Suermann honored as a Society of American Military Engineers fellow
As an accomplished administrator, researcher and educator at Texas A&M’s School of Architecture since 2017, and before that as a U.S. Air Force officer who oversaw several major construction projects, Patrick Suermann, interim dean of the School of Architecture, has been recognized as member of the Academy of Fellows in the Society of American Military Engineers.
He will be formally inducted in a May 2023 ceremony as a fellow in the society, which aims to build leaders and lead collaboration among government and industry to develop multidisciplinary solutions to national security infrastructure challenges.
Suermann has overseen numerous successful initiatives at the school, including the development of a new strategic plan, which was created with input from faculty, staff, current and former students.
The plan identifies six pillars — impact, partnerships, recognition, interdisciplinarity, community, and creativity — with goals and action strategies attached to each pillar.
He’s worked with department administrators and staff to establish expanded career fairs and record-setting new sponsorships for academic initiatives in the Department of Architecture and the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning.
Suermann has also teamed with Donna Coussons ’99, the school’s executive director of design industry engagement, to forge new advisory councils for the departments of architecture and landscape architecture and urban planning. The councils are helping the design side of the school create valuable partnerships and engage with their industries, mirroring the success of the Department of Construction Science’s Construction Industry Advisory Council.
Before his appointment as interim dean, Suermann served for four and a half years as head of the Texas A&M Department of Construction Science. Suermann, who also holds an appointment as a departmental associate professor, was instrumental in establishing the department as one of the largest and best programs in the nation, leading it to a significant increase in its externally funded research, its industry support, and student success.
An accomplished researcher, Suermann has published numerous journal articles, book chapters and presented at various professional conferences including the ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition the American Society of Civil Engineers Construction Research
Congress, and more.
Suermann retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2017 as a lieutenant colonel after a distinguished military career.
During a deployment to Afghanistan, he directly oversaw a staff of 17 military and civilian
contractors on $1 billion+ facilities construction program that included building an airfield in a combat zone with the help of almost 1,000 Afghan nationals. He also served for a year at the Air Force’s most remote station, Thule Air Base in Greenland, where he supervised more than 500 military and civilian personnel who provided engineering, medical, communication, logistics and airfield operations.
As an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the U. S. Air Force
Academy, Suermann taught building information modeling, computer-aided design, construction processes, project delivery and civil engineering.
He’s earned numerous recognitions and awards, including recognition as the Society of American Military Engineers SAME National Bliss Medal for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics student outreach/support, a Fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers, Associated Schools of Construction 2021-22 Region V Outstanding Educator, 2015-2016 Region VI Award from the Associated Schools of Construction for Excellence in Teaching, 2009 National Society of Professional Engineers, AF Federal Engineer of the Year Award, the 2006 Outstanding Academy Educator Award from the Air Force Academy, 1999 Junior Company Grade Officer of the Year, and six Meritorious Service Medals.
Suermann is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Associated Schools of Construction, Society of American Military Engineers and the American Council of Construction Education.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree at the U.S. Air Force Academy, a Master of Science in Construction Management degree at Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in design, construction and planning from the University of Florida.
