Yuill named director of the Durham School

Architectural Engineering Professor Grenville Yuill has been named the founding director of the Charles W. Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction.

"I am especially pleased that Dr. Yuill will be our initial director of the school for the simple reason that he has already played a pivotal role in the development of both the architectural engineering program and the Durham School," said David Allen, dean of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering.

Yuill has been at the university since 1998, when he came from Pennsylvania State University to help create UNL's new architectural engineering program. He had been serving as Durham School director in an interim capacity since 2005 as the school was established.

The Durham School is a part of the College of Engineering at UNL. Based out of the Peter Kiewit Institute in Omaha, it is the only program in the nation that combines architectural engineering, construction engineering and construction management under one school, giving students a comprehensive building system education. Courses are offered on the UNL campus and at the Peter Kiewit Institute in Omaha.

The Durham School has about 700 students. Yuill said he expected the school to grow steadily because of the quality of programs and the high demand for qualified professionals in the building design and construction industries.

"Career opportunities are a big factor in attracting students into a field of study," Yuill said.

The school is named for Charles "Chuck" Durham, retired chairman and CEO of HDR Inc. Durham and his late wife, Margre, established the Durham Foundation, which made the initial major gift to the school in 2005. Combined with gift commitments from several other donors, the Durham School is close to its goal of raising $30 million to provide program support including endowed faculty awards, graduate fellowships, scholarships and general program enhancements.