Students, faculty, and staff attending 2023 Hankin Lecture by Theresa Weston

2026 Hankin Lecture

"Building Better, Doing Better: A Model for Client Delight"

Wednesday, November 11 at 4pm EST

Robb Hall in the Hintz Family Alumni Center, Penn State University Park

Todd Usher, founder and CEO of Addison Homes and director of Clemson University’s Master of Real Estate Development program, will deliver the 2026 Hankin Distinguished Lecture, hosted by the residential construction program and the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center, which is housed in Penn State’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His talk, "Building Better, Doing Better: A Model for Client Delight" will be held at 4 p.m. on Nov. 11 in Robb Hall in the Hintz Family Alumni Center at University Park. A reception will follow the free, public event.

Lecture Description:

This talk presents a practical model for consistently exceeding client expectations in residential construction, turning what could be routine delivery of a home into an experience of genuine delight. Drawing on lessons from building high-performance homes Todd will discuss how building homes that are better for the occupants, and the environment can dramatically eliminate callbacks while building lasting trust. Attendees will leave with a transferable framework for creating positive surprise for every client.

About the Hankin Distinguished Lecture Series:

The Hankin Distinguished Lecture series, hosted by Penn State’s residential construction program and the PHRC, was established in 2006 to honor the late Bernard Hankin and his family for their continuous and dedicated support of the residential construction program at Penn State. It brings world-class speakers to Penn State to address students, faculty, industry members and the public with thought-provoking topics and education related to the housing industry. The residential construction program and the PHRC are administered within Penn State’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering. The lecture series is free and open to the public.

The full length videos for lectures from 2007-present are available for online viewing on our website.

About Todd Usher

As a nationally recognized leader in high-performance, sustainable homebuilding, Usher’s work sits at the intersection of science, sustainability, and systems thinking. Leveraging his early career in chemical manufacturing, he built a rigorous quality-management system that ensures Addison homes meet the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficient New Homes Program and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Indoor airPLUS requirements—delivering healthier indoor environments, superior energy performance, and increased resilience in a changing climate. In addition to his industry leadership, Usher serves as Director of Clemson University’s Master of Real Estate Development program and holds four Clemson degrees, including a PhD focused on the built environment. He also holds a number of industry credentials, including the National Association of Home Builders' Master Certified Green Professional, certified EarthCraft House Technical Advisor, Energy Star home energy rater, LEED Accredited Professional, LEED for Homes Green Rater, National Green Building Program Accredited Verifier for the NAHB Research Center, Certified Aging in Place Specialist, as well as Graduate Master Builder and South Carolina Certified Master Builder. Usher also leads Addison Consulting, which supports professionals and organizations working toward high-performance, building science-driven construction standards. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience and strives to bring high performance, resilient, sustainable, and net zero construction to the mainstream building industry.