Construction management majors at UNI are required to take safety courses to protect themselves and others in the workforce. Gil Schultz is an adjunct professor at UNI who helps guide students through those safety credits, but Schultz also has a rich history of investing his time into the Cedar Valley community.

Schultz has an extensive background in workplace health and safety, and certifies students with their 30 hour OSHA card. Schultz is a former manager of safety for John Deere Waterloo facilities, which includes the tractor assembly facility, drivetrain assembly facility, the Foundry and the Product Engineering Center. Schultz worked at Deere for thirty years. 

Schultz followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, Ron Parr, who was the manager of safety for John Deere Waterloo facilities before Schultz took on the role. Parr formed a relationship with Steve Yaeger, a former construction instructor for UNI. Parr began teaching night classes revolving around construction safety. After Parr retired, Schultz was approached to fill Parr’s role. Schultz then helped to convert the classes from night to day. Since taking over for Parr, Schultz has served as an adjunct professor for over ten years.

Features of the Construction Safety course curriculum include a possibility for students to become OSHA certified and replicating work safety practices by presenting work safety strategies for fictional places. Schultz describes the end of the year project as one of his favorites, looking back upon students who presented on safety in the “Monsters, Inc.” workplace and scare floor. 

On top of providing OSHA certified education to the construction management program, Schultz serves on the Cedar Falls City Council as the representative of the 1st Ward. “I have an interest in safety to make our world as good as we can…I talked for many years, ‘geez, we should do this, maybe this would help the city,’” said Schultz. “And I thought, maybe I’ll do something by making an impact,” Schultz elaborated on his passion for the Cedar Falls community. Schultz will continue to serve the 1st Ward through the end of 2025.

While Schultz enjoys serving the Cedar Falls community as a whole, he finds fulfillment in being able to educate construction management cohorts on safety at UNI. “I could run into a student that brings me up to date on what they’re working on and where they’re at, it’s just really rewarding to have that part of their experience,” he said. “It’s been great to have students stop by after they have graduated or been out of my class for a semester or two and stop in just to randomly talk about how they are applying what they learned in my class,” said Schultz.