2025 SYMPOSIA SERIES: CREATING A SAFETY CULTURE IN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

Speakers

Billy Afghan

Founding Partner and CEO, Genii Earth

Bio: Billy is the co-founder of Genii Earth, a consulting firm serving global businesses and non-profit leaders seeking to address the earth-sized challenges confronting their organizations. Billy has been designing and leading consulting engagements with enterprise-level organizations for over 30 years. Billy was the managing director for the largest and most profitable region in a global consulting firm for 13 years. She assumed the role of CEO at Genii Earth in 2021, and has built a global community of dedicated and highly experienced coaches and consultants. A Portland, Oregon native, she has traveled and worked in more than 50 countries and in many industries around the globe, including high-tech, energy, infrastructure, pharmaceutical, bio-tech, chemical, aviation and multi-stakeholder major and mega capital projects.

David Blunck

Professor and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, College of Engineering, Oregon State University

Bio: David’s research focuses on combustion, ignition, radiation, and energy. His group conducts research which seeks to understand the science associated with practical (e.g. gas turbine engine) and natural (e.g. forest fires) chemical energy conversion. He is the lead PI on more than three-million dollars of funded research at Oregon State and has many national and international collaborations. Prior to joining MIME, he worked at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Turbine Engine Division, in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Blunck was the lead investigator for fundamental combustion research efforts related to gas turbine combustors and pollutant formation. He helped to lead a team of engineers in designing and testing the world’s smallest combustor for use in advanced gas turbine engines. Dr. Blunck is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including the Welty Faculty Fellow, the AIAA Pacific Northwest Section Young Engineer of the Year (2014 – 2015), and the outstanding graduate student from the School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University (2010).

David Drinkward

President and CEO, Hoffman Construction

Bio: Dave is the President and CEO of Hoffman Construction Company and a member of its Board of Directors. As CEO, Dave is responsible for shaping Hoffman’s strategic vision and overseeing the execution of all its operations. Dave is known for leading with a people-centered approach to business, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing employee well-being, and empowering teams to deliver exceptional results. He believes that investing in people is key to driving long-term success and innovation. Before his appointment as CEO in 2018, Dave played a pivotal role in leading some of the company’s most significant initiatives. He has held key leadership positions across various departments, including Risk Management, Safety, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Virtual Design and Construction. Dave is also deeply committed to community service. He serves as a director of Meals on Wheels People and the ACE Mentor Program of America, Vice Chair of the Oregon Business Council, and is involved with Constructing Hope. Additionally, Dave is a Trustee and Chair of the Advancement Committee at Willamette University. A graduate of Linfield College and the Willamette University College of Law, Dave resides in Portland, OR, with his wife, Erin, and their four children.

Joe Fradella

Senior Instructor II, School of Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University

Bio: Joe worked as a construction project manager at the Baha’i World Centre in Israel for three years prior to arriving at Oregon State. His projects included historic building restoration and conservation, retaining walls and hardscape work, and other building renovation and maintenance projects. During his career, he has worked for several engineering and construction firms, primarily focusing on mechanical and electrical systems. In 2009, Joe joined the faculty at OSU where he has taught courses on a variety of topics including Construction Safety, Project Management, Estimating, Scheduling, Mechanical and Electrical Systems, Contracts, Engineering Economics, and Career Building. Joe is an OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer, a licensed Professional Engineer in Oregon, and is actively involved with professional organizations including the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE), the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), the Associated General Contractors (AGC), and the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC).

John Gambatese

Professor, School of Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University

Bio: John’s educational background includes Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington. He has worked in industry for six years as a structural engineer in San Francisco and for one year as a project engineer for a construction management firm in Seattle. He started his current position at Oregon State University in 2000 following three years on the faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dr. Gambatese’s expertise is in the broad areas of construction engineering and management, and structural engineering. He has taught many courses over his career on a variety of subjects including: construction safety, contracts and specifications, planning and scheduling, structural analysis and design, temporary construction structures, construction site systems engineering, and engineering economics. He has performed research and published numerous articles on construction worker safety, work zone design and safety, prevention through design, risk management, sustainability, constructability, innovation, and construction contracting. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP). He is a member of the National Academy of Construction (NAC) and a licensed Professional Civil Engineer in California.

