ellsworth said. “This is a good project for [engineering students], and Doug has been a lot of help.”

Powell said he owed many people thanks and acknowledgment.

“Having come from a university where the motto is, ‘science with practice,’ I am very honored to receive this award from the ASCE as a practitioner,” he said.

“This has really been possible because I work for a corporation that believes in the principles of organizational learning.

“I have had a lot of support from the Weitz Company, students and faculty at Iowa State, as well as my family. It wouldn’t have been possible without them,” he said.