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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsSan Diego construction employers needed engineers who would build their careers in the region, not simply gain experience and return to their home states. Mark Filanc, CEO of J.R. Filanc Construction Company, saw investment in students as a way to address that need: support education, connect it to industry, and help prepare graduates for local work. He describes the return as both a stronger workforce and a direct impact on students’ lives.
How a workforce need helped shape SDSU’s program
Filanc told San Diego State University that engineers hired from universities elsewhere often returned to their home states after gaining experience. He and his brother considered how local employers could hire graduates trained in the region. “There was an internal need,” Filanc said. “We also got Associated General Contractors (AGC) involved because what we need, all other contractors need.” SDSU’s October 5, 2026 profile describes that shared employer concern as part of the effort that set the J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management (CEM) Program in motion.
SDSU says the program was established in 2008. It offers Construction Engineering and Construction Management; the Construction Management major held its first classes in Fall 2021. The two dates mark different milestones: the broader program’s establishment and the later launch of the major.
How education connects to employers and field experience
Industry participation is part of the program’s workforce approach, not just a source of funding. SDSU’s May 2024 account describes site visits, field trips, networking with industry, and internships as ways students encounter construction work beyond the classroom. That article reported that most students graduated with at least one internship on their resume; this is SDSU’s reported observation, not an independently audited placement rate. Harper Construction and other local industry supporters are among those SDSU names in connection with the program.
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The model links three needs: students gain education and work exposure, employers engage with emerging talent, and the region develops graduates familiar with local construction opportunities. SDSU’s current profile says the program has prepared hundreds of graduates. An earlier SDSU report counted nearly 400 construction engineers graduated by January 2022, a dated figure rather than a current total.
What the different forms of support fund
The Filanc family’s support addresses both student access and the capacity to teach. SDSU says Mark and Kim Filanc recommend grants from their donor-advised fund for the Beavers Lecturer in Heavy Construction Endowment and the Mark E. Filanc Scholarship.
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- Scholarship support: The Mark E. Filanc Endowed Scholarship supports undergraduate Construction Engineering students in SDSU’s College of Engineering. The scholarship was established in 2005, and its first student award was made in academic year 2011–2012, according to the SDSU College of Engineering scholarship page.
- Lecturer support: The Beavers Lecturer in Heavy Construction Endowment provides a salary supplement for a full-time lecturer in the CEM program, helping support teaching capacity.
- Faculty recruitment and retention: Filanc and Jim Ryan, executive director of AGC San Diego, worked with industry leaders on the $2.5 million campaign for the AGC Endowed Chair in Construction Management. SDSU’s 2026 profile credits their effort with helping complete the campaign. In an earlier report, Filanc described its purpose this way: “The AGC Chair incentive is to be able to hire the best and brightest faculty at San Diego State.”
These forms of support serve different functions: aid for students, resources for instruction, and support for attracting faculty. The available SDSU accounts describe those purposes but do not quantify their separate economic returns.
What “return” means in Filanc’s account
Filanc’s claim is a value judgment grounded in the student and employer benefits he sees, not a published return-on-investment calculation. SDSU does not provide a quantified estimate of the program’s economic impact or evidence that isolates how many graduates stay in the region because of it. Filanc puts the personal and industry dimensions together: “We’re investing in people and we’re getting a return on it,” he said. “You get a real feel good because you’re impacting industry as well as impacting students’ lives.”
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For construction employers, the practical proposition is that sustained involvement in education can help create a pipeline of locally trained talent while giving students access to scholarships, faculty, and real-world exposure. The evidence supports that description of the approach and its intended value; it does not establish a numerical payoff.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to check current scholarship eligibility
SDSU’s scholarship portal lists requirements for the Mark E. Filanc Endowed Scholarship that include undergraduate Construction Engineering study, full-time enrollment of at least 12 units each semester, and a minimum 3.20 GPA. Incoming freshmen must be from a San Diego County high school. For renewable awards, the listing also specifies continued study in the major, maintenance of the GPA, and an internship or summer position in construction management. These are portal-listed conditions, not a guarantee of an award; check the live scholarship listing for the relevant term’s current eligibility details and deadlines.
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