Inspiring Graduate: Prateek Narang
When Prateek Narang graduated in May with his master’s degree in construction engineering and management, he took with him a long list of accomplishments.
His most recent recognition is the Chancellor Student Service & Leadership Award, which honors students who have made an outstanding contribution to the university through campus and community service and contribute a significant amount of time, effort, and creativity to one or more campus and/or community service projects.
Among Narang’s contributions was his work with the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) at UIC, where he served as the student organization’s president.
The CMAA’s mission is to promote the construction management profession and the use of qualified construction managers on capital projects and programs. It provides educational, networking, and professional opportunities to graduates of the program at UIC.
“We organized industry outreach events, went on various site visits, and made sure that the student organization and the master’s program were very actively involved with professionals coming to the campus and interacting with them,” Narang said. “I think I’m leaving behind a good legacy. We have done a substantial amount of work in creating frameworks for managing and leading the student organization.”
In addition to his work with CMAA, Narang was a graduate research assistant with the university’s planning, sustainability, and project management department.
“They manage the construction of buildings and facilities, all of the infrastructure projects, and the capital projects on behalf of UIC, and I was really fortunate to be a part of the team,” he said. “It provided me with a knowledgeable experience about how institutional projects are carried out.”
His accomplishments also include being awarded a scholarship from the CMAA Chicago Chapter and being the youngest panelist for the “Next Generation of Diverse Builders” at the ACEC Illinois Fall 2023 Conference in Champaign, Illinois.
“Prateek has always been a dedicated and hardworking student. He takes his work and the assigned responsibilities seriously and pays close attention to the details. He has a great passion for construction engineering and management profession, and I am sure he will be highly successful in his professional endeavors,” said Hossein Ataei, clinical associate professor, director of undergraduate studies, and director of the Construction Engineering and Management Program.
In addition to being active in the UIC community, Narang attributed his success to the support he received from the CME faculty.
“Some professors who played a pivotal role during my master’s journey are Dr. Ataei, Dr. Aslihan Karatas, and Dr. Lauryn Spearing,” he said. “Dr. Ataei is the faculty advisor for the student organization and he’s my faculty advisor. He has been a great resource. He has been helpful in making sure that he extends his support from his side and from the CME department. It’s been a pleasure working with him and studying under him.”
While Narang is leaving UIC as a student, he is open to returning and giving back to the community.
“A few CMAA members, who are also UIC alumni, came to the campus to share their experiences and speak with students on an informal basis, which really paves the way for more collaboration and more networking,” he said. “I’d be more than happy to come back to talk to students.”