Staff Directory

Ziyu Wu is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Engineering from Chang’an University in Xi’an, conferred in June, 2018.

He used to work as a construction engineer at the Zhenro Properties Group Limited, where he supervised over 150 subcontractors under the instruction of PM to guarantee construction quality and progress. On another project he was rated 100% satisfaction from proprietors in house delivery phase. He also worked as the Secretary General in the School of Civil Engineering back in undergraduate.

His research interests focus on BIM as well as lean management mode. At CBIPS he will contribute to research of Cybersecurity of Physical, particularly in regard to guaranteeing the interactions necessary to make construction more efficient.

Zihao Wang is a Research Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science in Columbia University. He received a dual Bachelor’s Degree: Bachelor of Engineering in Building Environment & Energy Engineering from China University of Mining and Technology in Xuzhou, China and Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Management (Honours 1st Class) from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, both conferred in 2019. He is the student member of The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) since 2018.

He was the finalist (the Second) of CIOB Global Student Challenge 2018, which was an annual international competition organized by The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) for undergraduate construction management students. His responsibilities in the team were market data analysis and resources allocation. He participated in Melbourne Innovation Districts Project in a joint course between City of Melbourne and RMIT University in 2017. He contributed to appropriate and innovative responses and implementation strategies for the project.

His research interests focus on the interactive visualization of construction process monitoring, historic building preservation, as well as thermal comfort. In CBIPS, he will be participating in the research of visualization and data analytics to achieve more effective monitoring of the construction process, as well as the preservation of historic houses.

Zheng (Vincent) Lu is a versatile professional with experience in both the public and private sectors. Currently, he leads the strategic research team in the Healthcare and Senior care sector of the China Life Insurance Company. Prior to that, he was a consultant of Budget and Strategy, Infrastructure Finance, and Transport divisions at the World Bank. He also worked at Deloitte as a senior auditor, covering various industries from real estate, construction, aerospace, electronics, to healthcare. 

Zheng joined CBIPS as an adjunct associate research scientist in November 2012 and worked on a range of research topics in CBIPS including Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), infrastructure project finance, and regional economics. During his doctoral studies, Zheng worked as a research assistant in both the ACTION laboratory at Columbia University and the Public-Private Partnership laboratory at Tsinghua University. He advised the National Development and Reform Commission (NCRC) of China and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MoT) on Infrastructure REITs and PPP Asset-Backed Securities topics, including the assessment of the pilot batches of Infrastructure REITs and PPP ABS listings in China. 

Zheng holds a Masters degree in Management Science & Engineering and a Ph.D. in Construction Management from Columbia University in the City of New York. He is a CFA® Charterholder and ASCE member.

I am currently pursuing my master degree in Civil Engineering, specializing in construction engineering management at Columbia University. At my undergraduate school-Washington State University, I was a research assistant in the laboratory at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Through the research process, I gained experience about exploration of an unfamiliar engineering field, including synthetic storm water mixture and data analysis. Through data collection with other students in lab for change of chloride ion concentration in stormwater, my cooperation and operation skills also got enhanced.

During my last year at WSU, I was vice president of ITE (Institute of transportation engineering) student chapter. In this role, I organized student chapter events and community services. One of the symbolic projects we were involved in was a data collection project funded by the Western District Student Data Collection program. The process of this project proposal design impacted me on effective decision making on how to arrange the data collection among members and analyze traffic data by appropriate communication with faculty and other students in the ITE student chapter.

This semester my research focusing is on “Plan for Washington Heights”, our team is planning a proposal for affordable housing around Inwood area of Manhattan.

Dr. Yvette E. Pearson is Associate Dean for Accreditation, Assessment, and Strategic Initiatives in the George R. Brown School of Engineering at Rice University and Founder of The Pearson Evaluation and Education Research Group (The PEER Group). Her mission is to inspire, impel, and institutionalize change towards ubiquitous inclusion (UI) so that it becomes a universal standard of practice in engineering education and practice. A Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), she is recognized globally for 25 years of contributions to engineering education, particularly for her work along the intersections of sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).  In 2019, Pearson was appointed inaugural chair of ASCE's board-level committee, MOSAIC (Members of Society Advancing an Inclusive Culture), which is charged with leading the Society in all matters of DEI for the profession. As past vice chair of ASCE's Committee on Diversity and Inclusion she was part of the team that authored Canon 8 of ASCE's Code of Ethics, providing specific leadership for the principle that requires engineers to consider the diversity of the communities they serve and to include diverse perspectives in planning and performing their work.  As past chair of ASCE's Formal Engineering Education Committee she led initiatives to infuse engineering curricula with principles of sustainability and to promote strategies toward the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing targets aimed at ensuring equity for people in traditionally marginalized populations. Among her numerous awards are ABET's Claire L. Felbinger Award for Diversity and Inclusion, ASCE's Professional Practice Ethics and Leadership Award, and the University of Texas Regents Award for Excellence in Teaching. Pearson is a registered Professional Engineer in Louisiana, a Commissioner on the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, and host of Engineering Change Podcast, which has listeners in over 30 countries on six continents.

Yu Yang is an M.S. student at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University, concentrating on Construction Engineering & Management. She got her Bachelor of Engineering in Engineering Management from Southeast University in Nanjing, China, conferred in 2019. She was awarded Meritorious Scholarship in Southeast University every year and led national university student innovation programs from 2015-2018.

She involved in budget management and internal auditing of construction work-in-progress as a project management intern at China Communications Construction Investment Company. Her internship at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority focused on reviewing and drafting project contracts.

She has participated in researches on the impact of large-scale park construction on community social groups of aboriginal residents, as well as real estate development and finance. Her current research interests are visualization, data analytics, historic preservation, and environmental protection.

Yi Liang is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the master’s degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. He earned his undergraduate degree from University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.

Graduated with a background in Civil Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Connecticut, Yi interned in Yantai Architectural Design and Research Co., Ltd in China where he gained significantly experience in architecture. Yi also interned in Kwant.ai in the New York City where he helped the project manager with scheduling and project reports.

At CBIPS, Yi’s research is related heavily in Visualization and Data. Specifically focus on Machine Learning and Deep Learning related areas and how to applied these technologies in the field of Civil Engineering

Ydanis Rodriguez was appointed as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Transportation in December 2021 by Mayor Eric Adams – and began serving in the position on January 1, 2022. As NYC DOT Commissioner, Rodriguez oversees more than 5,500 employees, an annual operating budget of over $1.1 billion, and a 10-year capital budget of $19.7 billion. Rodriguez is the first Latino and only the second person of color to serve in the position.

In serving in this role, Commissioner Rodriguez has expressed the aspiration that, with the leadership of Mayor Adams, he will work with the people of NYC DOT to make New York City the most walkable and bikeable city in the nation, a vision which will guide his leadership. He will work to bring government, local communities, the private sector, and academia together to make this vision a reality. Previously, Commissioner Rodriguez served in the New York City Council, representing the 10th District that includes the neighborhoods of Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill. First elected in 2009, he became a member of the Council’s Transportation Committee, which he then chaired from 2014 through 2021. As Chair, Rodriguez led oversight of transportation agencies, spearheading the fight for improvements in mass transit and sustainable transportation – including expanded bus and bicycle lanes and the growth of bike share. Rodriguez worked closely with NYC DOT on the successful implementation of Car-Free Earth Day and was heavily involved in the annual Riders Respond Tour, where activists and officials call attention to mass transit by riding the subway over a 24-hour period. Together with former Speaker Corey Johnson, Rodriguez also co-led the fight to create Fair Fares, a program that provides a 50 percent discount on transit for New Yorkers who live under the poverty line. He sponsored more than three dozen other bills enacted into law – including those that protect pedestrians and cyclists, like the Streets Master Plan and the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program, as well as those focused on improving and expanding the rights of immigrants, women, workers, and New Yorkers seeking social justice.

Prior to elected office, Commissioner Rodriguez taught in New York City public schools for more than fifteen years. As a teacher, he co-founded two schools: Gregorio Luperon High School, founded in 1994 to support newly arrived immigrants from Latin America transitioning to the American educational system, as well as the Community Health Academy of the Heights, a school that has served 6th through 12th grades since 2005.  Born in the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez arrived in New York City in 1983 at the age of 18. Like most immigrants who come to America to pursue their dreams, he worked tirelessly -- including as a livery cab driver -- to put himself through City College of the City University of New York, where he earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. At CUNY, he helped lead a student movement to maintain higher education at a cost accessible to working-class and middle-class New Yorkers.

Yang Chen is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the master’s degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Tongji University, Shanghai, China. He was awarded outstanding students’ leader of Tongji university. He was also the vice president of the student association of the school of civil engineering. He finished a research subject based on the expert system and a large-scale steel bridge design which is now under construction.

His worked as an intern in Shanghai Longxiang Construction Co., Ltd. There he worked as an engineer assistant to review the drawing and coordinate the work between design and construction of Chuanyang river bridge. He also collaborated with Shanghai Lin&Li Engineering Consultant Company to design the structure and construction process of Pudong river bridge. During the two periods of experience, he not only learned the design but also the on-site process of a construction project. Based on these experiences, he believes the management of a project is of first importance and he plans to be a project manager.

His research interest focus on project management, visualization and CAE. At CBIPS he will participate in the research related to the Washington Height community in Manhattan.

Xincen Gu is enrolled in the Master of Science program focusing on Construction Engineering and Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. Her undergraduate degree was Bachelor of Management in Engineering Cost from the Hebei University of Architecture in Zhangjiakou, China, conferred in 2019. During her undergraduate study, she ranked the first among 123 classmates in comprehensive assessment. She was awarded a national scholarship by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. She organized and participated in various activities as deputy secretary of College Communist Party of China (CPC) Committee.

She has significant experience working as an intern at China Road and Bridge Corporation where she Participated in the project of Construction of the Bridge Mainland-Pelješac with Access Roads and concentrated on contract management. Her graduation design named Application BIM Technology in Zhangjiakou Airport Terminal was won the second prize in Longtu Cup National BIM Competition sponsored by China Graphics Society.

Her research interests focus on BIM (Building information Modeling), visualization, cost management as well as contract management. At CBIPS she will be participating in the research efforts pertaining to the visualization and data analytics and historic house trust.

Xin (Lizzie) Song is Deputy Operations Manager at AECOM where she has worked since graduating from Columbia University in December of 2019.

Wissam Akra is a New York licensed Professional Engineer with experience in construction management, logistics and planning and structural design. He has worked on a variety of construction projects including Second Avenue Subway, Jamaica Capacity Improvements, Harlem River Lift Bridge Rehabilitation, Grand Central Terminal Rehabilitation, Princess Nura University and Damac Tower.

Wissam has 8 years of design and construction experience, which coupled with his Master’s degree in construction management from Columbia University, has enabled him to excel in his career. He was the Resident Engineer on the $4.5 Billion Second Avenue Subway of which he managed $700 Million. Wissam is currently the Design-Build Coordinator for Dragados USA, which is the construction arm of ACS group ranked #1 International Contractor by ENR.   

General Secretary, National Academy of Construction  

Vitor Aly is Municipal Secretary for Urban Infrastructure and Public Works of the City of São Paulo. Vitor is a Civil Engineer with a Masters degree from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo, with specializations in Japan and Canada. Since 1987, he has been an Assistant Professor at POLI-USP. As a public manager, he was also president of SPObras, the municipal public works department, between January 2017 and April 2018. Previously Vitor served as Vice President and Director of Public Works of the Department of Urbanization of the City of São Paulo and as special advisor to the President of the Housing Development Company and the State of São Paulo.

Vincent Falkowski, PE PMP CCM, was appointed as Deputy Commissioner of Environmental Programs at the Nassau County Department of Public Works in February of 2018. The Environmental Program encompasses all projects for water and wastewater within the confines of Nassau County. The water and wastewater unit is responsible for design and construction for all projects that support clean water and the environment for Nassau County and its neighboring Counties. The environmental program supports wastewater treatment facilities for an average flow of 147.5 million gallons of wastewater through 3,103 miles of collection systems with 57 pump stations. The sewage system in Nassau County is not a combined system such as New York.

Vinny previously was an Executive Director at the NYC Department of Design and Construction serving as portfolio manager of over $2B of design & construction of projects used by NYC’s Uniformed client agencies. These agencies include ACS, Correction, Courts, DEP, DSNY, FDNY, NYCDOT, NYPD, and various tank remediation project throughout the five boroughs of New York City. This role required a seasoned senior executive who is responsible for all aspects of project management and delivery of the portfolio including the recommendations for process improvements to meet the demands and expectations of project quality, schedule, and budget for the City. At DDC, Vinny leveraged the many tools and skills acquired through various work experiences that focuses on engineering, architecture, data analytics, systems improvements, forecasting and data reporting of key performance indicators to fulfill project delivery, process improvements as well as improve the Department’s external perception by the public and the client agencies.

Among his extensive volunteer activities, Vinny currently serves as President of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) New York / New Jersey chapter and had previously been the organization’s membership director. He has also the Vice President of Membership at the national level for the American Society of Plumbing.

Vinny received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Hofstra University, and also studied architecture at the New York Institute of Technology – Old Westbury. He is a licensed professional engineer, is a Certified Construction Manager (CMAA) and a Project Management Professional (PMP).

Sai Vijay Reddy Mallangi is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure
and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction
Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and
Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a B.E. in
Civil Engineering from Osmania University / Vasavi College of Engineering in
Hyderabad, India, conferred in June, 2017.

He has significant experience working as a Graduate Engineer Trainee at SRK
Construction & Projects Pvt. Ltd. in Hyderabad, where he worked on residential projects, managing timelines and resources to ensure timely execution of projects, quality delivery, adherence to specifications, and labor productivity. Vijay has also been a leader and project coordinator of the 5th Pillar, a non-profit organization, working on long-term community development projects and anti-corruption activism. 

His research interests include the design of a sewage treatment plant for the
Ibrahimbagh Village where he quantified and tested systems and developed a
project that enabled reuse of treated water for irrigation. At CBIPS he will be
participating in the research efforts pertaining to the urban design and
infrastructure issues related to the creation of a 2030 District in Washington
Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hill.

Sai Vijay Reddy Mallangi is a Project Engineer at ZDG, LLC   in New York City, where he has worked since February of 2020. A current project is the Gotham Residential tower on East 126th Street, a 11-story rental building which includes approximately 250 apartments and commercial space.

Vignesh Nandha is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. He completed his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from National Institute of Technology in Trichy, India, conferred in May 2018.

In 2019, Vignesh was selected as a waterfront scholar by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He has worked as a research intern with the Defence Research and Development Organisation in India to model and quantify the probability of occurrence of landslides in the Rishikesh region. This model was further used in the development of an early warning system for evacuation of the people in case of landslide occurrence. He also has experience working for HomeBoxx.in, an e-commerce startup providing end to end services to the construction industry.

His research interests include risk management and resiliency measures for disasters, particularly focussing on landslide and flooding. At CBIPS he will be participating in the research efforts on creating solutions to address the problems of an aging housing stock of the New York City Housing Authority.

Vidit Hirani is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a B.Tech. from Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), conferred in May 2018.

He has significant experience working as Acquisition and Development analyst at a real estate firm where he was involved in undertaking financial modeling for new acquisitions and managing the budgets and schedule for an on-going project. He also worked as a Larsen & Toubro Construction where he supervised the construction of various reinforced cement concrete structures, performed quality control checks and assisted the planning department with schedule and cost tracking. His interpersonal and negotiating skills were used for outreach when he served as Brand Manager for Red Bull India Private Limited, where he also assisted with event management.

At CBIPS he will be participating in the research efforts pertaining to Public-Private Partnership in the United States of America. The research is focused on the current state of the P3 market and analyzing the challenges and success factors for various Public-Private Partnership projects.

Victoria Cerami served as Chief Executive Officer of Cerami & Associates, Inc., from August 1987 until June 2022. Cerami & Associates, now part of Trinity Consultants, is one of the top nationally recognized acoustical and technology firms. Cerami's clients are world class developers, end users, architects, and consulting engineers in the built environment.

As CEO, Victoria focused her time on building and cultivating client relationships, and guiding the staff to be technical experts and thought leaders that provide hands-on client and project management through firm-wide initiatives that are focused on mentorship, recruitment, and professional development.

Victoria was passionate about the firm’s role in public outreach and encourages all staff to participate in community and charitable organizations. As a member of the ACE Mentor Program’s board of directors, Victoria has been able to use her own talents, as well as the resources of her firm, to mentor teens and young adults who are interested in achieving success in business, and in the building industry. The firm has provided an annual $10,000 scholarship to young women studying mechanical engineering in honor of its founder, and Victoria’s father, Vito Cerami.

She is also a board member for the New York Building Congress, and past member of the University of Hartford’s Board of Regents, and past chairwoman of the University of Hartford’s Institute of Science and Technology Building Initiative Program.

Some of the firm’s recent work includes The Women’s Building, One World Trade Center, the TWA Flight Center Hotel, Little Caesar’s Arena, LaGuardia Airport Central Terminal Building, and the Columbia University Medical Center Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center.

Victoria holds a Masters in Business from MIT’s Sloan School of Business and a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hartford.

Victor Calise - As Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, Victor Calise has been an advocate for people with disabilities in both the Bloomberg and de Blasio Administrations. Responsible for ensuring that New York City is the most accessible city in the world, Calise advises the Mayor and agency partners on accessibility issues, spearheads public-private partnerships, and chairs the Accessibility Committee of the City’s Building Code.

