Recognizing the need to support the project management profession at the academic level, the Project Management Institute (PMI) - Houston Chapter has given the University of Houston's College of Technology $250,000 to establish a professorship in project management. A reception announcing the establishment of the PMI Houston Professorship in Project Management was held at the University of Houston on September 29.
The endowment will provide permanent support to UH's Project Management degree program, enriching the experiences of future project managers. This is the first endowment by PMI globally and the first professorship established by philanthropy specifically directed to UH's College of Technology.
"It is with great pride we accept PMI's gift of $250,000 on behalf of our college," said Dean William Fitzgibbon. "The Technology Project Management program in the college has increased significantly in popularity during the last four years. It has shown phenomenal growth and now ranks second highest among our college's graduate programs of study."
With more than half a million members and credential holders, PMI is the recognized leader in project management research, standards, certification, training and communities of practice. PMI established a committee to accredit university degree programs, recognizing those institutions whose programs adhere to a comprehensive global standard of quality and content maintained by an independent board of faculty and industry experts.
UH achieved accreditation from the Project Management Institute in 2009. Currently, it's one of only 35 PMI accredited universities in the world, and one of only two in Texas.
"We look forward to continuing to support the University of Houston and the profession of project management," said John Gorman III, past president of the non-profit PMI - Houston Chapter "It is estimated that $12 trillion is invested in projects each year and that 32 million project professionals will be needed by 2016. On-the-job training will be challenged to meet this need and cannot provide advanced project management skills needed to address the growing complexity of projects. Academic institutions like the University of Houston understand this need and are meeting the challenge by developing degree programs to advance the project management skills of its students."
The Project Management Institute was established in 1969 and the Houston Chapter was the first chartered chapter of the institute in 1974. It is the eighth largest out of more than 270 chapters in 185 countries.
For more information about the PMI-Houston Chapter: pmihouston.org