Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

Tom and Ro Jellinger Advanced Construction Management Capstone Laboratory

The effort to acknowledge the contributions of Tom Jellinger began as an idea from an alumnus of the construction engineering program, and permeated to a group of Denver-area alumni who were impacted greatly by the support of Mr. Jellinger and his late wife, Ro. Once the initial gift of $100,000 was realized, the department set into action several steps to create a fund to honor the Jellingers, to coincide with the 50th anniversary celebration of the Construction Engineering Program. Shortly thereafter, a volunteer committee was established and an impact goal set.

As a result of this effort, the program in Construction Engineering, and the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering will enhance the Construction Engineering program with the goal of creating the Tom and Ro Jellinger  Advanced Construction Management Capstone Laboratory. If the goals for the “Jellinger Lab” are met, this laboratory will benefit undergraduate students and industry by providing virtual site tours, BIM modeling, and a central and flexible learning environment for the senior-level design course.
 
…further details, including site location, budget forecast, and lab features to follow. Please click here to help make a difference.

If you have comments or suggestions, please contact us at questionsfoundation.iastate.edu or by phone at 515.294.4607.

 Tom Jellinger's Impact on the Construction Engineering Program

After final approval from Master Builders of Iowa and the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, the official program to support education, research, and extension work in the field of construction began in the fall of 1960.  Leonard Wolf, head of the Department of Architecture and Architectural Engineering in the College of Engineering at the time, invited Thomas C. Jellinger, a registered engineer and architect from Ohio, to interview in what was then the Engineering Annex on Campus.  Tom and his wife, Ro, made the trip to Ames, and it was Ro that recognized the grand challenge of starting a program that Tom would enjoy and would be successful in growing. 

Tom, with five years of experience in industry and part owner of a contracting firm that built churches, schools, and office buildings, joined the faculty on September 1, 1960 with an appointment as Assistant Professor of Architecture and Architectural Engineering.

After re-evaluating the construction curriculum, Tom helped evolve it into an Engineering Operations degree with emphases in Building Construction and later Mechanical Construction. Ultimately the program developed into the undergraduate major in Construction Engineering and the graduate program in Construction Engineering and Management as we know them today.

Under the creation of Tom’s leadership, the first Industry Advisory Council was established mostly comprised of MBI contractors. Over the years, the Engineering program has matured into one of the strongest programs in the country because of Tom Jellinger’s brilliance and Ro Jellinger’s foresight. Thomas C. Jellinger relinquished the position of Professor-in-Charge effective September 1, 1978. He continued to serve on the faculty until June 1, 1981, at which time he retired. At the time of his retirement, emeritus status was conferred upon Tom as a full professor of Construction Engineering.