Commissioner Calise began his City service working with the Capital Projects Division of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation where he led efforts to make one of the largest and most complex parks systems in the world accessible by ensuring compliance with the construction standards, managing facilities, and developing training materials. Prior to working in New York City government, he was a disability advocate in the non-profit sector.

Calise has facilitated relationships with businesses in a myriad of sectors including technology, finance, government, and healthcare. His leadership led to the creation of the NYC: ATWORK employment initiative—the first public-private partnership that directly connects job seekers with disabilities and businesses. The Commissioner also consistently engages with innovators in digital accessibility, communications, and autonomous vehicle development in order to ensure that accessibility remains a priority in technological advancements.

A recognized expert on disability, the Commissioner regularly consults with high-level stakeholders regarding accessibility. He is frequently invited to national and international conferences and has given numerous keynote speeches. Passionate about the human rights of people with disabilities, Commissioner Calise supports the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and works with international partners to ensure that people with disabilities are mainstreamed into society.

The Commissioner received a B.S. in Sports Management from St. John’s University and an M.A in Urban Affairs from Queens College, CUNY. Calise—an avid athlete—competed in the 1998 Paralympic Games in Nagano, Japan as a member of the first U.S. national sled hockey team. A native New Yorker, he lives on the Upper West Side with his wife and two daughters.

Tushar Pagare is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Spaces. He is enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering and Management at Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. He completed his Undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from University of Pune in 2019. His experience mostly stems from his Internships with Ashoka Buildcon and the Government of Maharashtra. Having worked in both private sector and public sector as well.

In January 2018, he worked on the Road Widening Project for Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. He was responsible in assisting field tests for construction materials and monitoring of the progress reports. An opportunity to witness a project with this great a scope beseeched him and provided him the chance of studying about workforce planning and employee engagement.

The Public Works Department, Government of Maharashtra took him in as an intern for their Construction Projects on Court buildings, Hospital and Sports Plaza. He observed the tendering process and studied estimate preparation along with contract clauses and drafting of tender documents. He oversaw the shifting of utilities also procuring permissions from local administrative bodies.

In his final year of the undergraduate program, he worked on Study of Disputes in Construction Industry: Few Aspects of Arbitration, wherein he led his group to investigate problems in construction sector and to propose solutions or suggestion for the same. In his penultimate year, he worked on Canal Automation which focused on providing the right amount of water with the use of information technology and automated practices to avoid human intervention and increase efficiency.

His research interests gravitate towards Disputes in Construction and various Dispute Resolution Mechanisms, along with Arbitration. At CBIPS, he is to participate in the Washington Heights Research Group. Wherein, the participants with extensive efforts will be working to see old cultural places in the new light of modern times, with the overarching theme being preservation of these neighbourhoods with rich cultural and social values.

Tonja Adair - co-Founder of Splice Design, an architecture and urban design firm (celebrating 10 years).  Through projects ranging in scale from interiors to mixed-use buildings and community anchors, Tonja explores the role of design to create joy and serve as active and innovative forms of social spaces.  A graduate of Columbia University GSAPP and Georgia Tech College of Architecture, she balances building her practice with engaging in NOMA and AIA to elevate the voices of our designers and architects.

A dedicated member of the American Society of Civil Engineers for more than 25 years and a civil engineer by training, Tom Smith served as the association's deputy executive director and general counsel before becoming the executive director and secretary in January 2015. Smith also serves as a director on the board of the ASCE Foundation. Responsible for the day-to-day management of the Society, Smith leads a staff of 250 and an active volunteer workforce of over 7,500, facilitating ASCE's tradition of providing high-quality products and services to more than 150,000 members in 177 countries, in all civil engineering disciplines and at all points of their career paths.

Before joining ASCE, Smith practiced law in Northern Virginia with the firm of Hazel & Thomas, P.C., now combined with Reed Smith, LLP.  While in this position, Smith focused on commercial, construction and land use litigation in federal and state courts, and land use applications for commercial, industrial, and residential development.

In addition to his master's degree in structural engineering and bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Virginia, Smith holds a law degree from Washington & Lee University. He is admitted to the bar in Virginia and the District of Columbia. He is also a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP).

In 2011, Smith received the William H. Wisely American Civil Engineer Award, which recognizes ASCE members for their continuing efforts to promote appreciation for the history, tradition, developments, and technical and professional activities of the Society.

Outside of ASCE, Smith serves as a trustee on the board of the United Engineering Foundation (UEF) and chair of the UEF Grants Committee, as well as a member of the board of directors of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), where he also serves on the Key Professional Activities Committee and Key Global Activities Committee. Smith is also a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100, Chi Epsilon, and Order of the Engineer.

Actively involved in his community, Smith serves on the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals, and previously chaired bar association committees providing legal services to local homeless shelters as well as coordinating national moot court competitions. Smith has published articles on engineering ethics and legal issues and is a frequent speaker on association and civil engineering subjects.

Tom Scarangello is Executive Chairman of Thornton Tomasetti, an international engineering design, forensic, and analysis firm headquartered in New York with 40 offices internationally and a project presence in more than 50 countries. He served as CEO and Chairman until January 1, 2020, overseeing the development of the firm’s strategic plan for growth and innovation in areas such as building information modeling and integrated project delivery. He has been instrumental in Thornton Tomasetti becoming a leader in advanced modeling techniques and technologies. Under his leadership, the firm merged in 2015 with Weidlinger Associates and now comprises 10 practices and an innovation incubator. Tom holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Manhattan College, and a professional engineering mechanics degree in the Ph.D. program of Columbia University.

Mr. Yang is a Project Engineer at Railworks, North America's leading provider of track, transit and rail system services. For the past four years, he was fully involved in East Side Access Project, totaling $133 million in track work, and the 2nd Avenue Subway Project, currently two of the largest infrastructure projects in the country. Besides his professional engineering skills, he also worked abundantly in logistics management, fire prevention, scheduling and project cost controls. Outside of the U.S., Mr. Yang had abundant real estate development experiences in commercial complexes at China Poly Group.

Mr. Yang graduated from Columbia University with a Master of Science concentrating on Construction Engineering and Management. He got his Bachelor’s degree from Harbin Institute of Technology in China. 

He's also the vice president of Columbia University Chinese Cross-talk Comedy Club.

Tom Scerbo is the New York Metro Region Executive at WSP in the U.S. In this role, he is responsible for steering the operations and growth of all WSP’s business lines in the region toward the objective of enabling WSP to be the preferred and trusted choice for clients, employees and partners.

Prior to joining WSP, Tom held senior executive roles at AECOM and HNTB, overseeing major transportation, buildings, resiliency and civic projects across New York City and the Northeast. His leadership spans strategy, business development, large‑scale program oversight and advancement of digital and collaborative project delivery practices.

Scerbo’s professional career is augmented by support for the industry through his involvement and leadership in organizations such as the New York Building Congress, the Society of American Society of Military Engineers and the ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY. He is a registered architect, with a master’s degree in advanced architectural design from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation; and he holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the New York Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Design.

Thomas Foley, P.E. CCM ENV SP is the Deputy Commissioner for Public Buildings of the Department of Design and Construction of New York City. He oversees 375 employees and over 711 active projects. As Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Foley works with DDC’s sponsor agencies to design and construct buildings such as EMS stations, firehouses, libraries, theaters, and cultural centers throughout the City.

Mr. Foley is a licensed engineer in New York and New Jersey, and received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Manhattan College. He is a Certified Construction Manager (CCM) and an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP). Mr. Foley joined the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as a Resident Engineer in 1992, supervising capital water and sewer projects and working with DEP’s Bluebelt Unit on streambank remediation and erosion and sediment control.

He started at DDC as an Engineer-in-Charge in 1998, supervising a team of Resident Engineers and evaluating and approving design modifications of engineering structures and systems. Following the 9/11 tragedy in fall 2001, Mr. Foley became a Project Manager for DDC’s World Trade Center Disaster Recovery and Debris Removal Project, reviewing staffing and procedures, analyzing labor and equipment utilization, and identifying and correcting inefficiencies in the $500 million project.

He eventually worked his way up through the agency, holding roles as Deputy Director, Director, and Assistant Commissioner in the agency’s Division of Infrastructure. In January 2014, Mr. Foley became Associate Commissioner in the Division of Infrastructure, managing an engineering and administrative staff of over 250 DDC professionals and 600 consultants, and overseeing the daily responsibilities of the Division’s capital delivery program. 

Mr. Foley is the recipient of several professional awards, including the 2013 Outstanding Contribution Award from Professional Archeologists of New York City (PANYC); the 2008 Recognition Award from the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner for his work at the World Trade Center site; and 2004 and 2007 Exceptional Service Awards from the Alliance for Downtown New York.

Thomas J. Foley, P.E. serves as Senior Vice President of Facilities, Core Real Estate Development, Planning, Design, Construction and Engineering at Mount Sinai Health System.

Previously Folwy served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Design and Construction. He started at DDC as an engineer-in-charge in 1998, supervising a team of resident engineers and evaluating and approving design modifications of engineering structures and systems. After 9/11, he became a project manager for DDC’s World Trade Center Disaster Recovery and Debris Removal Project, reviewing staffing and procedures, analyzing labor and equipment utilization, and identifying and correcting inefficiencies in the $500 million project.

Foley has held a variety of roles at the agency, including deputy director, director, and assistant commissioner in the agency’s Division of Infrastructure. In January 2014, he became associate commissioner in the Division of Infrastructure, while helping to spearhead the activation of Water Tunnel 3. In January 2017, he assumed the role of deputy commissioner of the Public Buildings Division, establishing short- and long-term plans for the division to best align with the goals of the agency and provide executive leadership on divisional/agency initiatives, and was responsible for managing the design and construction of a large range of civic buildings for the City of New York.

Foley earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Manhattan College. He is a licensed professional engineer and a certified construction manager. He also serves on the national board of the Design Build Institute of America. 

Tanushri Ganesh is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. She completed her undergraduate degree in Architecture from Manipal University in Manipal, India, conferred in May 2016.

She has significant experience working as a freelance architect in Bangalore where she developed architectural and interior design for a variety of residential projects. She has also worked as a Junior Architect at Space Lab Architecture, also in Bangalore, creating conceptual designs, working drawings, construction documents, and 3D modeling for housing, hotel, and hospital projects. At  RSP Design Consultants India Private Ltd, she worked as an intern, developing conceptual sketches, working drawings, and 3D models.

Her research interests include master planning of housing in Bangalore and the infrastructural problems pertaining to waste management and disposal where she formulated eco-friendly methods of addressing the correlative urban design issues. At CBIPS she will be participating in the research efforts pertaining to the urban design and infrastructure issues related to the creation of a 2030 District in Washington Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hill.

Steven R. Alessio is President and Chief Executive Office of The Sweet Construction Group. Founded in 1912, it has remained a family-owned and operated company now with over a century of notable projects and a reputation for quality performance and service excellence. Longtime clients include Chanel, Coca-Cola, Disney, Neiman Marcus, Rolex, Sotheby’s and Starbucks, among many others.

Smit Chheda is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a B.E. in Civil Engineering from the University of Mumbai in Mumbai, India, conferred in 2018. He went on to successfully complete courses like Project Planning & Control, Engineering Economic Analysis, Sustainable Concepts & Life Cycle Analysis, conducted by IIT Madras, IIT Roorkee and IIT Kharagpur respectively, securing elite category.

During his undergraduate degree, Smit got an opportunity to complete his final year project on Mumbai Metro and work on project management systems used in the project. He has also done research work in topics like Construction Safety and EVM & ESM Technique with his colleagues.

He has significant experience working as a trainee engineer at Sanghavi Realty where he worked on site for a 24 storey real estate project in Mumbai. His internship at the Ultratech Cement focused on providing technical assistance during concreting and preparing a report regarding the mindset of the customers in the Virar to Dahanu region of Mumbai, emphasising the difference when compared to the clients belonging to the other parts of Mumbai and providing the reason behind company’s inability to sell their recent technologically advanced products in that part of Mumbai.

His research interests have centered on affordable housing, public private partnerships and improving efficiency of construction using appropriate project delivery methods. At CBIPS he intends to participate in the research efforts pertaining to the factors affecting affordable housing and developing a possible way to implement the same using upcoming construction techniques like modular construction and an analysis of public private partnerships across the United States by identifying critical success and risk factors in construction projects.

Siqi Fan, is a Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Columbia University, specializes in Construction Engineering & Management.

Before Columbia, she has undertaken several research projects at the Technion’s National Building Research Institute, which includes Lean Construction Simulation Game, Monitoring Construction Activities at BIM and Virtual Construction Laboratories, and Surveying Radon Radioactivity in Israel at Built Environment Lab. Besides research experience, her practical internship at CRCC-Fifth Survey and Design Institute Group focused on underground structure design.

Her research interests focus on the synergies of Construction and Intelligence, two related areas that are revolutionizing the tools and practices used in Civil Engineering, such as BIM, lean construction and visualization.

Signe is a Founding Principal of MNLA and has been practicing as a landscape architect and urban designer in New York since 1978. Her body of work has renewed the environmental integrity and transformed the quality of spaces for those who live, work, and play in the urban realm. A Fellow of the ASLA, she is the recipient of more than 100 national and local design awards for public open space projects and is published extensively nationally and internationally. Signe is a professor of urban design and landscape architecture at Pratt Institute in both the graduate and undergraduate Schools of Architecture and is the former President of the Public Design Commission of the City of New York. Born in Paris, Signe received a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Urban Planning from Smith College; a Bachelor of Arts in Landscape Architecture from City College of New York; and a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Pratt Institute.

Shuqian Zhang is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. She got her bachelor degree at Virginia Tech in civil engineering. After that, she worked as an assistant engineer at Nantong Tongbo Equipment Installation Engineering Co., Ltd, which located in China.

She has been interested in civil engineering because it is a subject that builds and creates. All the miracles are built by engineers. It is fascinating that how a structure is built from scratches and eventually brought into use.

Benefited from the study and engineering curriculum at Virginia Tech, she consolidated engineering foundation step by step and mastered a wide range of engineering skills such as construction management, transportation engineering, environmental engineering and even C programming. In addition, she sharpened my analytical skills and problem-solving ability through the extensive practical projects. For instance, she developed an in-depth understanding of engineering management and cost estimation in the New Grounds Equipment Storage Building Project in Fall 2018. Moreover, through the Highway Design Project in Spring 2019, she improved the engineering design skills and managed to put comprehensive factors into account to deliver optimal solution accordingly, from which she also boosted the proficiency of using OpenRoads ConceptStation software.

With the dedication in engineering, she worked as an assistant engineer at Nantong Tongbo Equipment Installation Engineering Co., Ltd. after graduating from Virginia Tech to gain real-world engineering experience. The work covers a broad range of responsibilities including liaisons, construction progress management, cost control and quality management, safety and environment management, etc.

Shubham Pandey is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Geotechnical Engineering at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a B.E. in Civil Engineering from the University of Mumbai in Mumbai, India, where he was conferred upon with magna cum laude in 2018.

He has significant work experience working at Pandey Earthworks Private Limited where he managed the site for the offshore piling work for construction of jetty at Singapore Port, Uran, Mumbai. In his internship at Zed Geotech Private Limited he focused on carrying out micro piling work. He prepared a detailed report on why using Odex method of piling in a particular region was beneficial versus micro pile. At Classic RMC, as an intern, he designed various concrete mixes from M10-M60. He also tested an algorithm for decreasing delivery time of transit mixtures by 20% by adjusting the most economical route based on orders received. Apart from this he also led his college team in a national level coding hackathon and grabbed a top 10 rank.

At CBIPS he will be participating in the research efforts pertaining to the Visualization and Data Analytics to make the most efficient use of data in design and management of major infrastructure and building projects. He also has a keen research interest and will be participating actively in Cybersecurity and Security by Design Research which has a research goal to ascertain the risks and responses resulting from physical design, cyber connectivity, and human interface. He aims to leave a positive impact on the society through his work and research.

Sherin Patel is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space. He is currently enrolled for the Master's Degree program in Construction Engineering & Management at Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. He received his undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Technology, conferred in 2020 from Nirma University in Ahmedabad, Gujurat, India where he also had a minor specialization in finance. His prior experience includes civil engineering internships at Larsen & Toubro (working on the Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project) and at Sankalp Recreation Pvt. Lt. as well as trainee civil engineering roles at the State Bank of India (SBI) and at Ozone Industrial Park. At CBIPS, his interests center on real estate, development, and finance.

Sheila Misheni is currently applying her diverse skill sets in project management, design and analytics as a product owner at Citi. She is helping to deliver a new omnichannel decision engine that uses AI and Machine Learning to provide the next best action in order to improve the customer experience.

Sheila Misheni is an incoming masters student at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University enrolled in the Construction Engineering & Management program. She received her undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Sustainable Engineering from Columbia University in 2014. She holds her LEED AP BD+C, Engineer-In-Training (EIT), and Construction Manager in Training (CMIT) professional certifications.

Sheila has gained significant experience in energy efficiency and sustainability through her roles as an assistant energy engineer performing building energy audits in San Francisco, as a sustainability consultant intern for Infosys (the second largest consulting firm in India) as well as a patent and system engineer intern for Goldwind (China’s largest wind turbine manufacturer). Furthermore, she holds a design patent of an original design for a wind turbine nacelle filed with the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO). 

