Construction Engineering Management (CEM) Programs

Howard E. Lechler was a well-known long-time Clayton and Gouverneur, New York resident who was born in Chicago, served in the US Army during WWII, and graduated from Clarkson University in May 1948 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree. Howard began his career as a Professor of Civil Engineering at Clarkson in 1948. John Rouse interviewed several candidates and saw Howards' management potential to start up the highly successful and now very large, multi-location, steel fabrication enterprise known today as Cives Steel Company with headquarters in Alpharetta, Georgia. Cives Steel, his life’s work, is one of the largest steel fabricators in the United States with six fabrication facilities strategically located throughout the US.

Howard went on to earn a Master of Science Engineering degree from Clarkson in 1953 and received an Honorary degree from Clarkson in 1978. In 2016, Clarkson was honored to receive a gift to endow the Construction Engineering Management (CEM) program’s director position in perpetuity. The CEM Program at Clarkson honors Howards’s legacy as a highly successful businessman, an avid sailor, hunter and fisherman, though a seat on the CEM advisory board for the Lechler/Cives Steel family as well as its commitment to the very best in construction education regionally and nationally.

Ronald P. Wells ‘68 received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Clarkson College of Technology and led an extraordinary construction career, which began in 1968 with Peter Kiewit Sons’ Company. For the next twenty years, he worked in management capacities, from engineer to Vice President, building highways, bridges, industrial work, and heavy civil-related construction projects. In 1990, he became Vice President of Operations for Dillingham’s North American operations and simultaneously was President of Dillingham, Canada. After 30 years, Ron took on a new role as President and CEO of Stacy & Witbeck, Inc. Under Ron’s leadership, the firm grew from a regional construction company to a nationwide industry leader constructing light rail, commuter rail, streetcar, and other heavy civil transportation construction projects.

Ron was a proud leader of several construction industry associations, including The Beavers, and The Moles. He was also a member of the Good Knights Guild, Clarkson University's donor recognition program. He was both a loyal and leadership donor. Through his generosity, several critical efforts were accomplished including the hiring of its first Construction Engineering Management (CEM) Director, expansion of curriculum, a new emphasis on internships and placement, establishment of the CEM Advisory Board, and recognition of the Clarkson CEM Program throughout the construction industry. In memory of Ron, for his leadership and generous support of the Clarkson Construction Engineering Management program, in 2024 Clarkson named the CEM Director’s office in his honor. 

Sandy Ginsberg ‘54, HD ‘07 from Brooklyn, New York, graduated from Clarkson University in 1954 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2007. Sandy served in the Marine Corps Reserve and worked in the Construction Management industry as a Civil Engineer and Construction Executive. He was a life member of American Society of Civil Engineers, and a former president of Clarkson Alumni Association. His storied career spanned rebuilding and preserving some of America's most notable landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. In 1995, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, recognizing his contributions to The American-Scandinavian Foundation, The American Scandinavian Society and Sons of Norway. In 2018, Clarkson University established a unique fund to perpetually resource and enable all expense paid field trips for students, often in partnership with CEM advisory board members and corporate partners.