The Vecellio Construction Engineering and Management Program (VCEMP) in the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), will host the 22nd annual Vecellio Distinguished Lecture on Friday, October 20th, 2023 in 100 Hancock Auditorium (490 Old Turner Street) from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Following the lecture is a reception in 100 Hancock Hall Atrium to converse with Mr. Buckley, Civil and Construction practitioners of Virginia Tech, and various stakeholders. The annual Vecellio Distinguished Lecture is made possible by the endowment of the Vecellio Family Foundation and individual family members: the late Mrs. Leo (Evelyn) Vecellio, Sr.; Leo and Kathryn Vecellio, Jr. and their sons, Christopher and Michael; and Patricia Vecellio.

This year’s lecture topic is: “Risk and Opportunities in the Global Construction Industry”. Specifically, this will be a review and discussion of the current status of the construction environment, with a specific focus on the threats to the U.S. construction industry and the opportunities of industrialized construction to diversify and enhance entry into the workforce. A review of macro and micro conditions that are providing both tail and headwinds for various construction sectors along with longer-term predictions based on the data.

Mr. Vaughan Buckley is a global business leader, sought-after speaker, and entrepreneur. Vaughan founded Volumetric Building Companies in 2009 and has led its expansion into a global powerhouse in the industrialized construction industry over the past 14 years. More than $2B in projects have been constructed utilizing modules designed, manufactured, or assembled under Vaughan’s direction. Vaughan recently led the team at Volumetric Building Companies through a series of successful acquisitions including a substantial portion of Katerra’s global assets, the acquisition of the Polcom Group in Europe & the UK, and the purchase of the former Deluxe Modular factory in Berwick, Pennsylvania – creating one of the largest, vertically integrated volumetric construction technology companies in the world.