In addition to her technical skills, Sheila possesses strong leadership skills. She was recognized for her leadership by Columbia University with the King’s Crown Leadership Award. She was also selected by the Chinese government to be part of a small delegation of Ivy League student leaders to visit China and interact with various government officials.

In her spare time, she is actively involved in professional organizations serving as the Finance Chair for the National Society of Black Engineers’ (NSBE) Entrepreneurship Committee, and is a member of the US Green Building Council’s San Francisco chapter. She also serves her community as a Habitat For Humanity crew leader, volunteers with homeless population, and works with children who have autism.

Shashanka Mallikarjuna is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and is enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from the National Institute of Technology in Mangalore, India, conferred in 2019.

He has significant experience working as an intern at Murthy Infratech in Karnataka, India, where he scheduled and reviewed day-to-day construction activities. This involved reviewing owner requirements, availability of resources, and supervision of labor contractors at a variety of site locations. In addition, his role as Senior Analyst at Capgemini focused on assisting software developers in building an online portal for an insurance provider, State Farm.

At CBIPS he will he will be participating in the research efforts related to the impacts of COVID-19 on the next years of the construction and real estate industries. As a Research Assistant at his undergraduate university, he promoted sustainability in construction by introducing new equipment at the college laboratory to test shear strength. He was also responsible for establishing a linear relationship between shear strength and the mechanical properties of concrete. His research work was published at international conferences, and, at one of them, he was the youngest recipient of the "Best Oral Presentation" award from a group of 250 other presenters. Assuming the position as a part-time Operations Manager at his family business, a food commodities trading company, he supervised the resource management department and ensured safety of the crew on site. He was responsible for launching an electronic bid response process as per state regulations, increasing the efficiency and frequency of bidding by 200% and expanding market reach.

As the Technical Head of the American Society of Civil Engineers NITK chapter, he conducted workshops on AutoCAD and SAP 2000 to help students expand their learning beyond the confines of the academic curriculum. He also led a teaching initiative to assist underprivileged children as the Cultural Head of the Indian Society for Technical Education NITK chapter.

Shamir Perez Sarraff is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, conferred in September, 2014.

He has significant experience working as a Civil Engineer and Project Manager in the Transport Reorganization Office of the Dominican Republic, undertaking technical and feasibility studies including site investigations. His responsibilities included assessing the sustainability and environmental impact of projects, and ensuring that all projects are delivered on-time, within scope, and within budget. He has worked in other government offices in Santo Domingo, including the Bureau of Casinos and Games of Chance of the Department of the Treasury, where he streamlined due diligence operations.

His research interests have focused on systems, operations and fiscal responsibility including the assessment of risk management. At CBIPS he will be participating in the research effort to analyze investment issues of infrastructure maintenance and operations, including how Smart Cities are linked to issues in the capital markets.

Sara Henry is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelor's in Construction Engineering, is from the American University in Cairo, conferred in 2019. Prior experience includes a project management internship at EHAF Consulting Engineers. Sara's research at CBIPS focuses on the intersection of building technology, construction processes, and real estate development.

Samira Ayati is a Resident Engineer at NYCDDC with EnTech Engineering, PC. She has a bachelor of science in Civil Engineering and Master of Science in construction management from Columbia University.

She began her professional career five years ago at Valjato Engineering. Samira has worked on foundation design and placement of hydraulic and lattice boom mobile cranes on various construction sites in New York City. She also performed a variety of safety logistics plans for NYC Department of Buildings, BEST SQUAD submittals and DOT logistics plans for NYC Department of Transportation. Samira held the position to plan, design, apply and obtain engineering approved plans from various city agencies such as Department of Buildings, Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority, and Long Island Railroad.

In January 2016, Samira joined EnTech Engineering, PC as an Office Engineer at New York City Department of Design and Construction. She oversees all aspects of a project with full responsibility for completing construction on time while maintaining quality and safety standards. She is responsible for project planning and finances with accountability for completing within budget. After achieving her professional engineering license Samira was promoted to Resident Engineer.

With Brookfield Properties and its predecessor, Olympia & York, since 1982, Ms. Kanner oversees design and construction in the U.S. She joined the construction division of Olympia & York in 1982 and was appointed to run Olympia and York’s construction company in 1986.  She currently serves as Executive Vice President, Development Design & Construction.

In her tenure with the company, Ms. Kanner has played a key role in the construction, design and development or redevelopment of over 40 million square feet of signature Brookfield projects such as World Financial Center, Brookfield Place, Greenpoint Landing, Bankside, The Yards, Halley Rise, 300 Madison Avenue, Bay Adelaide Centre, Manhattan West, and the restoration/renovation of the Winter Garden at World Financial Center after 9/11. 

She is a member of National Academy of Construction and WX, and sits on the Board of Directors of the New York Building Congress (Executive Committee), The Salvadori Center (Chair), The Opus Group, The Regional Plan Association (Executive Committee), Urban Green Council (Chair), Cedar Realty Trust, The Opus Group, and sits on the Board of Trustees of The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation.

Rohan Choudhury is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the master’s degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. He did his undergraduate degree from KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India which was conferred on 2019. He has significant experience working as a project intern at Numaligarh Refinery Ltd where he was part of the team constructing its corporate office, a G+9 building in which he was part of various duties such as cost management, design and resource management while being actively involved with the personnel working on site. His internship in Dalmia Bharat Cement Ltd was a strategic move on his part to develop himself holistically and learn more about market dynamics. He was predominantly a part of the marketing team responsible for analysis of the cement market of the region. In his most recent internship at Zenith Real Estate Developers, he worked primarily as a project management intern in which his duties involved tracking progress of the project by means of estimates and schedules. His research interests primarily lie on Efficient Delivery of projects and on Risk Management in Construction. At CBIPS, he will be participating in the research efforts for NYC Department of Parks and Recreation pertaining to sustainable and pragmatic design of the Parks.

Rick D. Chandler heads Chandler Consulting, providing problem-solving expertise for owners, developers, contractors and institutions. The firm's focus is on responsive strategies for Zoning compliance, Building Code review, securing Certificates of Occupancy, compliance plans for permits, mandated municipal reporting and resolving DOB and other types of violations.

He previously served as Senior Vice President for Strategic Development at Montefiore Health Systems, where, along with his other job responsibilities, he has helped organize and coordinate COVID-19 testing efforts. As Former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings, Chandler has regulated and promoted the safe and lawful use of nearly 1.1 million buildings and more than 45,000 active construction sites in New York City. Chandler led a fundamental transformation of the agency, while at the same time presiding over an unprecedented building boom in New York City. DOB’s Building One City plan, launched in 2014, delivered quicker plan reviews and improved response times, bringing new clarity and consistency to agency operations, strengthening enforcement, and promoting the highest standards of integrity, both in the construction industry and within DOB.

The centerpiece of these reforms was DOB NOW – a platform to bring nearly all the agency’s business online and into the 21^st century, with far greater transparency for the public – along with long-overdue upgrades of the agency’s IT infrastructure. Chandler also oversaw an unprecedented plan to enforce safety-training standards for construction workers, along with a substantial overhaul of the city’s Construction Codes, including an effort to ease compliance through a consolidated code for existing buildings, an inaugural NYC waterfront construction code, as well as enhanced enforcement of the city’s Energy Code. To support these and other efforts, DOB increased staffing to nearly 1,800 employees, up from 1,000 employees just a few years prior.

Rick D. Chandler is a licensed Professional Engineer with years of large-scale management experience and deep expertise in code and zoning enforcement. As a Certified Buildings Commissioning Professional (CBCP), Chandler has a record of adapting technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations.

Previously, Rick Chandler was the Assistant Vice President of Facilities at CUNY Hunter College and served as Borough Commissioner at the Department of Buildings for Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.

While at Hunter, Chandler controlled the daily facilities operations for 10 million square feet on seven Manhattan campuses, including eight separate schools of higher education, a 2,500-student K-12 public school, 660 dorm rooms, and multiple athletic facilities.

Chandler earned his MS Civil Engineering from Columbia University and his BS Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska.  In 2018, he received an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School.  A Manhattan resident, Chandler is a frequent marathon runner, regularly training in Central Park.

Fredric (Rick) Bell most recently served (2015-2018) as Executive Director of Design and Construction Excellence at the New York City Department of Design and Construction. Among his responsibilities at DDC were strategic planning for design and construction excellence initiatives, including the creation of the agency’s Guiding Principles for Design and Construction Excellence. At DDC since its creation over twenty years ago, Rick previously was Director of In-House Design, supervising a team of 50 engineers and architects, and was Assistant Commissioner of Architecture and Engineering.

On leave from DDC, Rick served as Executive Director of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Center for Architecture (2001-2015). He was instrumental in establishing and animating the Center for Architecture on LaGuardia Place. At AIANY he created programs, publications, and exhibitions on diverse topics including active design, affordable housing, building material innovation, sustainable buildings and infrastructure, and transit-oriented development.

Rick also was an architect and partner at Warner Burns Toan Lunde Architects & Planners (1979-1994) where he was chief of the studio designing libraries, public schools and university structures nationwide.

He is a graduate of Yale College (B.A., 1973) and Columbia's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (M.Arch., 1976).  A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and of the Urban Design Forum, Rick currently serves as Board Secretary of the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization. A frequent lecturer, moderator, and visiting critic, Rick has also taught at the New Jersey Institute of Technology School of Architecture in Newark.

Richard T. Anderson is President of RTA Advisory Services LLC, a private firm specializing in government relations and strategic industry planning. He is President Emeritus of the New York Building Congress. For more than twenty years, Mr. Anderson ushered in a period of unprecedented influence and growth for the Building Congress, a public policy organization in its 95th year of promoting the design, construction and real estate community. In his role as an expert in government policy and construction, Mr. Anderson’s views and assistance on a range of issues are sought by private firms, public officials, agency leaders, the news media, good government groups and other organizations inside and outside of the building community.

Ralph Esposito is the President of Suffolk Construction's Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions and is responsible for leading operations, driving regional business planning and development, recruiting talent in New England and New York, and expanding Suffolk's presence in new markets, including New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. 

Prior to joining Suffolk, Mr. Esposito spent nearly 25 years in leadership roles at Lendlease, most recently as President – East, heading the construction business for the East Coast Region and overseeing all Lendlease project management and construction operations in New York, New Jersey, Boston and Washington, DC. At Lendlease he provided executive direction for the firm’s operations and growth strategies for the East Coast Region where his leadership motivated personnel to achieve client satisfaction, a safe working environment, profitability and orderly growth pursuant to the overall goals of the firm.

Mr. Esposito played a key role in the construction execution of the September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, the expansion of the Columbia University Manhattanville Campus and the ongoing design-build expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

He is Chair of the Board of Directors for the New York Building Congress (NYBC), and serves on the Board of Driectors of The Regional Alliance for Small Contractors (RASC), Non Traditional Employment for Women (NEW), the Building Trades Employment Association (BTEA), the Contractors Association for Greater New York (CAGNY) and the Ace Mentor Program of New York.

Xiaoyu (Rain) Li is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Davis, conferred in September, 2014.

He has significant experience working at the Civil Engineering Department of South China University where he applied BIM into the life cycle construction and management of a major public utility.  He has also worked as a Supervision Assistant at the Guangdong SCUT Engineering Construction Supervision Co. where he served as a supervision assistant on a variety of residential buildings and check quality, program ad equipment status of ongoing construction.

His research interests included participation in the UC Davis Solar Decathlon Team where he drew roof construction details and led material selection in the building design team. At CBIPS he will be participating in the research efforts pertaining to fiscal analysis of infrastructure maintenance and operations.

Rahul Bhalani is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. He received his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, India, conferred in 2019. He received a grant for the research project ‘Alternative Reinforcing Material for Reinforced Cement Concrete with enhanced mechanical property’ from the Office of Research and Sponsored Program, PDPU in 2018.

He has gained significant experience in project controls, cost management, and quality control through his role as a project management intern at Masters Management Consultants for the project ‘Surat Diamond Bourse- World’s Largest Office Building’ in 2019. Before honing his skills in project management, he interned at leading real estate developer company consecutively in 2017 and 2018 where he gained experience in planning, construction and commissioning phases in a diverse portfolio of a commercial project.

At CBIPS his research will focus on historical preservation of various parts on the island of Manhattan, where his team will collaborate with CUNY Dominican Studies and Office of Congressman Adriano Espaillat to achieve this in support of 2030 Plan for Upper Manhattan neighborhoods of Washington Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hill.

Qiong Wu is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. Her undergraduate degree was a Bachelor in Architecture from Tongji University in Shanghai, conferred in July, 2014.

She has significant experience working as an architect at the Tongji Architectural Design Group Co., Ltd. where she transferred concept design to construction drawings for the sustainable renovation of Tongji University’s Yunchou Building. On that project she assessed site problems and modified drawings in response to Requests for Information.  At this office she also worked on the new campus of the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, preparing bid documents and 3D models to visualize design concepts, using Sketchup and V-ray. She also worked as an Interior Design Intern at AECOM.

Her research interests include automation in construction and infrastructure ontology. At CBIPS she will be participating in the research efforts pertaining to embedding the concept of resilience into the design of smart cities, particularly in regard to cyber security for infrastructure.

Purnima Kapur is the Chief of University Planning and Design at Harvard University. She is the former Executive Director of the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP), where she oversaw the agency’s five Borough Offices as well as the Central Planning divisions. She led DCP’s work program, which includes promoting transit-oriented growth, housing production and affordability, economic development, resiliency and sustainability.  Working closely with the Chair of the City Planning Commission, Ms. Kapur was a key advisor to the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development. She was one of the architects of the City’s groundbreaking Mandatory Inclusionary Housing regulation. Under her leadership, the City adopted four Integrated Neighborhood Plans as well as an innovative plan for the redevelopment of Greater East Midtown. 

Ms. Kapur has been a key player in the redevelopment and transformation of Brooklyn over the past two decades.  She served as Director of DCP’s Brooklyn Borough Office from 2006-2014, a period of unprecedented growth and redevelopment. While in that role, she led high-priority and transformative projects, including the development of Greenpoint-Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn and Coney Island among other neighborhoods.  In her role as Director of DCP’s Bronx Office  from 2001-2006, she led the largest rezoning agenda in the borough’s history touching almost every neighborhood in the borough, from Yankee Stadium and Port Morris to Riverdale, Throggs Neck and City Island.

Ms. Kapur is trained as an architect and a city planner, with dual Masters degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Priyank Vasoya is enrolled in Master of Science degree program for Construction Engineering and Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and technology. He pursued his Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering Degree from the Gujarat Technological University in Gujarat, India. After completing his graduation, he worked for a brief period at a Consultancy in Surat, where he was an Assistant Civil Engineer leveraging his knowledge in the field during his training period.

During his under graduation, he successfully completed courses like Advance Construction and Equipments, Design of Steel Structure, Traffic Engineering and Railway, Bridge and Tunnel Engineering. Priyank has worked on multiple different projects including the Planning proposal for new central bus station for Surat urban area and is working currently on Alliance Contracting project.

The core areas of his interest involve sustainable infrastructure, modular construction and public-private partnership. At CBIPS, he is enthusiastic to participate in a new research project where he and his team members will be working with Prof. Feniosky Peña-Mora and congressman Ydanis Rodriguez to preserve the historic buildings in Washington Heights, Manhattan and to safeguard the exterior by proposing the use of innovative building materials.

I am a construction project manager with Pizzarotti LLC. Started as an intern in my summer with IBC groups which joint ventured with PIzzarotti and later acquired by PIzzarotti in 2015.

Been working with Pizzarotti for the past 5 year and a half years and worked my way up from being an intern to being promoted as a project manager. I worked on a rotational program initially as an intern gaining knowledge in all aspects of the construction business.

I have worked on 2 ground up constructions projects, a 33-story AC Marriott hotel 140,000SF and a 60-story high end residential construction 190,000SF, and I am currently working on a 120,000SF LEED gold designed project.

I have my bachelors is civil engineering from College of Engineering Guindy, certification in General Business Management from Graduate school of Business, and Masters in Civil Engineering from Columbia University.

Peter Murray is Curator-in-Chief of New London Architecture (NLA). 

​He trained as an architect but has spent most of his career writing about and commenting on architecture rather than practising it. He studied at Bristol University and at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in Bedford Square.

He edited the weekly newspaper for architects, Building Design, before moving on to the Royal Institute of British Architects Journal. Peter curated a number of major exhibitions at the Royal Academy including the 1986 New Architecture: the work of Foster, Rogers, Stirling, and Living Bridges in 1996. .He founded the design and architecture magazine Blueprint and the global communications company Wordsearch which specialises in design and branding for architecture and real estate  with offices in Beijing, Singapore, Sydney, New York as well as London.

He started the London Festival of Architecture which began life as the Clerkenwell Architecture Biennale in 2004. The Festival is now a significant annual event in the cultural life of the capital. The New London Architecture centre of  was founded in 2005 as a centre for debate and discussion about the changing face of the capital. The centre has a large scale model of London and permanent exhibitions about the future of London. It is also involved in research into the built environment.

