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Endowment Scholar Makes Good on Promise
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Brennan Glantz, successful recipient of the first J. Roger Glunt Fellowship in Residential Construction. |
When Brennan Glantz was named the very first J. Roger Glunt Fellow in Residential Construction at Penn State in 1995, he was stepping into a big idea. Glunt, the 1993 NAHB president and former chairman of the National Housing Endowment, wanted to establish a fellowship that encouraged outstanding graduate students to pursue research and, most importantly, careers in residential construction.
Glunt and the nominating committee saw great promise in Glantz, who received the Glunt Fellowship while pursing his master of science degree.
“When we started the Glunt Fellowship, we envisioned bringing bright young people into this industry,” Glunt said. “And in Brennan we saw the potential for this intelligent young man who was full of ideas and wanted to become a successful and knowledgeable home builder.”
So far, Glantz has proven them right.
While at Penn State, Glantz designed and constructed the university’s Building Enclosure Test Laboratory (BeTL) — where researchers now test and develop the latest technologies in building wall systems.
After graduating, Glantz became a fully licensed engineer specializing in cost-effective design, field service and post-construction forensic analysis on residential structures. To date, he has performed site services on housing tracts for four of the nation's current top five builders.
He also currently runs two small companies ― Engineering Projects Inc., where he does residential engineering and design, and Bosak Construction. Glantz is vice president for all new construction at Bosak and is partnering with the company’s founder, Philip J. Bosak, to one day take over the business.
“The award of the J. Roger Glunt Fellowship in Residential Construction was a remarkable opportunity to attend graduate school without tuition bills, but the total rewards of the fellowship program greatly exceeded the direct financial aspects,” said Glantz.
“The Glunt Fellowship puts an ordinary student in a position where he or she is awarded with a fellowship, gets to network with industry leaders and is challenged with public speaking opportunities, not to mention the reward of traveling to the International Builders’ Show,” Glantz added. “But most importantly, of course, is the regular communication with Roger himself. Roger Glunt deserves full accolades for his work in the housing industry and for the promotion of housing-related education through the Glunt Fellowship and the National Housing Endowment.”
“Brennan was the first Glunt Fellow, and he has set a great example by going into the industry and becoming a home builder,” said Glunt. “Hopefully this fellowship brought him to this point, but I know that he is fulfilling the hopes of those who donated to this fund that more young people will pursue careers in this fine industry.”
“Brennan Glantz is the truest example of the type of students that the endowment is committed to attracting into residential construction management with our Homebuilding Education Leadership Program (HELP) and the many scholarships we provide each year,” said Gary Garczynski, the endowment’s chairman and 2002 NAHB president. “We are proud to have played a role in helping Brennan achieve his goal and thank Roger and those donors to the Glunt Fellowship for their foresight and vision.”
 The endowment administers 12 scholarship programs and awards more than $300,000 each year to students pursuing careers in residential construction and related fields.
For more information, visit the endowment Web site at www.nationalhousingendowment.org.
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