Chris Beuret, instructor in the Colorado State University Department of Construction Management, brings his background in developing people and leading teams to his new role. Beuret will be focusing on the mechanical and electrical classes in the department and encouraging students to grow and lead.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
I have lived in Fort Collins for the past two years. I was born in Hawaii on Oahu and was living in Long Beach, California, for the past 10 years. I went to college at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo California. This is a California State University where I got my bachelor’s in marine engineering (very similar to mechanical engineering except I also received a United States Coast Guard License as an engineer officer onboard merchant ships). Outside of academia, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I Have a 6-year-old son and 5-month-old girl. I also enjoy hiking, backpacking, and rock climbing.
What brought you to Construction Management at CSU?
Throughout my career, the most rewarding part of my job was developing people and teams so the opportunity to teach full-time is something I am greatly looking forward to. Although a complete career change seemed drastic, so far, I have enjoyed the new challenge greatly and am blessed to be surrounded by such generous and dedicated people and look forward to meeting the students.
What are your research and/or teaching interests, and how did you get interested in that topic?
The impact I hope to have at CSU is to transform the mechanical and electrical classes into something much more hands on and interactive. Most of our students go to work for the large general contractors, often not knowing the other opportunities found in smaller specialized contractors. I hope to bring light to the opportunity and dynamic nature of mechanical, electrical, and specialty contracting. I also hope to connect students and faculty across departments and disciplines. I look forward to connecting students with facilities management and trades by building a team where students can be of service to our school while expensing them to the people doing the work. I also hope to learn and provide resources from and to other departments on campus. Finally, I hope to be part of helping move our industry toward more inclusive and diverse.
What is your teaching philosophy?
My teaching philosophy and goal would be to create a structure for teaching the fundamentals of the course, in which we focus on curiosity and a learning mindset for students and their teams. Classes and assignments should have room for deeper context and further questions so students can be challenged to develop their own methods to answer these questions. With this practice and a safe environment to collaborate, a student’s confidence can be developed. My hope with this is to provide students with freedom to continue to grow, change, and lead in their careers. I would also hope to provide as much hands-on exposure and experience as I could to keep students engaged throughout the curriculum as well as provide on-the-job confidence in their careers.
What is your favorite thing about CSU and the campus?
Working with such a diverse group of passionate people who are always willing to drop everything and help. I also love my office that looks out on the Oval, it is beautiful.
The Department of Construction Management is a part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
