Michael Horman, associate professor of architectural engineering at Penn State, died Tuesday after collapsing during his afternoon class.
"We are all shocked and devastated by the sudden and untimely passing of Michael Horman," said Chimay Anumba, head of architectural engineering. "He was a highly valued friend and colleague, a very well-liked teacher and mentor to his students and a highly respected researcher. He will be sadly missed by all. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time."
Horman, 38, served as director of the Lean and Green Research Initiative, a research and educational effort aimed at improving delivery of high performance buildings through developing resource-efficient processes that maximize value at minimal delivery costs.
His work focused on the design and construction of high-performance green buildings and his expertise included construction management, lean construction, computer simulation and modeling, meta-analysis, environmental sustainability, process modeling and product management.
At Penn State Horman taught courses in building construction engineering, production management in construction and project development and delivery planning.
A native of Australia, he was a co-editor of the Journal of Green Building and an assistant specialty editor for the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) Journal of Construction Engineering and Management.
He held memberships in the American Society for Engineering Education, the Construction Research Council, the ASCE International Group for Lean Construction and the Australian Institute of Builders. He also served as the faculty adviser for the Penn State student chapter of the Design-Build Institute of America.
Horman earned his bachelor's degree in building in 1994 and his doctorate in construction project management in 2000, both from the University of Melbourne.
Before coming to Penn State, he was a lecturer at the University of Melbourne from 1995 to 1998. Horman's professional experience included serving as a consultant with United Consultants and a project engineer with Bovis Lend Lease Group.
He is survived by his wife, Cheryl, and two children, Olivia and Joshua. Arrangements for Horman's funeral are pending.