Nils Gransberg, adjunct instructor of Construction Science, was named as a co-principal investigator on a project for the National Cooperative Highway Research Program. Gransberg and his team received an NCHRP Synthesis Project Award and a $55,000 grant for the project “Open-books Pricing Practices for Construction Manager/General Contractor and Progressive Design-Build Projects.”
The NCRHP conducts research in problem areas that impact highway planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance. The States’ Highway Research Program works to address common transportation needs and solve problems facing administrators and engineers of state departments of transportation.
For this project, Gransberg and his research team will explore the use of open-books price negotiations by State Departments of Transportation (DOTs). Open-books price negotiations allow clients to review all project costs openly and make price-informed decisions. This type of negotiation has become increasingly popular in construction manager/general contractor and progressive design-build projects.
However, there are currently no guidelines on how to configure open-books price negotiations and the effectiveness of the procedures in use. Through this research, Gransberg and his team will document state DOTs’ pricing and negotiation practices utilized in integrated project delivery methods. The researchers hope to provide guidance on effectively configuring procedures in procurement documents and employing them effectively.
The Gibbs Design in Action Awards (GDAA) program, led by Dr. Wanda Liebermann, has announced its 2026–2027 funded student projects. The initiative supports design and research work that addresses social, cultural, and economic issues in the built environment through collaboration with faculty and community partners.
The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Camille Germany, Chief of Staff, has been named the 2026 recipient of the university-wide Jennifer L. Wise Good Stewardship Award.
