Construction Management Industry Advisory Board Establishes Dr. Khalid Siddiqi Endowed Scholarship

The Construction Management Department Industry Advisory Board of Kennesaw State University is pleased to establish the Dr. Khalid Siddiqi Endowed Scholarship at Kennesaw State University. The scholarship is in appreciation of the services rendered by Dr. Khalid Siddiqi towards the workforce development by preparing Construction Management professionals for the state of Georgia and the US. I am very proud of my association with Dr. Siddiqi and I have served the Construction Industry Advisory Board of Kennesaw State University as the Board Chair. In my professional capacity I am a Senior Vice President of C.W. Matthews Contracting Co., Inc. and I have participated in the last three Industry Advisory Board workshops organized by the ACCE. C.W. Matthews Contracting Co., Inc. is a premier heavy highway construction company located in Marietta, Georgia.

The endowed scholarship fund is sufficient to award $ 1,000.00 annually for student applicants beginning Fall of 2021 and is a merit-based scholarship for Construction Management majors at Kennesaw State University. The criteria for award includes a minimum GPA requirement and the applicant must exhibit participation in student construction organizations or extra-curricular activities. The scholarship is open to students pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in Construction Management at the university.

Dr. Siddiqi served as the Chair and Professor of the Construction Management Department from 2000 to 2020. In addition, Dr. Siddiqi also served as the Interim Dean of the College of Architecture and Construction Management from June to December 2019. Dr. Siddiqi joined the Southern Polytechnic State University in 1998, and in 2015 the university consolidated with Kennesaw State University following the recession.

One of the major accomplishments of Dr. Siddiqi was inviting leading construction companies of the region to serve on the KSU Construction Industry Advisory Board. Prior to joining academia Dr. Siddiqi worked in the construction industry for fifteen years, which gave him an edge over other educators since he had the ability and tact to attract dedicated advisory board members from the industry. These representatives shared insight from contemporary job-markets and trends of the industry. These relationships have grown over the years and Dr. Siddiqi has been instrumental in keeping the Construction Management program relevant to so many local businesses and supporters. Dr. Siddiqi was also successful in creating Ten (10) endowed scholarships for CM students besides numerous annual scholarships through the generosity of the board, alumni and other donors. Dr. Siddiqi took the initiative in 2001 to organize the first fundraiser for the CM Department, which has continued to raise funds for the department every year.

Dr. Siddiqi is a valued researcher, teacher and a scholar. He wrote and completed several funded research grants and has authored 50 plus peer-reviewed publications, which he co-authored with his students and colleagues. He has published regularly throughout his career in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, ASCE Journal of Architectural Engineering, Facility Management Journal, The Journal of the American Institute of Constructors, Associated Schools of Construction Conferences, Construction in the 21st Century Conferences, and many others. Dr. Siddiqi was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2004 and was presented the Outstanding Educator Award by the Associated Schools of Construction in 2005. In addition, Dr. Siddiqi was selected for University System of Georgia Executive Learning Institute Scholar Program in 2009-10, and the University System of Georgia Accelerated Leadership Academy Scholar program in 2013-14.
Dr. Siddiqi has been a lifetime member of American Society of Civil Engineers, founding member of Architectural Engineering Institute, and has been an ardent supporter of the American Council of Construction Education. Dr. Siddiqi also motivated me to complete Member in Training with ACCE followed by an institutional visit to get acquainted with accreditation procedures.

The establishment of the Dr. Khalid Siddiqi endowed scholarship gives all of us an opportunity to commemorate Dr. Siddiqi’s achievements and contributions towards quality construction education. Besides Construction Industry Advisory Board members, AGC of Georgia, and many construction contractors contributed to establish the scholarship to recognize the services of Dr. Siddiqi towards construction education at Kennesaw State University. Kennesaw State University recognized Dr. Siddiqi’s distinguished services, achievements and dedication through officially recognizing him as Professor Emeritus of Construction Management.