The title of Charles Dickens’ classic novel “Great Expectations” provides a fitting description of the breadth and depth of contributions Timothy Becker is anticipated to make in his new job.

In January, Becker stepped into the position of Eminent Scholar in the Del E. Webb School of Construction within the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. Throughout his career in construction, Timothy Becker (in foreground) has developed productive working relationships with many industry colleagues. He hopes to give ASU construction management and engineering students opportunities to connect with and learn from those experienced professionals. Photo courtesy Timothy Becker Download Full Image

Becker’s duties include teaching, research and providing a variety of related professional services to the university community. With more than three decades of management and on-the-ground experience in the construction profession, he now aspires to arm students with the knowledge he has acquired.

This spring, Becker is teaching the Construction Planning and Scheduling course and a first-of-its-kind course focused on human resources management in the construction industry. In the summer sessions, he anticipates again teaching the planning and scheduling course, along with a Sustainable Construction course.

Becker will also carry out a research program he describes as building strategically on his earlier research and industry work to advance integrated project delivery methods and lean construction processes and optimize indirect construction costs practices.

Among related efforts, he will strive to upgrade craft workforce development practices. Craft employees are construction workers typically in hourly wage positions who specialize in trades or crafts such as electrical and concrete work, pipefitting and heating and air-conditioning.

Each of these ventures is part of an endeavor to improve the overall efficiency and impact of investment in public and private capital projects on a national level, he said.

Becker brings a wealth of industry experience and the exuberance to apply it at ASU, said Professor Ram Pendyala, director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment.

“He is passionate about developing an inclusive and well-prepared construction workforce of the future. Our students and faculty are going to benefit significantly from his wisdom and expertise in construction management and technology,” Pendyala said. “His presence in the school’s ecosystem reinforces our commitment to preparing students to be ready to contribute to the industry from day one on the job.”

Putting an array of academic, research projects into motion

Becker is already collaborating with Associate Professor Anthony Lamanna, the Sundt Professor of Alternative Delivery Methods and Sustainable Development and chair of the Del E. Webb School of Construction, on a research paper to be presented at the 2024 Construction Research Conference. The paper reports on the pioneering use of a three-party agreement and an integrated project delivery method for the Waaban Crossing Bridge, a major public infrastructure project in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Becker has also proposed an extensive Construction Industry Institute project with Kristen Parrish, Fulton Schools associate professor and Graduate Program Chair for Construction Management and Technology. The goal is to define the expertise and attributes needed to develop the next generation of frontline construction supervisors and provide the industry with a new guidebook for productive workforce development.

“The kinds of skills and competencies needed in construction today have definitely been evolving,” Parrish said. “There’s a growing need for an evolution toward a new set of strategies and tactics for companies to use in identifying, developing, training and retaining people and enabling them to transition effectively into new and innovative construction business and management scenarios.”

For those and related endeavors, Becker will draw on what he has learned in a variety of roles in the construction business.

His job responsibilities have included project planning, scheduling, financial planning and budgeting, subcontracting and procurement of government construction permits and approvals. Becker has also managed real-estate development and engineering processes involving land-use planning, building architecture, landscape architecture, selection and supervision of contractors and coordination of design services.

As vice president of a real-estate development and construction services company, he launched a Phoenix office by establishing client relationships, hiring employees and creating a marketing and branding campaign. In addition, Becker cultivated real-estate development opportunities, sold third-party construction projects and provided development consulting.

Solid foundations in teaching and education leadership

The academic side of Becker’s career has included positions as a civil, construction and environmental engineering lecturer and graduate student instructor and research assistant at Iowa State University, as well as a research assistant in these fields at North Carolina State University.

He taught engineering economics, engineering law, construction estimating and construction project management at Iowa State, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. Becker also earned a doctoral degree in the field from North Carolina State. He also has a master’s degree in business administration from ASU.

For the past decade, Becker worked for Kiewit Corporation, one of the largest construction and engineering companies in North America, as director of craft and technical development.

Timothy Becker’s experience in the construction business encompasses on-site project management and supervision, workforce hiring, training, development and retention, project planning and scheduling, use of new construction technology, advanced workforce education, teaching engineering economics, nurturing client relationships, and involvement in corporate marketing and branding. Photo courtesy Timothy Becker

He also developed a corporate strategy for craft employee training and employee engagement, prepared and supported more than 500 in-house instructors, worked on curriculum improvement, and led the execution and improvement of professional and technical education programs.

Becker brought the company his deep technical knowledge and fieldwork experience, along with strong professional education capabilities, said Alicia Edsen, Kiewit’s vice president of safety.

“Tim’s combination of skills was a great fit for a leadership role in our Kiewit University and talent development team,” Edsen says. “We have operational employees rotate into our education programs to bring field perspectives to our variety of initiatives and training sessions. Having Tim oversee those efforts gave the team the ability to understand the operational challenges and identify ways to improve and train our future workforce.”

