The generosity of John and Paige Bick will revive the Construction Engineering Technology program.

With a gift of $5 million, John and Paige Bick have brought new life to a once-dormant program in the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering – the Construction Engineering Technology (CET) program.

To honor their generosity, the program, which is in the approval process, will be named the John & Paige Bick Construction Engineering Technology Program.

“Texas Tech and the Whitacre College of Engineering provided the foundation for my career, giving me the education to be a ‘builder’ in many aspects of business and life successes,” John said. “Contributing to Texas Tech and being a catalyst in bringing back the Construction Engineering Technology program is our way of giving back and providing opportunities for students to pursue much-needed careers in construction engineering. As a family of proud Red Raiders, we are thrilled about the positive impact this will have for future engineering students and the CET program.”     

The Bicks’ gift will provide comprehensive support for the Bick CET Program by funding scholarships, lab renovations, equipment maintenance and replacement, faculty and instructor support and other program needs in the Department of Civil, Environmental, & Construction Engineering.

“This extraordinary gift could not have come at a better time as it is very unusual to be able to have philanthropic funding to rebuild such a program from the ground up,” said Roland Faller, dean of the Whitacre College. “We are incredibly grateful for the support of the Bick family and look forward to continuing to build a strong partnership.” 

The Bick CET Program will complement the Construction Engineering program in the same department, providing a hands-on, practical option for students seeking a pathway to the industry. Students have been requesting this approach from the college, and industry representatives have named the skill sets emphasized in this program a priority for their future employees.

John was a first-generation student who graduated with his bachelor’s degree in construction engineering technology in 1989 before the program was dissolved. He credits the applicable knowledge and skills he developed in this program for helping pave the path for his career success. It became a strong motivator for his desire to revitalize the program at Texas Tech University.

“This gift will not only allow us to offer scholarships and a world-class education to promising students, but it will also equip our faculty with the ability to offer innovative course work, infusing experiences with practicing professionals and relevant software tools with hands-on lab courses furnished with state-of-the-art equipment and activities,” said Andrew Jackson, chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental, & Construction Engineering. “I am privileged to be the department chair during this exciting period, and I look forward to seeing the program blossom and evolve into a leading program in the country.”

After graduation, John joined TXU Energy and its predecessor companies in various business development and management roles, before starting a growth division of Priority Power in 2003. Under his leadership, Priority Power grew exponentially to become one of the largest independent providers of turnkey energy management services for more than 8,500 clients, commercial and industrial customers, across the U.S. and nearly $1 billion of private infrastructure developed for its customers. John stepped down as chairman of the board in September 2024 but remains with the company as a senior advisor.

John is an active member of the Whitacre College Dean’s Council and was named a Distinguished Engineer in 2023. In addition to their most recent gift, he and Paige established the Paige & John Bick Family Scholarship Endowment in 2013 to support Whitacre College students. John and Paige met at Texas Tech and have been married for 33 years. Their three children, Halle, Haiden and Kenedi, are all graduates of the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business.

The Construction Engineering Technology program is pending approval from the Texas Tech University System’s Board of Regents and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.