Wayne State NECA student chapter finalizing proposal for 17th annual ECIC
Seniors in the construction management program at Wayne State University are finalizing their proposal for the 17th annual Electrical Contracting Innovation Challenge (ECIC), hosted by ELECTRI International. The Wayne State student chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) is participating in the competition for the ninth consecutive year.
This year’s ECIC is a design-build challenge to develop a complete electrical system for a two-story office building and warehouse. Students are preparing their proposal as if bidding to a general contractor, with guidance and support from project sponsor Ferndale Electric.
Last year, Wayne State’s NECA team placed third overall, and then-chapter president Claudia Rae earned recognition as “best speaker.” Building on that success, this year’s team is prioritizing the development of a net-zero, energy-efficient system at minimal cost. Their proposal centers on designing an electrical system for the ERMCO headquarters in Greenwood, Indiana.
The chapter’s faculty advisor, Joseph Vaglica, Ph.D. — director of the construction management program and a local business owner — has integrated the ECIC into the senior capstone course because of the insight the competition offers into careers in project management.
“By tackling real-world challenges alongside seasoned electrical contractors, we have fortified our skill sets and expanded our capabilities within the industry,” said Vaglica.
Fifteen students are participating in this year’s team, including 12 seniors and three underclassmen — a leaner group compared to last year’s 28. Students met every Saturday morning to work on the proposal using cutting-edge software and tools provided by Ferndale Electric. The experience exposed students to advanced estimating techniques and industry-standard programs for developing bid proposals.
“With the great success of last year, that left a lot of pressure on us to make sure we continued to represent the best Wayne State has to offer,” said chapter president Matt Edwards. “To meet those goals, we made sure to begin early and not waste any time putting together a complete and thorough proposal.”
Chapter secretary Tyler Bucholtz, who served as the lead writer, added, “This project has been a unique challenge for all of us. Balancing work, classes and team responsibilities was tough, but we were focused on learning from last year and delivering our best effort.”
The final proposal is due May 7. Teams selected as finalists will be notified in July and invited to present their work in person at the NECA Convention in Chicago this September.
Follow the Wayne State NECA team on Instagram for competition updates through the summer.