Edsen points also to Becker’s important role in updating the curriculum for both new and improved management and leadership programs established in recent years, and his leadership of an effort to enhance the company’s own in-house craft development programs, which have earned certifications from the National Center for Construction Education and Research.

Kiewit University in Omaha, Nebraska, and the company’s technical school in Denver train more than 3,500 workers each year, Edsen said, noting that Becker’s “contagiously positive attitude was appreciated by all of our learners and employees.”

Industry connections are key for Eminent Scholars

Funding for Becker’s two-year Eminent Scholar position comes from a source established in 1992 when the Del E. Webb School of Construction was first endowed. The position is designed to bring well-established, qualified professionals to the school ranging from several weeks to a semester or longer, and sometimes for an instructor’s full sabbatical year. In one case, current ASU Emeritus Professor Clifford Schexnayder was an Eminent Scholar from 1994 to 2003.

Eminent Scholars have not only helped students but also young assistant professors on their research pursuits, introducing them to research agencies and potential research partners in industry, said Fulton Schools Professor Samuel Ariaratnam, the Sunstate Chair of Construction Management and Engineering, as well as chair of the construction engineering program.

“These visiting scholars have also promoted ASU and the construction school through the narratives they share about their excellent experiences here. Some of them have even provided letters to support our faculty members for promotion and tenure,” he said.

Ariaratnam and other school leaders see a substantial benefit for students in learning from professionals like Becker, who can offer lessons based on a broad scope of industry experience. 

“What Tim brings to the table goes beyond his own educational background and his teaching experience. He also has the kind of long-term industry and corporate background that has so much to offer our students,” Ariaratnam said. “He would be a valuable addition to construction education here. More than his engineering, management and construction knowledge, Tim has learned the life lessons that are so critical to developing new leaders for the profession.”

Becker welcomes the opportunity to continue sharing his insights with students.

“I want to bring more of the practical, boots-on-the-ground engineering outlook into the classroom,” he says. “I see a need for more guidance for students in learning how to handle the transition from the world of engineering in college to engineering out in the everyday workplace. That knowledge is one of the keys to success.”

Regents Professor Ana Moore is the longest continuously serving female faculty member of Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences, starting in 1976.

Although initially hired as a teaching intern, Moore’s research capabilities in artificial photosynthesis were quickly recognized, and together with colleagues Devens Gust and Tom Moore, she went on to lead a team of student and postdoctoral associates that developed an international reputation in the design and construction of bio-inspired molecular systems for energy conversion and storage. Women make up 35% of the School of Molecular Sciences' faculty. Photo courtesy School of Molecular Sciences/ASU Download Full Image

“When I came to ASU, I certainly was not the first woman in the department,” Moore recalled. “Alex Navrotsky was here before me until 1985. However, there were times I was the only woman with tenure. I didn’t notice though because that’s how it was at the time. And ASU was ahead of the curve, because there were many universities who didn’t have any female faculty.”

In the ensuing years, more female researchers were hired. Under department chair Devens Gust, Petra Fromme, Giovanna Ghirlanda and Rebekka Wachter joined the faculty. Just a few years later, Marcia Levitus and Anne Jones were hired, adding to the strength and diversity of the department.

Diversity has continued to increase since then.

“Over the last few years, the School of Molecular Sciences has hired 12 women faculty members, compared to four men," Ian Gould, associate dean of online and digital initiatives and former interim director of the School of Molecular Sciences, said. "The school currently has three women Regents Professors out of a total of six, and the current administration team consists of four women and one man.”

The school's faculty is now 35% women.

Female faculty are leading major initiatives at ASU. Navrotsky’s project FORCE and MoTU have received widespread recognition, while Fromme and Ros were part of the team that was recently awarded a $90.8 million grant from the NSF to build a free electron laser.

Jones is vice provost for undergraduate programs and Ara Austin leads the online undergraduate research (OURS) program.

Research from the school's female junior faculty is also receiving recognition: Audrey Lapinaite recently received an National Institutes of Health Innovation Award, and Christina Birkel received an National Science Foundation CAREER Award.

“I am very proud of all of the women in the School of Molecular Sciences," Director Tijana Rajh said. "They are making history here and around the world with their research, innovation and creativity. ASU’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is one of its strengths that brought me here.”

Moore noted that having a diverse and strong research group makes the school more competitive.

“We need to be intentional about who we hire today, and how we support them impacts the educational and research opportunities we provide for our students, because our students become the researchers of tomorrow,” Moore said.

Check out this video featuring ASU's women in molecular science:

Hao Yan, director of the Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at Arizona State University and the Milton D. Glick Distinguished Professor with ASU’s School of Molecular Sciences, has been inducted as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

In an impressive coup, he has also been elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Hao Yan directs the Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics at Arizona State University and is the Milton D. Glick Distinguished Professor with ASU’s School of Molecular Sciences. Photo courtesy Biodesign Institute/ASU Download Full Image

Yan is a renowned authority in DNA nanotechnology and bio-inspired molecular design. His pathbreaking investigations and inventions focus primarily on techniques for manipulating DNA at the nano- or billionth-of-a-meter scale. He is an internationally recognized pioneer in creating designer nanostructures and nanorobots for cancer diagnosis, imaging, computing and multiple electronic applications, engineered from nucleic acids.

