Living Laboratory at Northern Michigan University Allows Students to Learn Construction Management Outside of the Classroom

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Nov 16, 2016, 05:30 ET

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Students in the construction management program at Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette, Mich. have an opportunity for more hands-on experience thanks to EdR (NYSE: EDR), one of the nation's largest developers, owners and managers of high-quality collegiate housing communities.

EdR, along with contractor, Walbridge; architect, Neumann/Smith and the university signed a collaborative educational agreement that creates a "living laboratory" around the multiple building living-learning community under construction on the NMU campus.

From left: Mark Grambergs, EdR Vice President of Real Estate Development, Northern Michigan University President Fritz Erickson, Neumann Smith's Gene Carroll and Walbridge's Kirk Frownfelter sign a cooperative learning agreement that will offer NMU students the opportunity to get hands-on experience connected to the on-campus housing project currently under construction.

"This cooperative learning project is consistent with NMU's mission to give its students in-depth, hands-on learning experiences," said Mark Grambergs, EdR vice president of real estate development. "The students here will have access to all phases of the process for a project of this size rather than limiting their experience to just the development or construction management pieces of the project.

"In addition many of the students who work as part of the program will get the opportunity to live in the finished product."

Heidi Blanck, who proposed the agreement and is a construction management professor at NMU, said programs like this provide the students a level of depth they just can't receive from a textbook or traditional classroom experience.

"Any time students can see the actual application of concepts we talk about in class or the lab, it's a huge advantage," she said. "It's difficult to simulate the decision-making and coordination required for a project of this scope.

"Students who are motivated to go the extra mile will gain a better understanding of the process and be able to communicate that to prospective employers."

More than 1,200 beds will be delivered in multiple phases which are scheduled for delivery in the Fall of 2017 and Fall 2018. EdR is financing the development through its ONE Plan(SM).

"Enriching the educational experience of college students is part of our mission at EdR," said EdR president Tom Trubiana. "Programs like this further cement the relationship between our company and the universities with which we partner, and we are grateful Northern Michigan asked us to partner with them in their program."

About EdR

EdR (NYSE:EDR) is one of America's largest owners, developers and managers of collegiate housing. EdR is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust that owns or manages 86 communities with more than 44,400 beds serving 53 universities in 24 states. EdR is a member of the Russell 2000 Index, the S&P MidCap 400 and the Morgan Stanley REIT indices. For details, please visit the company's Web site at www.EdRtrust.com.

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SOURCE EdR