Peter has written numerous books including The Saga of Sydney Opera House, London’s Growing Up  and Great Estates. He has recently completed a book on The Leadenhall Building by Rogers Stirk Harbour.

He is a keen cyclist and in 2006 cycled to Cannes for the MIPIM real estate show held there every March. This has grown into an annual ride comprising architects, developers and consultants who raise over a quarter of a million pounds each year for charity. In 2013 he rode 4300 miles across America and the UK with a group of architects and planners studying what cities en route were doing to improve infrastructure for cycling as well as raising money for charity. He was a finalist for the London Cycling Campaign’s Cycling Champion of the Year 2015 and is a member of the Construction Industry Cycling Commission.

He is a Mayor's Design Advocate and Chairman of the London Society. Until recently he was a Visiting Professor at the IE Business School in Madrid. He is also a weekend wood turner.

Peter J. Davoren is President and Chief Executive Officer of Turner Construction Company.

Peter joined Turner in 1978 and has held a wide variety of assignments in the delivery of the company’s work. Peter was named as Vice President of the company in 1995 and Senior Vice President in 2000. Peter was appointed President of Turner Construction Company in 2003 and Chief Executive Officer of The Turner Corporation in 2007.

Under Peter’s leadership, Turner has expanded its North America operations into Canada and Mexico and has increased its presence in Asia, India and Europe. The company is consistently ranked as a leader in a wide variety of building categories including sports, healthcare, commercial offices, government, education and entertainment. In addition, Turner has earned recognition as a leader in sustainability, the utilization of Building Information Modeling tools, and for its supplier diversity program. Reflecting the company’s focus on diversity, inclusion, and workplace equality, Turner has also been recognized as a great place to work.

Peter is driving the adoption of a lean culture in the company in order to create and sustain a positive environment for our employees and partners, and to deliver better value to our customers.

Peter is active in industry groups and organizations. He serves as a Director of the Contractors’ Association of Greater New York (CAGNY) and Chairman of the ACE Mentor Program. He is a member of the Business Roundtable and serves as a trustee for Wentworth Institute of Technology.  Peter was also named one of the 100 CEO Leaders in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) by STEMconnector.

Doctor’s degree in Disaster Prevention and Control and Protection Engineering from Wuhan University. Registered construction engineer of Grade 1 and national cost engineer.

Over the years, Dr. Penghua has won 25 awards from the China Association of Construction Enterprise Management for his innovations. He has published four articles  in SCI(EI) and 21 articles with nationally renowned academic journals and earned 28 national patents.

Dr. Penghua is meanwhile the author of Application of Management as Main Contractor in Construction of Medical Facilities with Modern Requirements.

As Chief Engineer of the projects, Dr. Fenghua and his team made their unique and indispensable contributions to the successful completion of the Huoshen Shan and Leishen Shan hospitals, with time-proven experience and expertise.

Pavan Kantharaj is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. He completed his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Bangalore Institute of Technology in Bengaluru, India, conferred in July 2018.

He is passionate about exploring sustainable structures using lean construction techniques to optimize time and cost in a construction project. He has worked as an Engineering Intern at the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) where he assisted the Chief Engineer. He was responsible for reviewing construction documents & analyzing the reinforcement schedule for different members including piers, segments, and slabs at stations. He has also had the opportunity to work as a Project Management Intern at M/s Surya Constructions where he was not only involved in inspecting on-site construction activities but also dealt with the client on a 10,000 sq ft commercial building in Bangalore. He has experience of working with software such as Primavera P6 Pro R17.7, AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks and STAAD Pro.

At CBIPS he is participating in the research efforts pertaining to public housing to analyze the best practices adopted around the world and how to bring this to the aid of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to solve the problems of aging infrastructure.

Dr. Paul F. Boulos is a highly dynamic engineering and technology business leader and philanthropist. He served as President and Director of MWH Global (until its sales to Stantec in 2016), one of the world’s leading environmental engineering and construction firms, with more than 7,000 employees in 35 countries and annual revenues of $1.6 billion. The company has long been considered one of the world’s top three experts on power, water and wastewater issues. He also founded and served as Chairman, President and CEO of Innovyze, the world’s leading provider of water infrastructure management technology (nearly twice the size of its largest competitor), and led its ownership transition and sales to a private equity firm in 2017.

Professionally, Dr. Boulos is one of the world’s foremost experts on water resources and navigation engineering and the author of ten authoritative books and over 200 technical articles on issues critical to the water and wastewater industry. He has received numerous honors and awards, including notable technical awards for excellence in scholarship from the American Water Works Association, the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); ASCE Parcel-Sverdrup Civil Engineering Management Award; ASCE Simon W. Freese Environmental Engineering Award and Lecture; University of Kentucky Hall of Distinction; Lebanese American University Distinguished Alumni Award; Ray R. Irani Pride of Heritage Award from the Lebanese American Foundation; and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, among many others. He was awarded Honorary Diplomate status by the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE) and Distinguished Diplomate status by the Academy of Coastal, Ocean, Port & Navigation Engineers (ACOPNE), the top honors for both Academies. He was also elected to the grade of Distinguished Member of ASCE, the Society’s highest honor; to the European Academy of Sciences and Arts; and to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the highest professional distinction accorded to an engineer.

Dr. Boulos has always been committed to the welfare of young people. Among his many involvements, he served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Board of International Advisors of the Lebanese American University. He currently serves on many educational organization boards including the Board of Directors of America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc./AMIDEAST, the Rene Moawad Foundation, and A Precious Child.

A passionate voice for the next generation of engineers, Dr. Boulos serves on the Advisory Board for NAE’s Center of Engineering, Ethics and Society; the ASCE’s Industry Leaders Council; the Board of Directors of the American Society for Engineering Education Corporate Member Council; and the Board of Trustees of AAWRE and ACOPNE. He has been a member of advisory boards and councils for many organizations including the Corporate Advisory Board of the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership; the Buck Advisory Council of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging; the Arab American National Museum, the Dean’s International Council of the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago; the USEPA Science Advisory Board; and the External Advisory Board of Civil Engineering Department at the American University of Beirut.

Dr. Boulos has a bachelor degree in general science from the Lebanese American University, as well as bachelor, master and doctorate degrees in civil engineering from the University of Kentucky, and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University. He resides in Colorado with his wife, Katya.

Vice President, Mott MacDonald

Omar Khan is a senior government and public affairs executive with more than 20 years of experience across both public and private sectors and political campaigns. With a proven track record managing budgets exceeding $48 million and teams of over 200, Khan excels in building coalitions and implementing effective engagement strategies across a diverse range of policy issues and campaigns.

Khan serves as the Senior Vice President for State and Local Government Affairs at WSP, one of the world’s leading global engineering and infrastructure firms, where he heads strategy, government relations, and political and civic engagement for the East Region of the U.S. Prior, he was the Executive Director of the Public Engagement Unit of New York City, where he led the unit, overseeing a $25 million budget and managing a team of more than 200 people. In this role, Khan served as Senior Advisor to City Hall, led the unit's COVID-19 response, and developed a nationally replicable model for data-driven outreach, increasing accessibility to government services.

Khan held several senior roles in the Obama Administration working on complex issues at the intersection of policy and politics, including serving as the Assistant United States Trade Representative for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement at the White House, Director of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations for the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, and Director of Public Engagement at the EPA. Khan is also a nationally recognized campaign operative, having held advisory roles in major Presidential, Gubernatorial and Mayoral campaigns, including both of Obama’s Presidential campaigns.

Omar Alrawi is a Construction Project Manager with STV Inc. Since started with STV, Omar has worked on various phases of multi-million/billion-dollar construction projects, including Health-Care sector in NYU Langone Medical Center, Commercial and Mixed use at the 1WTC of the World Trade Center Construction program, and Aviation sector at the LaGuardia Airport- Delta New Terminal C Project.

Omar is active in the reginal New York/New Jersey Chapter of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), serving as the Co-Chair for the Students Outreach Committee, focusing on conducting scholarships award program for deserving students in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area to help them defray the costs of pursuing a degree in Construction Management or a related-degree program. He is also an active committee member in the STV Initiative for Professional Growth, whose objectives are to provide opportunities for young professionals to excel in their professional career and personal skills through varies events and activities inside and outside the company.

Omar Holds a Master degree in Architectural Engineering from Gulf University in Bahrain. He Also Holds a Master degree in Construction Engineering and Management from the Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics department at Columbia University in the city of New York. He is a CMIT certified and LEED General Associate.

Associate Professor Nora El-Gohary earned her B.Sc. (1999) and M.Sc. (2002) degrees from the American University in Cairo, both in Construction Engineering.  She earned her Ph.D. (2008) from the University of Toronto in Civil Engineering.  She joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in December 2009. Prior to joining the University of Illinois, she served on the faculty of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Manitoba as an Assistant Professor of Construction Engineering and Management. Her professional experience includes working for Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd, one of the largest construction and civil engineering companies.

Dr. El-Gohary has received several research awards including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant in 2009, the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2013, the Center of Advanced Study Fellow in 2015, the Excellence Faculty Fellow in Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2016, the Campus Distinguished Promotion Award in 2017, and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) Faculty Fellow in 2018. Her research has been sponsored by a number of agencies including the National Science Foundation, Illinois Center for Transportation, Illinois Department of Transportation, Qatar Foundation, and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

A member of CEE’s Construction Engineering and Management faculty, Dr. El-Gohary teaches two courses in Construction Engineering and Management: CEE 422 Construction Cost Analysis and CEE 528 Construction Data Modeling.

Dr. El-Gohary currently serves as the Chair of the ASCE’s Data Sensing and Analysis Committee and the Co-Chair of the TRB’s Information Systems in Construction Management Subcommittee. She is also an Associate Editor of the Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering. Dr. El-Gohary is a member of the TRB's Data and Information Systems Committee, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE).

Nivardo LopezNivardo Lopez serves as Principal Deputy Chief Program Officer for the Gateway Development Commission (GDC), which is the entity responsible for delivering the Hudson Tunnel Project. At GDC Nivardo oversees, Planning, Policy, Contracts, and Grants portfolio within the Program Office. Most recently, Nivardo served as Deputy Secretary for Transportation, having been named to the role by Governor Kathy Hochul in November of 2021. During his tenure he work on delivering Governor Hochul's ambitious transportation agenda, which included the $32 billion five-year NYS Department of Transportation Capital Program, the passing of the MTA financial stabilization package in 2023, and the upcoming launch of the first in the nation Congestion Pricing program. 

Before coming Deputy Secretary, Nivardo served as Bronx Borough Commissioner for the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT). In that role, he advised the Commissioner on all policy issues affecting transportation in the Bronx and worked with the various divisions within the agency to ensure effective service delivery in the Bronx. Mr. Lopez joined NYCDOT in 2014, as the Director of Legislative Affairs, responsible for developing the agency's legislative agenda. During his tenure he helped to secure the passage of a local law increasing the yearly amount of Accessible Pedestrians Signal installation and on State legislation expanding the Bus Lane Camera Enforcement Program. Mr. Lopez began his career in government working at the New York City Council, first for Bronx Councilman James Vacca and then as a Legislative Policy Analyst for the City Council's Committee on Transportation.

Nivardo is a longtime resident and native of the Bronx. He holds a B.A. in History from Saint Joseph's University and a M.A. in History from The City College of New York (CUNY).

Nicholas DeNichilo, PE, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mott MacDonald, North America.  He is responsible for the success and sustainability of the firm’s entire operation in North America. Mott MacDonald - North America is a $500 million business with 2,700 employees and is part of Mott MacDonald’s $2 billion global operations with 17,000 employees.  Nick serves as a member of the Mott MacDonald Executive Board. He brings technical expertise, with over 40 years of experience in the consulting field, an extensive network of relationships with key industry leaders and regulators.  Under his leadership, Mott MacDonald has more than quadrupled in size and has emerged as an important player in the premier league of North American consulting firms. 

An industry expert, Nick has authored and presented numerous technical papers, and hosted technical discussions at various industry events.  He also is active in many professional and trade organizations.  Nick is a licensed professional engineer in many states and the District of Columbia.  He is Vice Chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Industry Leaders Council, and is a past Chair of the New Jersey Section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA).  Mr. DeNichilo is a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Design Professional Coalition (DPC).  Mr. DeNichilo is also a member of the National Academy of Construction.  He is a member of the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Board of Overseers and past Chairman of the Newark College of Engineering Board of Visitors.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Innovation Institute.  He is also a member of the University of Rutgers, New Jersey Climate Adaptation Advisory Committee.  Mr. DeNichilo is also a Board member of the Villanova Career Compass Advisory Board. 

Nick has been honored to receive awards throughout his career, including ASCE’s Engineer of the Year Award in 1999.  In 2003 New Jersey Section of the American Water Works Association awarded Nick the George Warren Fuller Award for his distinguished professional volunteer service in the water field.  In 2005, the NJIT Alumni Association presented Nick with the Association’s Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award.  In 2014, ASCE awarded Nick the Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Award, which recognizes and honors outstanding civil engineering leaders whose lifetime achievements and accomplishments have made significant differences in the field of engineering management.  In 2015, ASCE awarded Nick the John I. Parcel – Leif J. Sverdrup Civil Engineering Management Award for becoming a widely respected national voice on behalf of safe engineering practices and the need for resilient infrastructure while guiding Mott MacDonald through an extraordinary period of growth and profitability as President and CEO.

Nick received his BSCE from Newark College of Engineering and his MSCE from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. 

Nick Dandolos, CCM, DBIA, PMP, ENV SP brings four decades of experience in the AEC industry. He currently serves as a Senior Vice President and the New York Area Manager in GFT’s construction services business line. In this role, he serves as a project executive for key clients and leverages his deep knowledge of the New York metropolitan area’s construction market to grow the firm’s construction services. His experience encompasses program, construction, and design management, including projects executed through alternative delivery methods such as construction manager/design-build, design-build and progressive design-build. Nick’s projects include work for private clients and publicly-funded work for local, state, and federal governments. He has remained a trusted partner to NYC agencies through his involvement in large-scale building improvement projects for the New York City School Construction Authority, New York City Housing Authority, and New York City Department of Design and Construction. 

Beyond his technical acumen, Nick is a steadfast advocate for diversity and inclusion within the workforce. His commitment to serving as an advisor to small businesses and fostering an inclusive environment is evident in his active engagement with the DBE, SBE and MWDBE community. Nick actively engages firms to provide meaningful partnering opportunities on projects. He has been instrumental in establishing outreach events and promoting dialogue around client processes, marketing strategies, resource management, and invoicing best practices.

Nick also values the importance of staying engaged in professional associations; in addition to his position on the Board of Advisors for Columbia University’s Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Spaces (CBIPS), Nick serves as a Board Member of ACEC NY, on the Board of Directors for CMAA - NY/NJ Chapter and the Board of Directors for the ACE Mentor Program of America - Greater NY Chapter.

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Nancy Agrawal is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. She received her B.Tech. undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujurat, India, conferred in 2019. Her prior experience includes work as an Application and Support Engineer at the MBCC Group and at BASF as well as an Assistant Surveyor for the Indian Institute of Technology. She has had internships at Manisha Construction in Ahmedabad and at Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon Pvt. Ltd. In addition, Nancy is the co-founder of The Mango Thought (Ek aam soch in Hindi), an initiative to listen to the challenges facing the general population and raise awareness through interaction with experts in multiple disciplines. At CBIPS her will focus on issues of green buildings, particularly in regard to trends and predictions about sustainability in the future. Her interest also extend to robotics.

Dr. Li serves as Associate Dean at the Department of Construction Management, School of Civil Engineering at Tsinghua University and is also the Director of the Institute of Sustainable Urbanization at Tsinghua. Dr. Li’s research focuses on understanding human-built interactions in the context of emergencies and disasters at both building and urban scales, using data-drive and informatics-oriented approaches. 

Dr. Li has authored over 90 academic papers, and currently serves as associate editor of the ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering and the ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering, and guest editor or editorial board member of several other leading journals. He is also a licensed engineering (PE) registered in California. Dr. Li graduated from the University of Southern California in 2014, where he received his PhD degree in civil engineering and Masters’ degrees in civil engineering and computer science. Before that he studied at Tsinghua University, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in construction management and a dual degree in economics in 2009.

Muqing Liu is currently a Senior Associate for real estate development, corporate M&A and infrastructure investment at Strategic Capital. He had worked as a consultant on transport projects for the World Bank from 2013 to 2014, covering various transport sub-sectors including highway, urban, and safe and green transport. He holds a PhD in Construction Management, a M.S. in Operations Research, and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from Columbia University in the city of New York and B.Eng. in Computer Engineering from Nankai University, China.

Professor Moonseo Park got into Department of Architecture of Seoul National University in 1985, completed the courses for a bachelor’s degree in 1989, and graduated master’s course for City Planning at SNU in 1992. In 1998-2001, he received master’s degree and doctor’s degree for Project Management in MIT. After graduation, he worked for the Dept. of Building in National University of Singapore as an assistant professor. Since 2005 he has been working as an associate professor at the Department of Architectural Engineering of Seoul National University, and as a director at LEAN construction research center. Currently, he is teaching about systematic approach for construction, knowledge-based construction etc. He received Honors and Awards : 2010 Best Lecturer of the Year Award, 2007 Best Professor of the Year Award in College of Engineering, SNU.

Mohammed Maseeh Ibrahim is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from PES University in Bangalore, India, conferred in 2019.

