NCCER awards two new Construction Education Champions

Words: Jennifer WilkersonNCCER's Construction Education Champion Award is given to industry professionals with at least 10 years of service to NCCER and who have made significant contributions to construction education and workforce development efforts. This year, NCCER recognizes the following individuals for their exemplary service and contributions to education within the construction industry:

Dr. Roger Liska

Chair of Clemson University's Construction Science and Management Department

Dr. Roger Liska has over 30 years of experience in construction education and has taught at College of DuPage, Auburn University, University of Maryland and Clemson University. Dr. Liska has developed and taught over 300 professional development courses for the construction industry and authored three books, a dozen training manuals and numerous professional articles.

Dr. Liska is an NCCER certified management education instructor who oversaw the following NCCER training academies at Clemson University from 1986-2012: Project Supervision, Project Management, Safety and Women's Leadership.

He and his wife, Judy, reside in Pendleton, South Carolina, and have two daughters and two grandchildren.

Dr. Bob Piper, center, receives the NCCER Construction Education Champion award.
Dr. Bob Piper, center, receives the NCCER Construction Education Champion award.

Bob Piper

Retired Past Vice President of Workforce Development for ABC National

For over 20 years, Bob Piper was owner of Piper Electric Company near Denver, Colorado, where he was also a past chairman of the ABC Rocky Mountain chapter.

At the national level, Piper was a member of ABC's national board of directors and served as chairman of multiple ABC committees. In 2004, he was named ABC National's vice president of workforce development where he oversaw ABC's workforce development programs.

Piper is an NCCER auditor and certified Master Trainer and administrator. He was also a member of NCCER's Workforce Development Committee from 2004-2010.

He and his wife, Ladonna, live in Colorado.
The Science of a Straight Line: Why Masonry’s Smallest Decisions Make the Biggest Differences
September 2026

There is a unique phenomenon in construction: the human eye can spot an out-of-plumb wall from 50 yards away across a crowded job site. We might not always be able to explain the exact mathematical deviation without a laser level, but our brains instantly

The Utah Masonry Council's Masonry Education Day
September 2026

The 2026 Masonry Education Day at Interstate Brick in West Jordan is bringing together members of Utah’s architecture, engineering, and construction community for a day focused on education, technical understanding, and workforce development. The event r

MCAA Upstate New York: Regaining Market Share Through Education
September 2026

The Upstate New York chapter of the MCAA was established in 2014 by a dedicated group of both union and non-union masonry contractors, producers, and suppliers who shared concerns about the declining use of masonry. T

GEN NXT: Luis Sontay
September 2026

For this month, the MCAA got to sit down with aspiring mason Luis Sontay. From taking an interest in masonry as a kid to placing 1st in a postsecondary competition, Luis’ dedication and passion for the trade is clear. Luis describes his early passion fo