Gilbane Building Company Completes Construction of Crawford Hall at Kent State University, Where Students Play a Key Role
Kent, OH – September 25, 2024 — Gilbane Building Company has completed Crawford Hall, a new state-of-the-art facility for Kent State University’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship. This exciting project provided unique opportunities for Kent State students, with construction management majors contributing directly to the building of their own campus through internships with Gilbane.
Giana Testa, a construction management major, can say that she was instrumental in the construction of an entire building. Testa began as an intern with Gilbane in the summer of 2022, right after the groundbreaking of Crawford Hall. Having recently completed her third summer with Gilbane, she saw the building grow to its final status on the university’s Kent Campus.
“Often with internships, you only get a summer with a project or a team,” Testa said. “With this internship, I’ve been with the same project and team for three summers. It’s been really cool to see the project transition from groundbreaking to being complete. I’ve learned every phase of the project and built strong relationships that I know will help me in the future.”
Testa is only one of the success stories on the project. Other interns – some now full-time Gilbane employees – assisted on the project as well. Bakari Ballard graduated in 2022 from Kent State with a degree in construction management. During his time at Kent State, he interned with Gilbane on the Crawford Hall project, starting in 2021. Since then, he has worked as project engineer on the University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center Phase 2 project and now works on the Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Innovation District project.
Interns completed daily activities including estimating, monitoring daily progress, expanding software knowledge and understanding risk management throughout the construction of Crawford Hall. With hands-on learning experiences, Gilbane enriches the incoming workforce with key development opportunities that will lead to long-term success.
“The completion of Crawford Hall marks a significant milestone for Kent State University,” said Jay Graham, executive director of facilities, planning and design, and university architect at Kent State. “This state-of-the-art facility is more than just a building; it’s a testament to the power of collaboration and the commitment to fostering the next generation of students and construction industry leaders. As we celebrate this achievement, we look forward to continued partnerships that will shape the future of education and construction.”
The project also allowed full-time Gilbane employees to engage with and mentor younger professionals just starting out in their careers. Alex Harris, project manager at Gilbane, became a leader for interns across the Cleveland area. While working on Crawford Hall, Harris simultaneously led the co-op college internship program and mentored those just starting out in their careers.
“I was educating those starting in their career while building a key educational building for future students,” Harris said. “Not many people get to say they surrounded themselves with education in their field, but Gilbane has offered me the opportunity to not only teach but also learn.”
“The completion of Crawford Hall is something all Gilbane interns should be proud of,” said Kyle Merrill, senior vice president and Cleveland business leader at Gilbane. “The development and hands-on learning these students received is unparalleled. The time spent on their internships will set them up for success long term.”
About Gilbane Building Company
Gilbane Building Company is a global leader in construction management, delivering high-quality projects for clients across various markets. Gilbane provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services – from preconstruction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, general contracting, design-build, and facility management services. Founded in 1870, Gilbane is still a privately held, family-owned company. With more than 45 office locations worldwide, Gilbane brings world-class experience to local communities. Gilbane has been providing construction management services in Ohio since 1957. For more information, visit www.gilbaneco.com.
About Kent State University
Kent State University is the highest-ranked public university in northern Ohio on the Top Public Schools and Best National Universities lists by U.S. News & World Report. The university also holds the esteemed distinction of being one of only five institutions in Ohio to be recognized as an R1 top-tier research university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Kent State is one of Ohio’s leading public universities and a major educational, economic and cultural resource far beyond the Northeast Ohio region it has served since 1910. The university has a global footprint with eight campuses throughout Northeast Ohio, a College of Podiatric Medicine, a Twinsburg Academic Center and academic sites around the world, including New York City; Florence, Italy; and Curitiba, Brazil. Kent State offers award-winning student support services that help students succeed. Its diverse student body comprises more than 34,000 students, including 2,200 international students from 102 countries, and the worldwide alumni family is nearly 280,000. Kent State provides transformational educational experiences and leads with its values, which include kindness, respect and freedom of expression.
For more information about Kent State, visit www.kent.edu