He has significant experience working as an intern at the Directorate of Urban Land Transport, Bangalore where he concentrated on development of public space by undertaking projects such as Feasibility of Public Bicycle Sharing system and improving level of service of intersections near metro stations to improve the accessibility of users. His internship at Starcom InfoTech Pvt Ltd focused on product development of their finite element analysis software NISA by performing analysis and design of structures. At CBIPS he will be participating in the research efforts pertaining to sustainable and pragmatic design of NYC parks which involves development of existing design to make it more economical so that the public funds can be used for other useful work. He will also work along Visualization and Data Analytics which involves use of information technology in Construction to make the process of construction more streamlined, safe, efficient and economical.

Mohammad H. Malik is Chief Operating Officer of M&J Engineering, D.P.C., where he provides executive leadership for complex transportation, infrastructure, and public-space projects across New York and the Northeast. With a career grounded in both field execution and firm-wide strategy, Mr. Malik has played a pivotal role in the delivery and oversight of major capital programs, including the $236+ million Queens Midtown Tunnel rehabilitation and multi-bridge reconstruction initiatives throughout New York State.

As a senior executive in the AEC industry, Mr. Malik is responsible for guiding organizational strategy, advancing operational excellence, strengthening safety and quality culture, and aligning technical delivery with long-term growth. His leadership integrates engineering rigor with real-world implementation—bridging design, construction management, QA/QC, and stakeholder coordination on projects that directly shape urban mobility, resilience, and public infrastructure.

Mr. Malik’s professional impact and civic leadership have been formally recognized across industry and government. He was named a 2025 Emerging Leader Under 30 by Long Island Business News, honored as a Top Chief Officer of Long Island by the Long Island Herald, and received an official Citation from the Nassau County Executive in recognition of his distinguished leadership, professional excellence, and dedicated service to the community.

Committed to mentorship, innovation, and the advancement of resilient infrastructure systems, Mr. Malik actively supports the development of emerging professionals and promotes people-centered approaches to infrastructure delivery. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Hofstra University and is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Design-Build Institute of America, the Construction Management Association of America, and the Society of American Military Engineers.

As an Advisor to Columbia University’s Center for Buildings, Infrastructure, and Public Space, Mr. Malik brings a practitioner’s perspective to interdisciplinary research, policy dialogue, and academic-industry collaboration—contributing insights grounded in large-scale infrastructure delivery, public-agency coordination, and the evolving role of the built environment in shaping equitable and resilient cities.

Mitchell Silver is currently a Principal and Vice President of Urban Planning at McAdams in North Carolina. He served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks from May 2014 until July 2021. Silver is also the current president of the American Institute of Certified Planners and past president of the American Planning Association (APA). Mitchell is an award-winning planner with over 35 years of experience. He is internationally recognized for his leadership in the planning profession and his contributions to contemporary planning issues. As Parks Commissioner, Mitchell oversaw management, planning and operations of nearly 30,000 acres of parkland, which includes parks, playgrounds, beaches, marinas, recreation centers, wilderness areas and other assets.

Prior to returning to his native New York City, he served as the Chief Planning & Development Officer and Planning Director for Raleigh, North Carolina. In Raleigh, he led the comprehensive plan update process and a rewriting of the development code to create a vibrant 21st century city. He was the Dunlop Lecturer in Housing and Urbanization at Harvard University, and in 2014 he was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Planning Association.

Mitchell received a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Hunter College in NYC.

Misha Mohan is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the master’s degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. She completed her undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Manipal University in Jaipur, India, conferred in June 2017.

She has significant experience working as a civil engineering intern in one of the most important high-rise building Project at L&T Realty, a real estate wing of Larsen & Toubro Ltd in Mumbai. Being an intern, she was exposed to various departments like Planning, Execution, Procurement & Billing etc., where she got the opportunity to utilize her skills in MS Project, Primavera and AutoCAD. She has worked on calculating the quantity of materials required on site and estimated time man hours and equipment required for completion of each activity for timely completion of project. She has experience on making a schedule and tracking of flats and completion of a tower, which familiarized me with the process of snagging and de-snagging. The most important learning that I gained is no matter what, priority should be to maintain high quality of materials and process used.

Currently, she is part of a research team at Columbia University where she is involved in analyzing the present status of affordable housing under the New York Housing Authority (NYCHA). The overall purpose of the project is to address infrastructure and safety related issues that persist in NYCHA developments and propose innovative, energy-efficient, cost-effective, low-maintenance and long-lasting housing solutions to improve the living conditions at NCYHA developments. She is performing research on the feasibility of elevators by comparing the cost of rehabilitation of existing elevators vs. installing new elevators.

Mindy is a social psychiatrist who explores the ties between environment and mental health. She received her bachelor’s degree from Bryn Mawr College and her MS and MD degrees from Columbia University. She completed residency at NY Hospital Westchester Division and Montefiore and is board certified in psychiatry.

With her colleagues at the Cities Research Group and the University of Orange, Mindy explores the consequences of social fracture for our society and our health and seeks ways to reconnect the broken parts. Prior to joining the New School full-time in 2016, Mindy taught at Columbia University and was a lecturer at Parsons. 

She has published numerous articles and six books including Main Street: How a City's Heart Connects Us All, From Enforcers to Guardians: A Public Health Primer on Ending Police Violence(with Hannah L. F. Cooper), Urban Alchemy: Restoring Joy in America's Sorted-Out Cities, Root Shock: How Tearing Up City Neighborhoods Hurts America and What We Can Do About It, and House of Joshua: Meditations on Family and Place.

Degrees Held: BA, Bryn Mawr College; MS, Columbia University; MD, Columbia University; Certificate in Landscape Design, New York Botanical Garden.

Professional Affiliation: American Psychiatric Association, American Public Health Association, American Institute of Architects (Honorary Member), NYC Chapter, American Institute of Architects (honorary Member).

Recent Publications: Mindy Thompson Fullilove, Main Street: How a City's Heart Connects Us All, New Village Press, NY, 2020.

Research Interests: Sources and consequences of inequality, with a focus on the American city.

Awards And Honors: Mindy has received many awards, including inclusion in many “Best Doctors” and two honorary doctorates (Chatham College, 1999, and Bank Street College of Education, 2002). She is an honorary member, American Institute of Architects, and an honorary member, NYC Chapter, Ameican Institute of Architects. 

Milo Riverso is the former chief executive officer and president of STV Group, Inc., one of the nation’s largest planning, design and construction management firms.  Mr. Riverso has more than 30 years of experience in the fields of program management, construction and design management.

Mr. Riverso joined STV in 2005 as senior vice president of its construction management division, eventually becoming president of the firm in 2009, and chief executive officer two years later. During his tenure, STV has grown geographically, taken on increasingly complex assignments, and has seen its revenue increase by more than 70 percent.

Mr. Riverso is former chairman of the New York Building Congress, and a special advisor to the New York City Post of the Society of American Military Engineers. He was recently elected to the prestigious National Academy of Construction, and was named a Fellow of the Construction Management Association of America. He is also currently serving on the Board of Advisors of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space (CBIPS) at Columbia University.

Recognized for his many contributions to the industry, he received Purdue University’s 2018 Distinguished Engineering Alumni/Alumnae Award as well as its 2015 Civil Engineering Alumnus Achievement Award; Manhattan College’s De La Salle Medal; the Subcontractors Trade Association’s Michael Mazzucca Lifetime Achievement Award and the New York Building Congress George A Fox Public Service Award, among others. He is also a member of Manhattan College’s Board of Trustees.

Earlier, Mr. Riverso served as the president and chief executive officer of the New York City School Construction Authority, where he supervised the agency's staff of 900 employees who were responsible for the planning, design and construction of capital improvements and new construction of the city’s public schools.

Mr. Riverso earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Manhattan College, and his master's and doctorate degrees from Purdue University. He is a registered professional engineer in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Michigan.

Michael S. Zetlin is a co-founder of Zetlin & De Chiara LLP, a New York-based construction law firm that provides sophisticated legal representation and business counsel to owners, developers, design professionals and contractors in all aspects of their complex construction projects, from contracts through dispute resolution.

For over two decades, he has served as General Counsel to the New York Building Congress.  He also serves as General Counsel to the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Mr. Zetlin is a fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers and a member of the National Academy of Construction. A writer and lecturer, he is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, teaching the graduate program “Legal Issues in Building Construction.”  He is the co-editor of New York Construction Law, the definitive treatise on construction law in New York.  He is also an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association Construction Industry Panel.

In addition to serving on the board of the NYBC, he serves on the boards of Pratt Institute and Columbia University’s Industry Advisory Committee of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space. He is a member of the YMCA of Greater Nw York’s Development Committee and Annual Campaign Leadership Council and Lincoln Center’s Real Estate & Construction Council. He is also a past board member of the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Construction Industry.

Mr. Zetlin holds the notable AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, a respected guide to the legal profession. Best Lawyers in America named him a 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” for his expertise in New York construction matters.

He earned his J.D.  from Fordham University School of Law and a B.S in Civil Engineering from Columbia University.

Melanie E. La Rocca is Chief Operating Officer of BFC Partners, a full-service developer with expertise in mixed-use and mixed-income developments. At BFC she is responsible for overseeing the firm's workflow, strategy and organization of all essential business processes. She also works closely with the executive team to set and meet business objectives.

She previously served the Chief Efficiency Officer of the City of New York, having been named to that role by Mayor Eric Adams in March of 2022. Previously she served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings, where she regulated and promoted the safe and lawful use of nearly 1.1 million buildings and more than 45,000 active construction sites. As Commissioner, Melanie furthered the agency’s efforts to create a culture of safety on construction sites and enforce laws to protect all New York City residents, workers, and visitors. Under her leadership, the agency redoubled its modernization efforts, improving response times, bringing clarity and consistency to agency operations, and insisting on the highest standards of integrity, both in the construction industry and within the Department.

Before becoming DOB Commissioner, La Rocca was Vice President of Development and External Affairs at the School Construction Authority (SCA), where she oversaw the Authority’s Real Estate Group and worked with communities throughout the city to create new schools for the city’s children. As part of this work, Melanie played a key role in implementing Mayor de Blasio’s Universal Pre-K program. And prior to joining SCA, Commissioner La Rocca served as Chief of Staff to Christine C. Quinn, former Speaker of the New York City Council, and was a member of Queens Community Board 1.

She received her bachelor’s degree from Fordham University. La Rocca is a native New Yorker and a lifelong Queens resident.

Mark Gardner as Principal has led many of the firm’s design initiatives and works to best understand the role of design as a social practice. Gardner takes a serious interest in the nexus of architecture and art, one of long-standing importance to both his professional practice and to his writings. He is committed to practicing architecture as a socially beneficial art form.

EDUCATION:
The University of Pennsylvania, Master of Architecture, 2000
Georgia Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Science, Architecture, 1992

TEACHING
Parsons New School of Design, 2017, Director of Master of Architecture Program
Parsons New School of Design, School of Constructed Environments, 2016, Assistant Professor
Parsons New School of Design, 2014-2015, Adjunct
University of Pennsylvania, 2007-2012, Adjunct

MEMBERSHIPS
National Organization of Minority Architects, New York Chapter, Advocacy Chair
Urban Design Forum, Fellow
Board of Overseers, University of Pennsylvania, School of Design
Advisory Board, MathMinds, 21st Century Schools Partnership
Van Alen Institute, Board of Trustees
AIANY Exhibition Committee, Member
Made in Brownsville, Board

Marilisa Stigliano is the Chief Operating Officer, Infrastructure Solutions at AtkinsRealis. She previously served the Vice President Project Support, Corporate Operations at STV Group. In that role, she is focused on improving successful delivery of projects and achievement of company performance goals, as well as identification and implementation of best practices in project management, reporting, and technical delivery. Prior to STV, Marilisa held several roles with AECOM, including Director of Operations for Metro New York,

She has experience across all infrastructure markets in regional and national roles, including Project and Program Manager, Operations Manager and Director of Operations. She is an Operational excellence enthusiast, envisioning and leading key initiatives to drive cross business unit collaboration, increase synergies, reduce inefficiency, and enable investments to achieve business growth.

Marilisa is an engaged member of the industry, leaving a mark as the founding co-chair of the Young Professionals Committee with the New York Building Congress and now serving on their board of directors. She is a passionate advocate for future generations, serving on the advisory board of the Columbia University Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space, and leading a first of its kind Practicum for their Construction Management students centered around Traditional and Agile Project Management methodologies.

Marilisa holds a bachelor in CIvil Engineering and a master's in Structural Engineering from La Sapienza, and a master's in Construction Engineering and Management from Columbia University. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Agile Practitioner (PMI-ACP) and DBIA (Design-Build Institute of America) designated professional.

In 2017, Ms. Stigliano was selected as one of ASCE’s New Faces of Engineering and represented AECOM at ASCE’s annual Outstanding Projects and Leaders Gala. In 2018, she was honored by Women Builders Council as one of the “Next Generation Women Builders” and by the Professional Women in Construction as one of its “Top 20 under 40 Women”; in 2019 she was honored by the New York Building Congress as one of the “Emerging leaders” of New York.

Marietta Alcover-Ramos is an assistant superintendent at the Moynihan Train Hall project ($1.6 Billion) for Skanska Building USA. She was selected to supervise skylight installation, a crucial milestone in the Moynihan Station Project, and manage on-site field labor force of all trades including demolition, concrete, and restoration. Previously, Marietta worked as a Senior Project Engineer at the Port Authority of NY & NJ World Trade Center Transportation Hub Project ($815 Million), where she contributed to the management of all architectural trades and rebar with project managers and general Superintendent. Marietta holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics from Columbia University, and is currently completing a Master of Business Administration specialized in Supply Chain Management & Global Sourcing, and Entrepreneurship & Innovation from New York University (Dec 2018).

Dr. Maria Feng is Renwick Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics and Director of Sensing, Monitoring and Robotics Technology (SMaRT) Laboratory, Columbia University.  Dr. Feng’s research is on the forefront of multidisciplinary science and engineering in sensors, structural dynamics and health monitoring, smart structure and system control for civil infrastructure applications, with an emphasis on structural safety and system resilience against natural and man-made hazards.  She has made a number of original contributions to the state-of-the-art in both academic research and engineering practice through the development of novel fiber optic dynamic sensors, vision-based remote sensors, microwave imaging technology, vibration-based system identification algorithms for damage assessment, as well as the friction-controllable sliding isolation system and mega-sub structures for wind and seismic hazard mitigation.  She is one of the pioneers to study seismic fragility of highway bridges and transportation networks.  Professor Feng has received numerous awards and recognitions including the CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation and the Collingwood Award, the Alfred Noble Prize, and the Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize, all from the American Society of Civil Engineers, of which she is also a Fellow. 

Mr. Díaz González is the President of STV's Transportation North Operating Group. He has over 29 years of experience as an operations and project executive, program manager, mergers and acquisitions lead, and business developer. His expertise ranges across multiple market sectors and delivery methods.  Key projects include the Redevelopment of Lincoln Center, the Expansion of the Javits Convention Center, the Gateway Program, and multiple projects in the Northeast Corridor. Before his current role Marcos led STV's National Centers of Excellence Buildings Group, and Advisory and Program Management businesses. Prior to joining STV Marcos had several leadership roles at a global engineering company and was the director of venue planning for NYC2012, New York City's pursuit of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Marcos was inducted into the National Academy of Construction in 2021. He is also an industry leader in civic engagement. Marcos is the Chair of the Board of the ACE Mentor Program of Greater New York. He is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn-based Gowanus Canal Conservancy. Marcos is also the Co-Chair of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University, where he is an Adjunct Professor. In 2023 he became an Advisory Board ember at the bipartisan Eno Center for Transportation in Washington DC.

Marcos was one of Engineering News-Record New York's inaugural Top 20 Under 40 awardees. He has received several civic and academic awards, including the ACE Mentor Program of Greater New York Board Service Award, and Trailblazer in Transportation from City & State New York. Marcos studied engineering in Spain, received an AS in mathematics from Foothill College, graduated with Honors and Distinction from Stanford University (Phi Beta Kappa), and has M.Arch. and MBA degrees from Yale University.

Luiz Carlos Pinto da Silva Filho, MSc, PhD

Full Professor - Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)

Dean of Engineering

Engineer of the Year – Public Sector (Engineering Society/RS, 2018)

Executive Coordinator of Porto Alegre Innovation Pact (PACTO ALEGRE)

Member of the executive committee of the ALLIANCE FOR INNOVATION UFRGS-PUCRS-UNISINOS

President of the Executive Council of Business Incubator Hestia

Board Member of RS State Agency for Research Funding (FAPERGS)

Board Member of ZENIT Scientific and Technological Park at UFRGS

Board Member of the Brazilian Concrete Institute (IBRACON)

Coordinator of CAPES-FULBRIGHT project on INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING EDUCATION at UFRGS

Luis Vidal is a Spanish architect and founder of luis vidal + architects, established in 2004. His most renowned and multi-awarded works include Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 in London (The Queens Terminal), Boston Logan International Airport Terminal E, the transformation of the New Colón Towers office building in Madrid, the Hospital Álvaro Cunqueiro in Vigo, and the Matta Sur Civic Center in Santiago de Chile.

