Episode 146: ‘Future of Building Technology’ with Ece Erdogmus
In this episode:
Angela Gardner and Christi Powell collaborate with Trimble to highlight inspiring stories of women and men thriving in non-traditional construction roles. The conversation begins with a brief story about our hosts, who met through LinkedIn during the pandemic, formed a friendship, and started a podcast to share stories and create opportunities in the construction industry. They introduce special guest Ece Erdogmus, the founding dean at Clemson University's College of Architecture, Art, and Construction, who shares her experiences from her extensive career and her commitment to mentorship, sustainability, and innovation in construction. Ece elaborates on her background, the importance of study abroad programs, engaging youth in construction careers, and the role of women in advancing sustainable building technologies. The episode concludes with valuable insights on mentorship and empowering women in the construction industry. Thanks for Listening!
Sponsored by: Trimble
Show Notes and Links:
Ece Erdogmus - Linkedin
Ece Erdogmus - Clemson Bio
Trimble - LinkedIn
Trimble - Facebook
Trimble - Website
00:00 Introduction to Women Talk Construction
00:41 How Angela and Christi Met
01:16 Christi's Journey in Construction
03:01 The Birth of the Podcast
03:48 Introducing Special Guest Ece Erdogmus
05:44 Ece's Background and Achievements
09:44 The Importance of Study Abroad
16:24 Future of Building Technology
24:38 Sustainability in Construction
28:15 Mentorship and Closing Remarks
About Ece:
Ece Erdogmus is the Founding Dean of the College of Architecture, Art, and Construction at Clemson University since August 2024. Prior to this, she was the Chair of the School of Building Construction at Georgia Institute of Technology. Before joining Georgia Tech, she was a Professor and Associate Director at the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). She has PhD and MS degrees in Architectural Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Middle East Technical University in Turkey. She is a licensed civil/structural engineer in the state of Virginia.
Erdogmus’ wide range of research activities cover masonry design and construction; sustainable and resilient construction with low-cement materials; assessment and rehabilitation of historical masonry using nondestructive testing and numerical modeling; and use of Augmented/Virtual Reality in education. She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed technical articles and led numerous projects funded by NSF, NCMA Foundation, Nebraska DOT, and National Center for Preservation Technology.
Erdogmus serves the A/E/C industry through active involvement with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Masonry Society (TMS), Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI), and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).
She has recently been honored as a Fellow of the Masonry Society, where she serves in many roles, including member of the Board of Governors and main 402/602 Masonry Code and Standards committee, Chair of the 402/602 structural members subcommittee, and Chair of the 14th North American Masonry Conference. She is one of the founders of the Women in Masonry Fund. For ASCE/AEI, she served as the Chief Editor of the Journal of Architectural Engineering and was a member of the AEI academic council for several years.
Erdogmus was included in the 50 notable women in engineering and land development by Engineering Georgia Magazine in 2022 and the Class of 2022 “Influential Women in Real Estate and Land Use (The Change Makers)” by Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI). She was selected as a Rising Star by Structural Engineering: Civil + Structural Engineer magazine in 2018 and was awarded the national award of Outstanding Architectural Engineering Educator of the Year by AEI in 2019.