G. Edward (Edd) Gibson

President and CEO, National Academy of Construction

Bio: Edd is the President/CEO of the National Academy of Construction having held that position since January 2023. He is also Professor Emeritus in Construction Management and Engineering in the Del E. Webb School of Construction at ASU having retired from academia in 2022. He spent eight years as an army officer and positions in industry before embarking on a 34-year career as a faculty member, holding endowed positions at UT Austin, The University of Alabama and Arizona State University. From 2010 to 2018 he served as director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at ASU overseeing six academic programs and over 1700 students. He has supervised over 125 master’s and doctoral students and has been recipient of numerous research, teaching and service awards. Edd served as president of the Architectural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2006-07 and was elected Distinguished Member of ASCE in 2020. He also served as a Fulbright Fellow in Norway in 2004 and as a Visiting Academic Fellow at Cambridge University in spring 2019. He was awarded the 2016 ASCE Peurifoy Award for Outstanding Research and NAC's Richard L. Tucker Service Award in 2020. In 2022, he was honored with the Richard L. Tucker Leadership and Service Award from CII for his work with the Institute from 1988 to 2019. Edd is a licensed engineer in Texas.

Doug Gransberg

President, Gransberg & Associates, Inc.

Bio: Doug received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Oregon State University and a PhD in civil engineering from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Oklahoma, Texas, and Oregon, a Certified Cost Engineer, a Designated Design-Build Professional, and a Fellow of both the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (UK). Doug retired in 2017 as the Donald and Sharon Greenwood endowed research chair in construction engineering and professor of construction engineering at Iowa State University. He is also an emeritus professor of architecture and engineering at the University of Oklahoma, retiring from OU in 2010. His research is centered in the delivery of complex infrastructure and transportation projects. He is the author of four books on construction management topics, and has written over 200 articles, conference papers, and other publications. Before moving to academia in 1994, he served for over 20 years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel. His service included assignments in Germany, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iraq.

Jack Istok

Professor and Head, School of Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University

Bio: Jonathan (“Jack”) is Head of the School of Civil and Construction Engineering and Professor of Water Resources Engineering at Oregon State University. His research program is focused on identifying and designing effective methods for the in situ remediation of contaminated groundwater.

Chien-Ho Ko

Research Professor and Director of Craig and Diane Martin National Center for Construction Safety, University of Kansas

Bio: Dr. Ko received his Ph.D. in Construction Management. A registered Professional Engineer of Fire Protection, he has previously served as a project manager for design-build projects. Prior to the University of Kansas (KU), he was a full Professor of Civil Engineering, a visiting scholar at MIT, and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California at Berkeley. Since 2022, he has organized an annual Construction Safety Conference (CSC) that provides a unique platform for disseminating construction safety knowledge and translating these research findings into practical applications. Through the KU endowment’s permanent financial support, Dr. Ko regularly organizes construction safety training. He also acts as the Editor-in-Chief to disseminate findings on construction safety by publishing a special issue on that same topic in the Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management every year. Finally, to attain real-world insight, Dr. Ko actively engages with the construction industry about modern safety challenges. He is currently working with more than 15 construction companies, providing innovative and practical solutions for improving construction safety in the workplace. His research results are announced at the annual National Center for Construction Safety (NCCS) Advisory Board Meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. He also holds numerous patents for his research products and innovative ideas in improving construction safety.

Ken-Yu Lin

Associate Professor, Department of Construction Management, University of Washington

Bio: Dr. Ken-Yu Lin is the P.D. Koon Endowed Associate Professor in the Department of Construction Management at the University of Washington. She earned her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As co-director of the SHARE Lab, Dr. Lin focuses on a wide range of innovative safety and health topics for the construction industry, including smart safety and health in construction, serious gaming for safety training and education, worker behaviors, wellbeing, physiological conditions, and participatory ergonomics. Dr. Lin has led numerous projects funded by OSHA, NSF, and the Washington Department of Labor and Industries. She co-authored the textbook "Construction Project Safety" and advocates for the P2R2P (Practice to Research and back to Practice) approach, aiming to impact through evidence-based research and practical applications.

Craig Martin

President and CEO (retired), Jacobs Engineering Group

Bio: Craig holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Kansas and an MBA from the University of Denver. Craig joined Jacobs in 1994 after more than a decade of senior management positions with CRSS. He began his career with the Martin K. Eby Construction Company. At Jacobs, his BeyondZero corporate safety campaign reshaped the organizational culture. For his efforts and the resulting success of the program the National Safety Council’s magazine named him as one of 10 “CEOs Who Get It.” He also helped form the Incident & Injury Free (IIF) Executive Forum, a twice yearly gathering of industry senior executives who then share strategies on safety. Since retiring in 2014, he and his wife, Diane, established the National Center for Construction Safety (NCCS) at the University of Kansas. He now acts as an advisor to the center, helping identify and develop life-and-injury saving ideas and technologies. Among his many honors, Craig is the recipient of the Carroll H. Dunn Award of Excellence, the highest award given by the Construction Industry Institute.