He studied architecture at the University of Greenwich (UK), graduating with distinction in 1994. Vidal has been a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) since 1995 and is also a member of the College of Architects of Madrid (COAM) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in New York.

Vidal served as Project Director and Partner in Charge of Madrid-Barajas Terminal T4–T4S. He is the author of Heathrow Terminal 2, opened in 2014 and selected by Skytrax as the world’s best airport terminal. He also designed the new International Terminal E at Boston Logan Airport, completed in 2023 and recognized by Prix Versailles as one of the most beautiful airport terminals in the world, where he defined the terminal’s distinctive identity through the concept of the Boston Red façade and color strategy.

In the Dominican Republic, Vidal is currently leading major airport expansions at Las Américas International Airport (AILA) and Cibao International Airport, as well as the highly anticipated Centro León Cultural Center, involving the renovation of one of the oldest buildings in Santo Domingo’s historic district. The new Pittsburgh International Airport, developed by Gensler and HDR in association with luis vidal + architects, has recently opened, becoming a new regional landmark. Vidal was also the first Spanish architect to design a spaceport in Colorado’s Front Range in partnership with HDR. His collaborations include work with Renzo Piano on the Centro Botín in Santander. In 2009, luis vidal + architects, in collaboration with Richard Rogers, completed Campus Palmas Altas in Seville—the first LEED Platinum building in Europe—earning recognition from both the RIBA and the AIA UK Chapter, among others.

Vidal is currently developing major international projects, including Phase B of the New Terminal One at JFK Airport, the Loewe Center of Excellence in Madrid, the Expansion and Modernization of Barajas T4–T4S, and Shanghai Pudong Airport Terminal 3.

Luis M. Tormenta, P.E. is Principal Partner at Laland Baptiste, and a member of the firm's executive leadership team, working to advance the overall strategic grwoth plan of the firm and developing new busines lines to diversity the technical capabilities of the firm.

From June 2005 until November 2020, Mr. Tormenta served as President and CEO of the LiRo Group, a company providing in excess of $600 million annually in construction and engineering services nationally with over 950 employees. As CEO, he was responsible for the overall strategic direction and management of the company, with a focus on maintaining high quality service standards while increasing market share and expanding services nationally. His knowledge of the New York Metropolitan design and construction market was invaluable to many of LiRo’s clients.

A highly accomplished leader in the region’s design and construction industry, Mr. Tormenta has over three decades of experience, and has led many of New York City’s complex construction projects and the administration of several public capital programs. He was the founding Commissioner of the New York City Department of Design and Construction, serving as head of the agency from 1995 to 1999.

Professor Soibelman obtained his Bachelor and Masters Degrees from the Civil Engineering Department of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. He worked as a construction manager for 10 years before moving in 1993 to the US where he obtained in 1998 his PhD in Civil Engineering Systems from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

In 1998 he started as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. In 2004 he moved as an Associate Professor to the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and in 2008 was promoted to Professor. In January 2012 he joined the University of Southern California as the Chair of the Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

During the last 25 years he focused his research on advanced data acquisition, management, visualization, and mining for construction and operations of advanced infrastructure systems. He published over 150 books, books chapters, journal papers, conference articles, and reports and performed research with funding from NSF (NSF career award and several other NSF grants), NASA, DOE, US Army, NIST, IBM, Bosch, IDOT, RedZone Robotics among many others funding agencies. He is the former chief editor of the American Society of Civil Engineers Computing in Civil Engineering Journal. In 2010 he received the ASCE Computing in Civil Engineering Award, in 2011 he received the FIATECH Outstanding Researcher Celebration of Engineering & Technology Innovation, or CETI, Award, in 2013 he was elected an ASCE fellow, in 2015 he was selected by the Chinese Government as a 1,000 talent foreign scholar being appointed as a Chair professor at Tsinghua University,  in 2016 he was appointed as USC Viterbi Dean Professor, received the ASCE Construction Institute Construction Management Award, and  received the ASCE Richard R. Torrens Award in recognition of his contributions as chief editor of the ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering. In 2019 he was elected as a member of the US National Academy of Construction.

His areas of interest are: Use of information technology for economic development, information technology support for construction management, process integration during the development of large-scale engineering systems, information logistics, artificial intelligence, data mining, knowledge discovery, image reasoning, text mining, machine learning, advanced infrastructure systems, sensors, streaming data, and Multi-reasoning Mechanisms.

Lorraine Grillo serves as the First Deputy Mayor of the City of New York in the administration of Mayor Eric Adams. Grillo serves as senior advisor to Mayor Bill de Blasio for COVID recovery and as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Design and Construction from July 2018 until December 2021.

She began her career at the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) over 24 years ago as a Community Relations specialist. Over the years, she held a variety of positions within the agency including Director of Government and Community Relations, Senior Director of Real Estate Services and then Executive Director/Chief of Staff to the President.

In May of 2010, Lorraine took over as Acting President and CEO.  After successfully opening 26 new schools, at the time, the single most successful year in SCA history, she was appointed President and CEO.  In February 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio reappointed Lorraine to her position making her one of only two re-appointments from the prior administration and the longest serving SCA president.

Under her leadership, the SCA has successfully completed over 25 billion dollars of construction, producing over 75,000 new school seats and completing thousands of capital improvement projects in existing school buildings.  She has led the SCA in its effort to find new and innovative ways to address school overcrowding including developing strong public/private partnerships with major developers. She met the challenge of completing the replacement of PCB containing light fixtures in 760 schools within five years.  Her team was responsible for the reopening of 71 schools damaged by Hurricane Sandy in record time. In addition, in 2015, under her leadership, the SCA met the administration’s mandate opening 35 Universal PreK centers for the city’s four-year-old children in less than six months.  Now that work continues with the addition of the 3K for All initiative. Throughout her career, she continues to be a tireless advocate for the MWLBE community, maintaining the SCA’s reputation for the best MWBE program in NY State, and as a national model.

Mr. Lloyd Caldwell was appointed Director of Military Programs, United States Army Corps of Engineers, in September 2012. He is responsible for the execution of the Corps’ worldwide program for engineering, construction, real estate, and environmental activities in support of the Army, Air Force, other Department of Defense and Federal agencies, and foreign nations. Previously, he served as Chief of the Programs Integration Division, HQUSACE, including as the Corps’ leader for the Programs and Project Management Community of Practice for Military Programs.

Prior to coming to headquarters, from 2005 to 2010, he was the Director of Programs for the North Atlantic Division responsible for military, civil works, interagency and international programs throughout the northeast USA, Europe, Israel, and Africa. He led program execution with the Division's six District offices in Norfolk, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, New England, and Europe. The programs also encompassed national services including the National Planning Coastal Storm Damage Reduction Center of Expertise, the Army Residential Communities Initiative, and the Army's Enhanced Use Leasing Program.

From October 2007 to July 2008, Mr. Caldwell served as the Director of Programs for the Gulf Region Division in Baghdad, Iraq, where he supervised a joint staff from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. That $6.5 billion program provided engineering and construction for national infrastructure development for the Iraqi nation, and in support to coalition forces throughout Iraq.

Prior to entering the Senior Executive Service, Mr. Caldwell served in the Europe District, Wiesbaden, Germany, as Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management from 2001 through 2005. He was the Chief of Construction Division for the Baltimore District, and served as an Area Engineer in both Military and Civil Works. He has been responsible for major civil works, military, and environmental projects, as well as support to other agencies in the National Capital area, the mid Atlantic region, and throughout Europe and in Israel. He was also Chief of Emergency Management for Baltimore District leading emergency response in the mid Atlantic region and contingency response in Kosovo.

He is a Distinguished Military Graduate with a Bachelor of Building Construction degree from Auburn University and holds Master of Science in Civil Engineering and Master of Public Works degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Silver Order of the de Fleury Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, and the Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award. He is a member of the National Academy of Construction, and a Registered Professional Engineer in Virginia.

Lizzie Song is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. Her undergraduate degree was a B.E. in Structural Engineering from the Wuhan University of Technology in Wuhan, China, conferred in 2018. She was the Outstanding Engineer of Wuhan University awarded by CSCEC, the China State Construction Engineering Corporation. Recently she was selected as a Forbes Under 30 Scholar.

She has significant experience working as an intern at the Central-South Architectural Design Institute where she concentrated on project design. Her internship at the China State Construction Engineering Corporation focused on project management of the largest underground transportation commercial complex in Optical Valley, Wuhan.

Her research interests have centered on civil engineering materials, truss structure modifications, as well as fire hazard and auxiliary system design. At CBIPS she will be participating in the research efforts pertaining to the cyber security for infrastructure, as well as an analysis of investment issues of infrastructure maintenance and operations.

Xin (Lizzie) Song currently serves as Planning & Analysis Manager at STV  in New York City. She received her Masters degree in Civil Engineering from the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science where she was in the first class of Fellows of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure & Public Space. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors in Structural Engineering, was conferred by the Wuhan University of Technology. She heads the alumni association of CBIPS and has been working with Fellows of the CBIPS program since the Fall of 2024.

Lisette Camilo joined the MTA as Chief Administrative Officer in December 2021, where she oversees its people, procurement, information technology and real estate organizations. In January 2016, Camilo was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio as Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), the agency responsible for providing City agencies with essential services to aid them in their operations.  DCAS manages a broad range of areas including: all of the City’s real estate transactions, centralized procurement of large scale goods and services, the City’s fleet program, recruitment and training of the City’s workforce, administration of the City’s Civil Service system and EEO policies, as well as the City’s efforts to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from more than 4,000 city buildings. 

Camilo has a long history of public service. In April 2014, she was appointed as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS) and City Chief Procurement Officer by Mayor Bill de Blasio, where she ensured Mayoral agencies’ compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements related to the City’s procurement of billions of dollars of goods and services. Camilo began at MOCS in 2011 in the legal unit, and also served as its Acting General Counsel. Prior to MOCS, Camilo served as Legislative Counsel at the New York City Council for the Contracts, Juvenile Justice, and General Welfare Committees where she drafted legislation and coordinated oversight hearings. Previously, Camilo was an attorney practicing Immigration law at a private law firm. She began her legal career as Counsel for UNITE HERE Local 100, which represents hotel, restaurant, and commercial cafeteria food service workers. 

Born and raised in Washington Heights, Lisette Camilo is a graduate of Columbia College, Columbia University and George Washington University School of Law.

Lisa M. Black, Ph.D. is Director, Cultural Belonging and Social Ethos at the American Society of Civil Engineers, the nation’s oldest engineering society, representing more than 150,000 members. She has previously served at the ASCE as Senior Manager of Diversity and Inclusion at ASCE, where Dr. Black’s responsibilities include developing, monitoring and evaluating programs, activities and products aimed at promoting full participation of underrepresented groups in the civil engineering profession.

Through her work with ASCE’s National Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, she provides leadership in all matters of diversity and inclusion within the civil engineering community and implements programs designed to advance awareness and recognition of the civil engineering profession, with a special emphasis on promoting civil engineering as an inclusive discipline.

Prior to joining ASCE, Dr. Black held leadership roles in the public education sector where she served as Special Assistant to the Superintendent for Race and Equity in Madison Wisconsin and more recently as the Executive Director of Education and Training Programs for her husband’s company, KLB & Associates, Inc.

She holds a B.A. in Sociology from North Carolina State University and both graduate degrees, an M.S. in Social Work and Ph.D., were earned from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Kim Yao, AIA holds an undergraduate degree in architecture from Columbia College: Columbia University and a Master of Architecture from Princeton University. She is Adjunct Assistant Professor of Architecture at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, and has also taught at the School of Constructed Environments, Parsons the New School for Design, and Barnard College (2001-2011). She has lectured widely throughout the United States and abroad. She is on the Executive Committee and Board for AIA New York and the Center for Architecture as the 2020 President of AIA New York.

I lead a global network of specialist social inclusion and development consultants. We work with clients to help ensure their projects, infrastructure and services deliver more socially inclusive outcomes. We support development, service and policy design. We provide research, consultancy, assessment and advice for local, national and international clients in both the public and private sector. We have extensive experience in delivering stakeholder consultation and engagement activities and are, passionate about including communities, particularly those who are most vulnerable. Our work spans a range of sectors including health, transport, environment, energy, international development, buildings, equality, and diversity.

I have a passion for social inclusion and development. With nearly 20 years’ experience I have developed considerable technical and managerial expertise, built teams and driven growth. I have held positions in consultancy, the public sector and politics and worked across a variety of sectors, including health, transport and the environment. My professional priorities include making a positive difference in the communities we work in; exceeding our clients’ expectations; and building motivated teams to ensure growth, retention, and staff fulfilment.

Keping Sun, the deputy manager of science and Technology Department of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau. He is the master of Materials science, and he is qualifyed as senior engineer.

He graduated from Chongqing University majoring in inorganic nonmetallic materials in 2000. After that, he was engaged in concrete technology research and construction technology management work in China Construction Third Engineering Bureau. He has won 1 Hubei Provincial Technological Invention Award, 7 provincial and ministerial science and Technology Awards, 10 authorized invention patents and published more than 20 papers.

Kathryn A. Garcia serves as Director of State Operations for the State of New York. She previously served as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Sanitation, appointed in March 2014 by Mayor Bill de Blasio, DSNY is the world's largest municipal sanitation department and has 9,700 uniformed and civilian employees. Under her direction, the department keeps New York City healthy, safe and clean by collecting, recycling and disposing waste, cleaning streets and vacant lots, and clearing snow and ice. 

After her appointment as the 43^rd commissioner of DSNY, Kathryn set an ambitious long-term goal for New York City: contribute zero waste to landfills. To achieve this goal, DSNY has developed the nation’s largest curbside organic waste collection program, collected and properly recycled more than 15 million pounds of electronic waste, and launched DonateNYC to help New York City residents and businesses give goods, find goods, and do good.

A lifelong New Yorker, Kathryn launched her career as an intern at the Department of Sanitation. Before returning to the Department as Commissioner, she served as Chief Operating Officer at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, where she was responsible for the operation of the City’s water supply, water and sewer system, and wastewater treatment plants.

Garcia also previously served as interim chair and CEO of the New York City Housing Authority. In that role she focused on improving lead paint compliance, safety, and quality assurance, as well as long-term financial stability. On March 22, 2020, Garcia was named "food czar" for New York's emergency food program during the COVID-19 emergency response, tasked with ensuring that every New Yorker in need had access to food and securing the city's food supply.

Kathryn earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Kathleen Culhane has been President of Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) since November 2104 and with NEW since 2007.  Founded in 1978, NEW prepares, trains, and places women in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades. NEW graduates start their careers earning over $18/hour and by their third year they are earning $30/hour. NEW provides a pipeline of qualified workers to the industries that build, move, power, green, and maintain New York. NEW has placed thousands of women in careers in the construction, energy, transportation, and facilities maintenance industries. Kathleen leads the organization to meet ambitious programmatic and fundraising goals and is instrumental in the creation of many innovative programs. Most recently, under Kathleen’s direction, NEW worked with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York to increase the number of reserved slots in apprentice classes for NEW graduates by 50 percent. Prior to joining NEW, Kathleen Culhane spent numerous years immersed in housing and homelessness issues with community-based organizations in New York City. In addition to her recent appointment as Board Chair of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition, Kathleen is a New York Building Congress Council of Industry Women Co-Chair and a member of the Human Services Council of New York’s Priority and Strategy Council. Kathleen was a WorldTeach volunteer in Namibia, holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from The College of Wooster.

Kate Dunham is an urban designer, researcher and teacher with more than twenty years experience working in New York and Asia. She currently teaches a seminar at Columbia GSAPP and guest lectures on subjects related to urban housing and planning codes. Her courses offer an international perspective on urban planning and the opportunity to learn from different planning models from around the world.

Kate has worked in both the public and private sectors on a range of projects from the small-scale installation of landscaped bike lanes in Queens Plaza, NY to the planning of new urban districts all over China. In New York, in addition to her work with SOM and BH, she spent nine years at the NY Department of City Planning overseeing urban design for Long Island City projects including the 2006 LIC rezoning and numerous public space initiatives. In China, first with SOM and then Arup, she worked on a number of sustainability-driven master plans which lead to her particular interest in China’s planning codes and their impacts on China’s urban planning practices.

Kate has also led research projects in Asia and the USA. Since her design student days at Harvard GSD, she has always had an interest in looking at urban housing typologies that work at high densities. In the mid-1990s, with grants from Fulbright and the Harvard Druker Fellowship, she conducted research and analysis of different living patterns of non-family shared households in cities in Asia and the USA. While working in China, she initiated and led an Arup-funded project to research the impact of China’s residential planning codes on urban development patterns called Towards Sustainable Residential Development in China: Background on Urban Residential Development Practices in China Today (Arup DTF project, 2010).

Kartik Chandran is a global leader in sustainable wastewater treatment and engineered resource recovery.  Chandran’s work is enabled through understanding and harnessing the biochemical potential and metabolism of microbial communities and developing appropriate technologies towards addressing global environmental and societal needs.  

His research interests include engineered systems for resource recovery, microbial N- cycling, sustainable sanitation and wastewater treatment, global climate impacts of engineered wastewater treatment practice, microbial ecology of engineered biological waste and water treatment, reactors, novel molecular based biokinetic estimation tools, elucidation of microbial biochemical degradation pathways , bioprocess modeling and parameter identification for complex biotransformations.

