EMU Today

YPSILANTI – Students in the Construction Management Program at Eastern Michigan University will benefit from equipment, training and travel purchased with a $50,000 donation from NEXUS Gas Transmission.

The donation, presented in the form of a check Thursday afternoon (Oct. 5), at the EMU Student Center, will pay for the purchase of construction safety equipment items for the University’s Construction Management Lab, such as soil density and acoustic measuring devices, along with the development of a safety training program and paid attendance for faculty to attend a construction safety conference.

The EMU Construction Management program was developed in 1974, and is housed within the School of Visual and Built Environments in the College of Technology. The program includes certificate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, and a doctoral program in technology with a concentration in construction. The program seeks to prepare highly qualified construction managers for the industry.

“We are grateful to NEXUS for this donation to our Construction Management Program,” said Mohamad Qatu, dean of the College of Technology. “Through this project, students will gain further hands-on experience. Coupled with their classroom experience at Eastern, this will allow them to continue to meet and exceed the expectations of the construction industry.”

“We value the role that Eastern Michigan University plays in educating and training the labor force in the region,” said NEXUS spokesman Adam Parker. “EMU has a strong reputation for attracting and retaining talented students and we are proud to support their efforts. We believe in holding safety above all else and hope this investment instills a safety culture in these students as they develop their careers.”

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest university in Michigan. It currently serves 22,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.

About NEXUS Gas Transmission

The NEXUS Project is a proposed 255-mile natural gas pipeline that would run from eastern Ohio to existing pipeline system interconnects in southeastern Michigan. NEXUS will provide increased access to reliable, affordable and much needed supplies of natural gas to heat and power homes and industry and serves as a foundation for future regional growth in Ohio and Michigan.

Construction of the NEXUS project is estimated to support 6,800 jobs, more than $650 million in wages, and $830 million in total economic activity. In its first five years of operation, NEXUS will generate an estimated cumulative tax revenue of $412 million, of which approximately $125 million will go directly to local school districts in Ohio and Michigan.

To learn more about NEXUS Gas Transmission, LLC and the proposed pipeline, visit the company website.