Shannon Phillips

Global Technology Development EHS Director (retired), Intel Corporation

Bio: Shannon Phillips is an inclusive leader with over 28 years of diverse EHS experience. Her expertise spans global and regional team management, international new site start-ups (notably in Vietnam), corporate auditing, EHS management systems, program and policy development, and project management. Shannon's career has included roles in semiconductor manufacturing, construction (greenfield, retrofit, and tool-install), pulp and paper, and aluminum reduction. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health and Safety and is a Gulf War veteran. Shannon is the recipient of the 2007 Emerging Leader Award from the Society of Women Engineers and is a longtime member of the American Society of Safety Professionals and the Oregon Women’s Sailing Association. Shannon's passion lies in leading teams and mentoring individuals to achieve growth and long-term success. Known for inspiring trust and credibility across diverse organizations, her goal is to foster a shared commitment to protecting people and the planet.

Sathyanarayanan (Sathy) Rajendran

Dean, College of Education and Professional Studies, Central Washington University

Bio: Dr. Rajendran is a distinguished educator and industry professional with extensive experience in occupational safety and health management, construction engineering, and academic leadership. He is deeply committed to fostering student success and producing professionals who are ready for the industry. Dr. Rajendran's academic journey at CWU began in 2011 when he joined as an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Occupational Safety and Health Management Program. Over the years, he has played a vital role in shaping this program, using his passion for teaching and mentorship to guide and inspire students from diverse backgrounds. He has taught the Construction Safety and Health course to construction management students at CWU. Additionally, he developed an advanced safety and health management course there. His dedication to the teacher-scholar model is evident in his supervision of student field experiences, development of new degrees and courses, and active involvement in research-to-practice funded grants. He served as Chairperson of the Engineering Technologies, Safety, and Construction Department from 2016 to 2022, after which he was honored to serve CEPS as its Dean. Prior to his academic career, he gained managerial experience overseeing occupational safety, health, security, and risk management for multimillion and multibillion-dollar construction projects. His ability to navigate complex, high-stress environments and engage with diverse stakeholders has enhanced his exceptional interpersonal and problem-solving skills. His contributions have been recognized by reputable organizations, including the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), which honored him as the Outstanding Educator of the Year in 2017. Dr. Rajendran holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. in Civil Engineering (Construction Engineering Management) from Oregon State University, as well as a B.E. in Civil Engineering from Anna University in India.

Alden Strealy

Director of Safety Services, Associated General Contractors (AGC) Oregon-Columbia Chapter

Bio: Alden has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Harding University and a Master’s degree in Occupational and Environmental Health from the University of Arkansas. He has been consulting in occupational safety & industrial hygiene for over 19 years. He is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) in Comprehensive Practice as well as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP). Alden was awarded the Oregon Governor’s Occupational Safety & Health Industrial Hygienist Award in 2007. He is a frequent speaker at local safety conferences.

Nicholas Tymvios

Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Bucknell University

Bio: Nicholas is a faculty member at Bucknell University who teaches and conducts research on construction safety related topics. Originally from Cyprus, Nicholas has a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University and a PhD in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University. He has worked in industry as a civil engineer. He started his current position at Bucknell University in 2017, following four years on the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Jack Toellner

Executive and Senior Safety Consultant (retired), ExxonMobil

Bio: Jack holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M University and a master’s in public health from Tulane University. Jack retired in 2017 with over 40 years of experience in construction, engineering, and HSE management. Jack’s business practices highly influenced how construction and HSE practices are executed in the oil and gas industry. In 1981, he demonstrated the effectiveness of detailed analysis and planning for safe turnarounds in natural gas plants that became an expected way to conduct business in Exxon. In 1993, during an expert witness testimony review with senior management, he encouraged Exxon to help their contractors understand how to work safely by sharing Exxon’s expertise and partnering in leadership. This proved to be a turning point for how Exxon addresses contractor safety. Starting in 2000, Jack led the worldwide application of the Construction Industry Institute safety best practices on Exxon projects in over 30 countries. He is the recipient of awards from both the American Society of Safety Professionals and the American Petroleum Institute.

Stephen Walter

Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety, McKinstry (formerly Senior HSE Global Talent Director at Chevron)

Bio: Stephen is a passionate leader and collaborator in environmental, health, and safety for the built environment. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Safety and Health from Columbia Southern University, and has worked in the health and safety field both nationally and internationally. His work experience includes leadership as a health, safety, and environment talent manager, and currently oversees EHS and strategy alignment at McKinstry in Seattle, WA.

2025 NAC Safety Symposia Series: Creating a Safety Culture in Undergraduate Education

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