His fundamental work has focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms and pathways of the microbial nitrogen cycle and its links to the global carbon, water and energy cycles. His applied work ranges from large-scale centralized wastewater treatment systems to community scale decentralized resource recovery systems and technologies across the globe. 

The key insight of Chandran’s research and applications thereof is that certain combinations of mixed microbial communities, similar to those that occur naturally, can be used to mitigate the harmful environmental impacts of wastewater and to extract useful products. This approach also involves reduced chemical and energy inputs relative to traditional treatments and has the added benefit of preventing algal blooms downstream by maximizing nitrogen removal. More recently, using ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, Chandran has enabled the transformation of bio-generated methane gas into methanol, a chemical that is both easily transported and widely useful in industry (including in the wastewater industry).

Chandran imaginatively tailors his solutions to be locally appropriate. In rural Ghana, in conjunction with his Engineers without Borders students, he has re-engineered source-separation toilets to both provide sanitation and recover nutrients for use in agriculture. In Kumasi, Ghana, he has tested the large-scale conversion of sludge into biofuel while also providing new training opportunities for local engineers and managers. Through his groundbreaking research and its practical applications, Chandran is demonstrating the hidden value of wastewater, conserving vital resources, and protecting public health.

Chandran received his B.E. in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (formerly the University of Roorkee) in 1995 and his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Connecticut in 1999.  He received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 2015 and was named a Fellow of the Water Environment Federation in 2013.

Justin Garrett Moore is a transdisciplinary designer and urbanist and serves as the executive director of the Public Design Commission. He has extensive experience in architecture, urban design, and planning—from large-scale urban policies and projects to grassroots and community-based planning, design, and arts initiatives. At the Public Design Commission, his work focuses on prioritizing quality and excellence for the public realm and fostering accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in New York's public buildings, landscapes, and art. He is a member of the American Planning Association's AICP Commission, the Urban Design Forum, and the Black urbanist collective BlackSpace. Justin is an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and the Yale School of Architecture. His social enterprise, Urban Patch, focuses on sustainable development through social and environmental design projects in the United States and Rwanda. He holds a Bachelor of Design from the University of Florida and a Master of Architecture and a Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University.

Julio Tupayachi is currently Research Coordinator for the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space.

Mr. Gabriel is a Quality Assurance Manager for Skanska USA, a subsidiary of Skanska, one of the world-leading companies in construction and project development, and top green contractors. He has 11 years working in the construction industry as an Engineer and Manager skilled in Quality Assurance, Operational Efficiency, Performance Analysis, Market Research, and Alternative Project Delivery Coordination, including Design-Build and Public-Private Partnerships. He currently manages the Operational Efficiency of $1.7 Billion Moynihan Station Redevelopment Project (Phases 2 and 3).

Juan is a Mentor at the ACE NY Program for Team 27. Juan studied engineering in the Dominican Republic. He also graduated with Honors and Distinction from Columbia University with a Master of Science - MS focused in Construction Engineering and Management with concentrations in Entrepreneurship and Strategic Technological, and New York University with a Master of Science - MS focused in Urban Infrastructure Systems with concentrations in Infrastructure Planning and Asset Management from New York University.

Jose Ortiz, Jr. was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition in February 2018. An accomplished New York City nonprofit leader, Jose has spent his career building and overseeing programs and initiatives at premier social sector organizations across education, leadership, innovation and workforce development.

Immediately prior to joining NYCETC, Jose served as the Managing Director of External Affairs, Partnerships, and Business Development at Pursuit (formerly Coalition for Queens or C4Q), a Long Island City based workforce nonprofit that prepares underserved and underprivileged individuals without college degrees for software development jobs at some of the world’s most innovative companies. In this capacity, Jose led the development of partnerships with government, nonprofit and employer partners, along with fundraising and resource development. Prior to Pursuit, Jose spent more than a decade leading youth & family programs, leadership initiatives, and conferences at the 92nd Street Y (92Y), a world-class cultural and community center. While at 92Y, Jose was a founding member of the Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact which co-produced the annual Social Good Summit and 7 Days of Genius, and created the global day of philanthropy called Giving Tuesday.

Jose has testified before the United States Congress’ Joint Economic Committee (JEC) on the subject of “Connecting More People to Work”. Jose has been covered by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, City & State, the Gotham Gazette, and MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and has appeared on NY1’s “Inside City Hall” with Errol Louis and WBAI’s “Max & Murphy”. Jose was named to City & State’s 2019 Nonprofit Power 100. Jose serves as an advisor to 92Y’s Center for Arts Learning and Leadership, and currently sits on The Fund for Public Housing Advisory Council, Human Services Council of New York Priority Strategy Council, The NYC Workforce Field Building Hub Advisory Board, the Western Queen Tech Council, and the Regional Plan Association New York Committee. Jose also served on the Amazon HQ2 Community Advisory Council (CAC), and was recently appointed to NYC Mayor de Blasio’s Labor and Workforce Sector Advisory Council to inform the administration’s efforts to restart the economy and city life.

Dr. Jorge A. Vanegas graduated in 1979 with a degree in Architecture from the Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, South America. He is a registered Architect in Colombia. He pursued graduate studies in the Construction Engineering and Management Program (CEM) of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Stanford University, Stanford, California, graduating with a M.S. degree in 1985, and a Ph.D. degree in 1988. He is currently a tenured Professor in the Department of Architecture (ARCH) in CARC since January 2006, and in addition, he has an appointment as a Research Professor in the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) of the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) since September 2011. In July 2009, Dr. Vanegas began an appointment as Dean of the College of Architecture (CARC) at Texas A&M University (TAMU), having served as Interim Dean from August 2008 to July 2009. In July 2013, he was reappointed for a second term as Dean of CARC, and on in January 2017, he was reappointed for a third term. Dr. Vanegas served as the Director of the Center for Housing and Urban Development (CHUD) from January 2006 to February 2012, and was appointed as the Sandy and Bryan Mitchell Master Builder Endowed Chair in CARC from September 2008 to February 2012.

Before joining TAMU, Dr. Vanegas held academic appointments at Purdue University and at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). In August 1988, he joined Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, and from 1988 to 1993, he held an appointment as an Assistant Professor in the School of CE and the Division of CEM. Subsequently, in May 1993, he joined Georgia Tech with an appointment as an Associate Professor in CEM/CE, was granted tenure in 1996, held the Fred and Teresa Estrada Professorship in the College of Engineering (COE) from 1999 to 2005, and was promoted to Professor in 2005. From 1988 to 2005, Dr. Vanegas led and managed active research and education programs, for which he secured over $3.7 million in external funding for 51 research and education-related projects, from various funding sources from the public and private sectors.

John Gazioglu, CMIT, LEED AP BD+C is a project and program management consultant at Group PMX. He currently provides program management services to New York City Economic Development Corporation for a FEMA-funded capital program to repair and protect the City’s public hospitals damaged during Superstorm Sandy. He is experienced in the management of all aspects of a capital program, including design, construction, budget, schedule, procurement, project documentation, governance, and the implementation of management information systems. An advocate of sustainable practices in design and construction, Mr. Gazioglu is a LEED Accredited Professional and holds a master’s degree in Construction Engineering and Management from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Istanbul Technical University.

Joel Sanders, FAIA, is Principal of MIXdesign, a think tank and design consultancy with a team of recognized experts in different aspects of diversity that is dedicated to creating design solutions that make public building types like art museums, restrooms, and university campuses accessible and welcoming to people of different ages, genders, races, religions and abilities. MIXdesign projects include Stalled!, an AIA award-winning project for inclusive public restrooms that responds to national controversies surrounding transgender access to public toilets, as well as MIXmuseum, an initiative conducted with partner museums in NYC, New Haven, London, Stockholm, and Helsinki to generate a Toolkit of Design Recommendations and Prototypes that make the public spaces of museums accessible to diverse audiences.

MIXdesign is a division of JSA (Joel Sanders Architect), where Sanders also serves as Principal. JSA is an award-winning, LGBTBE-certified, full-service architecture and interior design firm specializing in arts, academic, and residential design. JSA brings more than 20 years of experience designing award-winning museum, gallery, and exhibition design projects, which have explored the relationship between embodied experience and social justice. JSA projects have been featured in international exhibitions and the permanent collections of MoMA, SF MoMA, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Carnegie Museum of Art. The firm has received numerous awards, including six New York Chapter AIA Design Awards, three New York State AIA Design Awards, three Interior Design Best of Year Awards, and two ALA / IIDA Library Interior Design Awards.

Sanders is Professor-in-Practice at Yale School of Architecture where he is the Director of the M.Arch II Program. Prior to joining Yale, he was an Assistant Professor at Princeton University and the Director of the Graduate Program at Parsons School of Design. Sanders received both a B.A. and an M.Arch. from Columbia University. Editor of STUD: Architectures of Masculinity and Groundwork: Between Landscape and Architecture, Sanders’s writings and practice have explored the complex relationship between culture and social space, looking at the impact that evolving cultural forces (such as gender identity and the body, technology and new media, and the nature/culture dualism) have on the designed environment.

Jihad is a Senior Consultant within AECOM’s Program Cost Consultancy in New York City. His current work encompasses new infrastructure and healthcare projects as well as existing real estate. Jihad co-leads the building of program frameworks based on PMI standards and tailors them to address a Client’s unique requirements, organization and processes. The frameworks materialize the efficiencies of managing interdependent projects under one program and are executed using project management software. In parallel, he also provides as-built construction cost analysis and audit services for corporate real estate assets to realize tax capitalization opportunities for Clients. Currently, Jihad is also the Course Leader for the Construction Project Management certificate course provided by Emeritus Institute of Management which teaches important concepts in managing a construction project such as project planning and project scheduling. The course is aimed at those who want to become project or construction managers. Before relocating to the USA, Jihad served as a Senior Mechanical Engineer at the PMO of the CCC group in Athens, Greece. In that role, he managed the development of proposals for infrastructure projects and established a strong working relationship with clients, JV partners, and design consultants throughout the Middle East and Europe. In 2010-2011, Jihad directed the mechanical scope for the construction of 7 medical, LEED certified buildings with a built-up area of 1.7M square feet in Riyadh, KSA. In that capacity, he managed a group of 14 subcontractors overseeing 350+ engineers and workers and filled the role of day-to-day consultant liaison for design and construction management progress.

Jihad has a master degree in civil engineering with a concentration in construction engineering and management from Columbia University in the City of New York and a bachelor degree in mechanical engineering from The American University of Beirut. He is a certified PMP, LEED AP® BD+C, RMP, and LSS Green Belt.

Jieyu Wan is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. She has successfully completed an undergraduate program in Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, China. And she was hereby awarded a B.M. degree in Project Management in 2019. She has achieved Comprehensive Development Scholarship and Academic Merit Scholarship during undergraduate period. What’s more, she won Second prize in group division and Individual second prize at National Project Management Competition.

She worked as an intern at Corporate Appraisal and Advisory Department, Jones Lang LaSalle. There she paid a lot of attention to project management and participated in a lot of real projects such as Metro, GLP, and PICC. Another meaningful internship focused on risk management is working at BOCOM International (Shanghai) Equity Investment Management Co., Ltd. 

She has a lot of passion in the area of civil engineering, and her research interests center on project management, carbon emission, big data analysis. At CBIPS she will make every effort to participate in projects related to historic house trust, visualization, and data analytics. With the cutting-edge methods and technologies learned from CBIPS, she will definitely grow to be more creative and competitive.

Jenny Zhang is a Cost Manager within AECOM’s Program Cost Consultancy in New York City. She is specializing in cost management for healthcare, education, real estate, and infrastructure projects. Since joined AECOM in 2020, she has been worked for various multi-million projects, such as Princeton University, Staten Island University Hospital, Northwell Health Lenox Hill Hospital and AECOM Real Estate service in America. She also participated in the project management team for the development of three alternative hospital sites at Rhode Island to meet the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, she is working within the project control team for the NYPA Waterway Infrastructure Improvement Program.

Before joining AECOM, Jenny was leading the cost estimating team of SBI Consultants, Inc., providing support to the advisory, leadership and technical solutions on healthcare, residential and multi-use projects in the New York City Metro area. In that role, she managed the cost for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Rockefeller University, and Mount Sinai Hospital.

Ms. Zhang holds a master’s degree in construction engineering and management from Columbia University in the City of New York, and a bachelor’s degree in Building Environment and Equipment Engineering from Nanjing Tech University. She also has strong interest in data analysis. 

Janice Lee is currently working on the LaGuardia Airport Redevelopment Program overseeing the New Terminal C Project. Her responsibilities include design and construction coordination but also heavily involve commercial and legal negotiations. Prior to LGA, Janice worked onsite at the Fulton Center which opened to the public in 2014. Born and raised in New Jersey, she enjoys working on public infrastructure projects in the region.

Janice majored in structural engineering at Princeton University for her undergraduate studies and received her master’s degree in construction management from Columbia University.

After serving as editor-in-chief for 20 years, Jan Tuchman now leads content development for Engineering News-Record's wide-ranging series of live and virtual events.As editor-in-chief, Janice L. Tuchman led the editorial team creating content for the Engineering News-Record enterprise—online, in print and at live events. She is active in many construction organizations and has developed a broad network of industry sources who help keep ENR on top of the latest trends and innovations. She has traveled the world to visit outstanding projects and speak to groups and universities.

Tuchman serves on the National Research Council’s Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment, chairs the Industry Leaders Council of the American Society of Civil Engineers and serves on the board of the nonprofit Bridges to Prosperity. She is a member of the National Academy of Construction, The Moles and the industry advisory committee of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University. She serves as Co-Chair of the Industry Leaders Council of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In 2014, she won the Beaver’s “Service & Supply” Award for outstanding achievement in engineering construction as well as the Carroll H. Dunn Award from the Construction Industry Institute for “outstanding contributions to improving the cost effectiveness of the United States construction industry.”

She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Jamie Torres-Springer joined the MTA in 2021 as President of MTA Construction & Development. He is responsible for better, faster and cheaper delivery of the MTA's $55 billion capital plan through innovative management of construction work for subways, buses, commuter railroads, bridges and tunnels.

Prior to joining the MTA, Mr. Torres-Springer served as Commissioner of New York City's Department of Design and Construction (DDC), the agency responsible for delivering infrastructure and facilities across New York City government. He led development and implementation of DDC's Strategic Blueprint for Construction Excellence, a comprehensive plan to streamline capital project delivery, and had a leading role in several programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York City's adaptation to climate change, and reform of the criminal justice system.

Prior to DDC, he led a national planning practice working on urban infrastructure, open space, and citywide strategic plans for inclusive growth and sustainability.

Jim Starace is a Vice President and Project Director at HNTB. The HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure firm serving public and private owners and contractors.  The company works to deliver innovative transportation systems and infrastructure solutions that connect peope and expand opportunity.

He previously served as the Chief Engineer and the Director of Engineering for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  Over a 37 year career at the Port Authority, Mr. Starace was responsible for the Engineering Department’s services that include design, structural integrity, construction and quality assurance to support the Port Authority’s Capital and Operating programs.  The programs involve major projects at the Port Authority facilities, which include airports; tunnels, bridges and terminals; ports; and the PATH rail system.

Mr. Starace’s Port Authority career spans over three decades and includes assignments in an increasing capacity to his current position, which he assumed in August 2015.  Assignments have included overseeing various PATH and Tunnels and Bridges projects, the Resident Engineer for the construction of the Newark Liberty International Airport International Arrivals Building, Resident Engineer for LaGuardia Airport, Engineer of Construction for the AirTrain Terminal at Jamaica Station and New Jersey Airports, Manager of the Construction Management Division and Deputy Chief Engineer. He received the ASCE Opal Award for Government in 2020.

Mr. Starace holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree from the State University of New York Maritime College, a Master of Engineering Degree from Stevens Institute of Technology and is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York and New Jersey.

Jaison George is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Spaces and is enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering and Management at Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. He did his Undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India which was conferred upon him in 2018. He went on to complete his Professional Civil CAD certification which made him proficient in Primavera, Revit Architecture and MS Project.

In the final year of his undergraduate program, he worked on Dynamic Routing for Municipal Waste Collection, wherein he led his group to investigate problems in the waste collection system of Vellore. The goal of his team was to propose a more efficient and robust method for the same using ArcGIS to increase the reliability of the system.

He gained noteworthy experience working as a trainee engineer at RRC Ventures pvt. Ltd where he worked on site for a 25 storey residential building. The project was a part of the real estate project by Hiranandani Developers in Mumbai. His internship at Vijay Suraksha Realty focused on executing RCC foundation work and performing quality control checks on site alongside supervising successful water proofing of the foundation of the building. These experiences provided him the chance to gain practical knowledge on site about workforce planning and project management.

His research interests are centered on improving efficiency in the construction industry employing the lean construction approach and various project delivery methods. At CBIPS, he is to participate in the Washington Heights Research Group wherein, the participants will be working on highlighting the significance of old cultural neighbourhoods in these modern times, and propose renovations while preserving their heritage along with keeping their rich cultural and social values intact.

Haonan Yang is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Civil Engineering with a concentration in Structural Engineering from University of Science & Technology, Beijing, conferred in June, 2019.

