The Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) – the global authority for the tilt-up industry – announces Stephen L. Klineberg, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology at Rice University, as the Keynote Speaker for the 2013 TCA Convention in Houston, Texas.

“Each year the educational content for the TCA Convention is updated to reflect current industry issues, advancements in technology, changes in market conditions, building codes, and the ever-changing needs of the TCA membership,” said Mitch Bloomquist, Managing Director for the TCA. “As the event moves around the country, we feel it is also important for there to be content relevant to the host market/region. Klineberg’s presentation will give attendees a context for what is happening in Houston, arguably the hottest tilt-up market in the world right now. He will tell the fascinating story of Houston and address how trends observed there relate to national trends impacting of our lives.”

In 1982, along with his students, Klineberg initiated the annual “Kinder Institute Houston Area Survey.” Now in its 32nd year, the Kinder Institute Houston Area Survey is the nation’s longest-running study of any metropolitan area’s economy, population, life experiences, beliefs, and attitudes. The surveys develop an ever-richer, ever-changing picture of the region’s economic and demographic patterns, its quality of life, the growth of its urban centers, and the impact of continuing in-migration both from the U.S. and abroad. Directed by Klineberg, the Kinder Institute Houston Area Survey continues to provide increasingly valuable empirical insights into the challenges and opportunities facing this region and nation as the 21st century unfolds.

The recipient of 12 major teaching awards including the Lifetime Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Piper Professor Award, Klineberg was featured in a documentary film on the first 30 years of the Houston surveys and is completing a series of reports on this ongoing research. He also serves as co-director of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Klineberg is a graduate of Haverford College, and also holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Paris and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.

The keynote address at the 2013 TCA Convention, sponsored by A.H. Harris, will take place on October 1, 2013 at noon. Registration details and additional information can be found at http://tilt-up.org/events/2013-tca-convention/.