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  <title><![CDATA[Malek Boulos Bitar's Graduate Student Journey]]></title>
  <body><![CDATA[<p>Malek Boulos Bitar&nbsp;is earning a Master of Science in Building Construction/Facility Management with a focus in Integrated Project Delivery Systems&nbsp; (IPDS).</p><p>We sat down with Bitar, who recently received an offer from Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC), to discuss the path that led him to the School of Building Construction and the milestones in his graduate journey so far.</p><p>This is Bitar 's story, in his own words:</p><p>My background is in Business with a focus on Entrepreneurship. I received my bachelor’s from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. I’m interested in Construction Management. </p><p>There is a real need in the middle-east for advanced construction trends. I want to change the way we do construction in the middle-east and bring these advanced construction methods to these countries.</p><p>At Georgia Tech, the overall experience -- the facilities, entire campus, the professors, people I met -- all were impressive. This environment made me want to move forward, it was a helpful and supportive environment for graduate study. I knew it was a great school. </p><p>I was seeking a serious academic environment. I had narrowed my search to six universities in the US. I was so pleased to be accepted and matriculate at Georgia Tech. When I arrived on campus, it was my first time in the United States.</p><p>Last summer I had the opportunity to do a professional internship in Lebanon. This added good experience to my resume. Now, I am pleased to announce I received an offer from Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) for a consulting position in their Dubai office. This is the position I have wanted. I can directly apply my educational experience and deliver the advanced construction methods I’ve learned to the middle-east.<br /><strong><br /></strong>I think the Integrated Project Delivery Systems track is the most serious and challenging of the focus areas in the School of Building Construction. I think all students in Building Construction should take some of these courses. The IPDS class taught by Mike Kenig and the Advanced Project Management course taught by Craig Mitchell were some of the best classes I had.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.bc.gatech.edu">Visit our website</a> for more information on the School of Building Construction. Connect with Malek Boulos Bitar via </strong><a href="https://lb.linkedin.com/in/malekboulos">https://lb.linkedin.com/in/malekboulos.</a></p>]]></body>
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      <value>2016-04-25T00:00:00-04:00</value>
      <timezone><![CDATA[America/New_York]]></timezone>
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      <value><![CDATA[Malek Boulos Bitar recounts his experience as a graduate student studying Integrated Project Delivery Systems (IPDS) in the School of Building Construction.]]></value>
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      <value><![CDATA[<p>Malek Boulos Bitar recounts his experience as a graduate student studying Integrated Project Delivery Systems (IPDS) in the School of Building Construction.&nbsp;</p>]]></value>
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            <title><![CDATA[Bitar]]></title>
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      <email><![CDATA[brenda.morris@coa.gatech.edu]]></email>
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      <value><![CDATA[<p>For more information contact:<br />Brenda Morris <a href="mailto:brenda.morris@coa.gatech.edu">brenda.morris@coa.gatech.edu</a></p>]]></value>
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