His recent awards are further evidence of his profound impact on the global DNA nanotechnology research community. The molecular engineering tools created in his laboratory have played an essential role in rapid advancements in the field.

Yan’s wide-ranging work on self-assembling DNA nanostructures include the development of: 

• Nanoscale objects for use as diagnostic markers.
• Responsive enzyme nanodevices for selective chemical amplification.
• Programmable DNA-based cages for encapsulating molecules, immobilizing enzymes, sensing chemicals and delivering drugs, performing molecular computing and creating responsive materials with unique properties. 

He has founded three companies and played a crucial role in the advancement of nucleic acid nanotechnology platforms for cancer therapy, cancer immunotherapy, targeted drug delivery and single-cell analysis technology. Yan has recently worked with AstraZeneca to create DNA nanostructure-based systems for targeted delivery of designer drugs to treat kidney cancer. 

He has also designed a variety of nano-objects, used as diagnostic sentries. These “theranostic” innovations combine diagnostic and therapeutic properties, providing personalized interventions and improving patient outcomes. 

Yan’s other inventions include DNA nanostructures capable of detecting gene expression within individual cells, offering major advantages over current DNA microchip array technologies for single-cell analysis. 

To date, Yan’s contributions to the field of nanoscience have garnered 16 issued and 24 pending patents, which include applications in the field of nucleic acid-based diagnostics, imaging and therapy. 

Yan’s prolific research contributions have led to more than 210 papers, more than 40 of which appear in prestigious journals including Science, Nature, Cell and their subjournals, with a number of these gracing the journal covers. 

Yan is also widely recognized as an outstanding mentor to a new generation of researchers in the field of DNA nanotechnology. His commitment to fostering the development of his students has resulted in more than 30 of his former graduate students and postdoctoral researchers becoming faculty members at prestigious academic institutions globally, including Yale, Emory, Tsinghua University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Indian Institute of Technology. Additionally, many of his trainees have gone on to become successful group leaders in the biotech industry. 

National Academy of Inventors fellowships represent the pinnacle of recognition for academic inventors who have demonstrated a highly original approach to their field, resulting in exceptional inventions with a tangible impact on society's quality of life, economic growth and well-being. 

Hao Yan is inducted into the organization as a new AIMBE fellow at the Arlington, Virginia ceremony. Photo courtesy Biodesign Institute/ASU

The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering is a nonprofit, honorific society dedicated to rewarding the most accomplished individuals in the fields of medical and biological engineering. Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers.

College membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering and medicine research, practice or education” and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education."

Yan was nominated, reviewed and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows “for developing new molecular tools and nanomechanical devices for imaging, diagnosis and therapy of cancers and other important diseases.” Yan’s induction ceremony is slated for March 27.

Yan is also the recipient of the Foresight Institute Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology in 2020 and the Rozenberg Tulip Award in DNA Computing in 2013. 

Additionally, he was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2019. Other honors include Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business (2019); Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship (2008); National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2006–2011); Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Award (2007–2010); the Arizona Technology Enterprise Innovator of Tomorrow Award (2006); and the Arizona Technology Enterprise Achievement Award (2014). He currently serves as an associate editor for ACS Applied Bio Materials and as an academic associate editor for Science Advances, and has previously served as the president of the International Society for Nanoscale Science, Computation and Engineering.

The School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences and State Farm are launching a new program beginning this fall for graduate students enrolled in actuarial science, statistics or applied mathematics at Arizona State University.

The Modeling and Analytics Graduate Network, or MAGNet, program will provide participating students with full tuition support and competitive financial compensation while they pursue a master’s degree at ASU. In return, students will spend 20 hours a week each semester applying their statistical modeling and analytic skills to provide data science solutions for a wide variety of business partners within the State Farm organization. State Farm's regional hub at Marina Heights offers collaborative workspaces with innovative technology. Photo courtesy Rhonda Olson Download Full Image

MAGNet has served as a successful analytic talent pipeline for 15 years through its programs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Georgia locations. Due to the program’s success and the growing need for quality data science talent at State Farm, the MAGNet program will be launching its third operation in conjunction with Arizona State University.

“At State Farm, we continue to grow and deepen our data science capabilities and connect them to strategic work throughout the organization. Over the course of 2022, multiple universities were evaluated as candidates for the new MAGNet location,” said Megan Lutz, senior manager of data science HIRED and Research Teams. “The quality of the ASU graduate actuarial science and statistics curricula and students, faculty and staff; the size and diversity of the student body; and the proximity of State Farm at Marina Heights to the ASU campus were primary factors for the selection of ASU as the new location.”

“Our school is excited to work with State Farm on launching the MAGNet program at Arizona State University,” said Donatella Danielli, professor and school director. “MAGNet will help us attract strong students to our graduate degree programs and at the same time provide talented students with the skills necessary to help State Farm meet their analytics needs.”