Dr. Tony Brizendine named CMAA Educator of the Year
Anthony L. “Tony” Brizendine of the UNC Charlotte William States Lee College of Engineering was recipient of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) 2016 National Educator of the Year Award. The award was presented at the CMAA National Conference Awards Ceremony in San Diego in October. According to CMAA President and CEO, Bruce D’Agostino, CMAA bestows the Educator of the Year Award on a construction faculty member as acknowledgement of exceptional accomplishments as advisors, educators, and mentors of students who plan professional careers in Construction Management.
In presenting the award, D’Agostino commented “Each year, CMAA recognizes an educator who has done outstanding work to advance the training and preparation of the next generation of Construction Managers. CMAA’s Educator of the Year for 2016 is Professor Anthony Brizendine of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Brizendine has long been among the most productive researchers in the field….with particular emphasis on continuous improvement and outcomes assessment. He has been a strong proponent of diversity in engineering, and has been very active in the ABET accreditation program, acting as a commissioner, program evaluator, and evaluation team leader, and as leader of a CM program…Tony, your leadership and work in advancing ABET accreditation for Construction Management Programs is also having an impact on the number and quality of future professional construction managers.” D’Agostino added “Your ability to provide examples of real-life experiences to your students has helped to inspire them, and encourage them to emulate your professionalism.”
One needs only look at Brizendine’s vitae to find evidence of his commitment to and success in teaching and learning of engineering and construction students. He has been recognized with many awards during his academic career including the William A. Boram Award for Teaching Excellence, the Excellence in Academic Advising Award, Outstanding Faculty Achievement Award, West Virginia Young Civil Engineer of the Year Award, and West Virginia University Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Dr. Brizendine has been involved with engineering accreditation activities nationally for more than two decades, serving as a program evaluator, team chair and commissioner for multiple ABET commissions. Workshops presented by Dr. Brizendine related to ABET PEV training, evaluation, assessment and continuous improvement have twice been recognized as best workshops at an American Society of Engineering Education venue. Currently, Dr. Brizendine is serving as a Commissioner on the Applied Science Accreditation Commission at ABET. Brizendine is completing his 15th year as ETCM Department Chair at UNC Charlotte.