He has first intern experience in China Railway Engineering Cooperation and his second intern experience in Beijing Urban Construction Group. In both two intern experiences, he did construction management works, such as created a construction schedule collaboratively with the project manager and adjusted the estimated cost of the main structure of the subway excavation with the budgeter. He also has a solid background in Building Information Modeling (BIM), for instance, modeled a multiple function building, including architecture, structure, and MEP parts with Revit.

His research interests and experiences have centered on machine learning’s application in civil engineering and green building design based on BIM.  At CBIPS, he is in the data visualization group, and his research topic will focus on predicting water quality parameters and detecting water quality anomaly based on machine learning.

Haihang Gui is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering $ Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate dregree was a B.S in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, conferred in September, conferred in 2018.

He has significant experience working as an assistant traffic engineer intern at the Chongqing Highway Co.ltd where he foused on the Wulong Highway project in Chongqing. His major responsiblities are documenting the conference materials about the sercurity issues and potential Bridge Highway strutcural design changes and understanding the process of each constrcution techniques such as building piers, paving the bridge and tunneling.

His research interest included the feasibility of construction plans in housing and other infrastructures. At CBIPS he will be participating in the research efforts pertaining to technical analysis of infrastructure maintenance and operations.

Greta Zornes is CDM Smith’s Practice Leader for Water Reuse and Industrial Treatment. She completed her PhD at the Tulane School of Public health and has over 20 years of experience in municipal and industrial water treatment and reuse. Greta spent 3 years in Australia working on the planning, design and commissioning of reuse facilities and is a past Board member of the WateReuse Research Foundation and the Australian WateReuse Association.

Mr. Switzer founded SWITZER Architecture, P.C., a full-service architectural practice with emphasis on design and the management of the design process in 2003 as a response to the ever-changing architecture and interiors marketplace, in an effort to provide design conscious projects with the highest level of attention to detail and cost. He is responsible for day-to-day firm-wide operations as Managing Principal and CEO. Mr. Switzer’s extensive and unparalleled experience in multiple project situations allows him to work with clients and project teams to establish and maintain overall project direction with clarity and focused direction. 
 
Firm projects encompass the perfect balance between creative thought and the leveraged use of technology with a true sensitivity and appreciation of process and their effects on the built environment. Committed to guiding clients through the often - tedious tasks of organization and understanding the impact of the built environment with respect to their unique projects. He believes every client’s unique needs are always addressed during the firm’s true hands on process of implementation.
 
Mr. Switzer is licensed in 16 states and is involved in numerous organizations which include the American Institute of Architects as well as and his local Planning Board. In addition to his in-house experience, he has extended experience with several notable architectural and design firms totaling more than 30 years of hands on practical knowledge.
 
He received his Bachelor Degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York and a Bachelors of Interior Design from Louisiana State University. He was also a research fellow at Cornell University, a participant in the Affordable Housing Institute at the Harvard GSD and has authored several sections of various books and publications with his most recent contribution to the Interior Design Handbook of Professional Practice.
 
Mr. Switzer also received recognition in The Network Journal’s 40 Under 40 list, has lectured on master facilities planning for the American Management Association and recently received a Best for New York City Honorary Award.

Gregory Switzer is Chief Executive Officer and Managing Principal of G. Switzer Architecture PC (GSAPC). He is the 2021-22 President of nycoba|NOMA, a professional design association aimed at promoting the work, contributions, and participation of minorities in the fields of design and architecture. Through professional and educational programming nycoba|NOMA hopes to encourage dialogues and policy that will enact a larger move towards greater diversity and inclusion in the profession.

Mr. Switzer is also 2023 President-Elect of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. For 160 years, AIA New York has provided distinction, leadership, and innovation to the architectural profession, symbolizing not only the highest standards in the work of its members but the leading edge of the planning, zoning, and social concerns of fellow architects throughout the United States.

Mr. Switzer founded Switzer Architecture, P.C., a full-service architectural practice with emphasis on design and the management of the design process in 2003 as a response to the ever-changing architecture and interiors marketplace, in an effort to provide design conscious projects with the highest level of attention to detail and cost.  He is responsible for day-to-day firm-wide operations as Managing Principal and CEO.   Mr. Switzer’s extensive and unparalleled experience in multiple project situations allows him to work with clients and project teams to establish and maintain overall project direction with clarity and focused direction. Firm projects encompass the perfect balance between creative thought and the leveraged use of technology with a true sensitivity and appreciation of process and their effects on the built environment.  Committed to guiding clients through the often - tedious tasks of organization and understanding the impact of the built environment with respect to their unique projects.  He believes every client’s unique needs are always addressed during the firm’s true hands on process of implementation.

Mr. Switzer is licensed in 16 states and is involved in numerous organizations which include the American Institute of Architects as well as and his local Planning Board. In addition to his in-house experience, he has extended experience with several notable architectural and design firms totaling more than 30 years of hands-on practical knowledge.

He received his bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York and a Bachelor’s of Interior Design from Louisiana State University.  He was also a research fellow at Cornell University, a participant in the Affordable Housing Institute at the Harvard GSD and has authored several sections of various books and publications with his most recent contribution to the Interior Design Handbook of Professional Practice.

Mr. Switzer also received recognition in The Network Journal’s 40 Under 40 list, has lectured on master facilities planning for the American Management Association and recently received a Best for New York City Honorary Award.

As the chief executive officer of STV, Greg is responsible for overseeing the workforce of
more than 3,300 team members and guiding the firm toward achieving its short- and
long-term strategic goals with an emphasis on performance, business development,
technology and human capital. STV is a leader in providing architectural, engineering,
planning, environmental and program and construction management services for
transportation systems, buildings, water and other infrastructure.

Greg has served in multiple chief executive roles for both private and publicly traded
organizations, including serving as a member of the global executive team and CEO of the
U.S. operation of one of the world’s leading professional services firms providing advisory,
planning, design, engineering and program and construction management services across
transport, property and buildings, water, energy and the environment sectors.

Greg is an experienced and outspoken industry leader and has been inducted into the
National Academy of Construction and the MOLES, two of the most prestigious organizations
in the industry. He currently serves on the boards of the Regional Plan Association and
Construction Industry Round Table and is the chair of the Temple University College of
Engineering Board of Visitors.

A lifelong mentor and steward of the industry, he is the current Chair of the New York
Building Congress and serves as a Trustee of the Citizens Budget Commission of NY. Greg
is former Chair of ACEC NY, the Salvadori Center and the Design Professionals Coalition
and he has also served as a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Buildings,
Infrastructure and Public Space (CBIPS) at Columbia University.

He has degrees from Temple University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology and is a
registered professional engineer in several states.

I am an Italian Engineer, I’ve born in Florence where I started my bachelor degree in civil engineering in which I had the chance to participate to an exchange program in Barcelona for an year. Once I finished my bachelor I started a master degree at Bologna University in structural engineering as it was the only one (at that time) that had a partnership with Columbia University which was my dream school. I complete my first year in Bologna and I got accepted from Columbia so I started my journey here in New York. It was during my study year at Columbia that I started to be interested in the CM word and I finally got a job at HNTB in the CM/PM department. I was doing a research (which is still in progress) with Professor T. Zoli (Bridge Designer Professor) who’s actually one of the principal of the company and it was thanks to him that I got this position.

Giacomo is a Deputy Project Manager with AECOM, where he focuses on project and program management services as well as project controls expertise in the transportation division. He undertook a dual master’s program with Columbia and Politecnico in Torino, Italy. Through which he earned a master’s degree in Structural Engineering and one Construction Engineering and Management.

He has significant experience working in the structural department of BuroHappold in London, where he analyzed the Riyadh Metro Station. He also worked at REAM, a real estate company in Torino. Giacomo served as an intern at Imperial College, also in London, where he analyzed petrol refinery efficiency. He is a co-founder of a startup enterprise called SlowUP affiliated with the largest Italian incubator, I3P.

Gia Biagi is an urban planner and designer with experience in the private and public sectors who was appointed Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) by Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot in December 2019. The Mayor charged Biagi with implementing a vision for a transportation system that prioritizes equity and mobility and works to lower the economic and environmental burden of transportation on residents and communities, especially for people in poverty and people with disabilities.

As Commissioner of CDOT, she oversees a department responsible for Chicago’s roadways and bridges, sidewalks and bike lanes, the citywide bike share system, traffic signals and signage, streetlights, the permitting of activities in the public right-of-way, and policies focused on complete streets, climate adaptation, and new mobility.

Before answering Mayor Lightfoot’s call to return to public service, Biagi was a Principal at Studio Gang Architects, one of Chicago and the world’s leading architecture and urban design firms. At Studio Gang, she developed and led the Urbanism + Civic Impact practice that specialized in urban design, planning and strategy. The work centered on how to move toward equity, mutuality and positive change in cities by working with a range of partners including community-based organizations, cultural institutions, developers, government, and other public and private groups and individuals.

Prior to joining Studio Gang, Biagi spent more than a decade in public service as a planner for the City of Chicago, with roles that included Chief of Staff for the Chicago Park District, as well as with the Department of Planning and Development. Much of her work for the City focused on neighborhood revitalization through planning, programs, policies and capital investments in our park and recreation system, a network that touches nearly every corner of the City.

Biagi attended the University of Michigan for her Bachelor of Arts Degree and has a Master’s in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Gerald E. “Jerry” Buckwalter is the Chief Operating and Strategy Officer of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) where he is responsible for helping to shape the Society’s strategic direction and operational effectiveness. Among his key early responsibilities will be continued oversight of ASCE’s new Future World Vision project. He will also oversee several areas of internal operations, including finance and administration, engineering and lifelong learning, and human resources.

Buckwalter brings ore than 35 years of experience leading the development of strategies and solutions in multiple organizations with diverse missions.Most recently, he worked for Northrop Grumman, where he served in several capacities, including director of corporate strategy, information systems and business development, and as vice president of homeland security.

During his decades of experience working in the infrastructure sector, Buckwalter served in various appointed roles on the National Infrastructure Advisory Council under both Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. He is a member of the board of the Center for Public Policy Innovation and has also served on the board of the National Homeland Defense Foundation and the executive committee of Virginia’s Institute for Defense and Homeland Security.

Buckwalter has been a member of the ASCE Industry Leaders Council since 2009 and received the 2018 ASCE William H. Wisely American Civil Engineer Award.

George has 35 years of experience in the planning, design, and construction of facilities.  He presently serves as Chief Military Engineering Branch, US Army Corps of Engineers. Past assignments include Chief Engineer DC  METRO; Chief of Construction Baltimore District,  Director Engineering and Construction Group Pentagon Renovation and Chief Engineer US Navy Public Works Department Naples Italy. Served as a Navy Pilot.

Education includes Master of Science Secondary Education Old Dominion University, Masters Certificate in Leadership Darden Business School, University of Virginia; Civil Engineering Bucknell University.

George was inducted into the National Academy of Construction, class of 2017; awards include Department of the Army Meritorious Civilian Service Award; US Navy Superior Civilian Service Award, Construction Management Association of America’s Person of the Year.

Gauri Patil is a fellow for the Centre for Building, Infrastructure and Public Spaces. She is currently enrolled for the Masters in Construction Engineering Management degree at Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering. She has received an undergraduate Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Mumbai in April 2019. During her undergraduate degree, she worked as an architecture intern, where her duties involved but were not limited to preparing working drawings, municipal drawings, project feasibility reports, and 3D visualization, calculated area statement and assisted in preparing project bids. She also had the opportunity to work on a Slum Rehabilitation housing project in Mumbai, under Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai as a part of her curriculum. For her undergraduate dissertation, Gauri has successfully defended her thesis on Sustainable Design and Construction in the Hospitality industry. Her research interests focus on Lean construction, sustainability, and technology in construction. At CBIPS, she will be participating in research pertaining to the creation of a 2030 District in Washington Heights.

Feniosky Peña-Mora is the Edwin Howard Armstrong Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering, and Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University. He also directs the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia.

From 2014 to 2017, he was on a public service leave serving in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration as Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Design and Construction (DDC). There, he was responsible for over 1,200 projects valued in excess of $15 billion, undertaken by more than 1,400 workers and 1,320 consultants. Under his leadership, more than 860 construction projects, valued at more than $9 billion, started or completed. The agency also committed more than $5.4 billion in new contracts by improving the capital project procurement process. The agency received more than 80 design and professional awards. Each one of these accomplishments was a record for DDC.

Prior to his public service leave at DDC, he was the Dean of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor of Engineering at Columbia University. In this post, he was responsible for setting the school’s strategic direction and managing its operation and growth to over $400 million in endowments, a $200 million annual operating budget, 4,500 students, and 400 staff and faculty members.

He has also served as Associate Provost and the Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Endowed Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In this position, Prof. Peña-Mora led the university’s Interdisciplinary, Diversity, and Entrepreneurial Initiatives.

He started his career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was co-director of the MIT Intelligent Engineering Systems Laboratory, and the Gilbert W. Winslow Career Development Professor.

Prof. Peña-Mora is the author or co-author of more than 220 scholarly publications, and holds six patents and one provisional patent. His multiple awards include: the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE); the National Science Foundation CAREER Award; the Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize of the American Society of Civil Engineers; the ASCE Computing in Civil Engineering Award; and the ASCE Construction Management Award. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Buildings (CIOB) as well as an elected member of the Dominican Republic Academy of Sciences, and the United States National Academy of Construction. He earned his Master of Science and Doctor of Science degrees in Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Fanny Wu is an engineering specialist with STV currently working as a consultant project manager for Metro North. She is overseeing the replacement of a station shelter and the construction of a high-level platform station. Her responsibilities as a project manager include overseeing the design, procurement and construction of these projects as well as coordinating internally and externally among agencies, project controls and upholding the Metro North standards. Previously, she worked in project controls for projects such as the LIRR Third Track, the Holland Tunnel Flood Mitigation and Improvements as well as the Port Authority Bus Terminal Replacement projects.

She holds a Civil Engineering degree from the Pennsylvania State University and a master’s in Construction Management from Columbia University.

Erica Avrami, Ph.D., is the James Marston Fitch Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation at Columbia GSAPP. A preservationist and planner, Avrami also directs the Urban Heritage, Sustainability, and Social Inclusion initiative, and co-directs the Adapting the Existing Built Environment Earth Network. Avrami challenges students to approach preservation as a process of co-learning and co-creating knowledge, engaging multiple publics and disciplines to investigate complex social-spatial histories and navigate the stories and values ascribed to places.

Her research and teaching extend the heritage enterprise beyond a practice focused on sites and building, exploring preservation as a form of public policy that functions across geographic scales and diverse demographics. She interrogates the intentions, processes, and outcomes of preservation in relation to social justice and the climate crisis, and seeks to transition heritage tools and preservation policies toward equity, resilience, and decarbonization.

Avrami has published a number of volumes, articles, and professional reports, including Preservation, Sustainability, and Equity (2021), Preservation and Social Inclusion (2020), Preservation and the New Data Landscape (2020), Values in Heritage Management (2019). She has critically examined preservation policy using New York City as a didactic lens in her co-authored studies Energy and Historic Buildings: Toward Evidence-based Policy Reform and Confronting Exclusion: Redefining the Intended Outcomes of Historic Preservation.

Avrami joined GSAPP as full-time faculty in 2014, having formerly served as the Director of Research and Education for World Monuments Fund and a Project Specialist at the Getty Conservation Institute. She earned her B.A. in Architecture and M.S. in Historic Preservation, both at Columbia. She completed her Ph.D. in planning and public policy from Rutgers University, where her doctoral research focused on the intersection of historic preservation and sustainability planning. She has also taught in the preservation programs at the University of Pennsylvania and Pratt Institute. Avrami was a Trustee and Secretary of the US Committee of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (US/ICOMOS), and she currently serves on the editorial advisory board of the journals Future Anterior and Change Over Time.

Eric Macfarlane, P.E., M.ASCE, is the Deputy Commissioner for Infrastructure of the Department of Design and Construction of New York City. He currently oversees approximately 539 active projects and over 500 employees, including engineers, architects, CADD operators and construction professionals.

Mr. Macfarlane directs a division with a five-year capital plan portfolio of over 539 design and construction projects estimated at $10.4 billion, and manages a technical staff numbering over 500 employees. This includes management of over 149 active construction projects citywide with a combined bid value of over $3.8 billion. Macfarlane’s team is responsible for the design and construction of roadway, sewer, water main, and sidewalk projects in all five boroughs of New York City. As Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Macfarlane works particularly with DDC’s key infrastructure sponsor agencies, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, and the NYC Department of Transportation. Additional projects include bike lanes, pedestrian bridges, Select Bus Service, step streets, retaining walls, plazas, and other major infrastructure initiatives such as East Side Coastal Resilience, Times Square and Columbus Circle. Mr. Macfarlane introduced innovative trenchless technologies to reduce disruption to commercial activities and community residents.

Mr. Macfarlane is a licensed engineer in New York and received his M.S. in Civil Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York (NYU Tandon School of Eng). He received a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the City College of New York. He worked at private sector consulting firms and for Con Edison before joining the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which in 1996 became an integral founding component of the NYC DDC.

Eric C, Betz is Vice President | Multi-Discipline Engineering and Consulting at French & Parrello Associates, specializing in the water and wastewater sector. FPA is a well-established (2024 marks their 50th anniversary), technically savvy, privately-owned, diverse consulting firm with core expertise in geotechnical, environmental, structural, transportation, building systems inclusive of MEP, water resources and dams, and telecommunications. The firm is also proficient in survey/scanning, GIS systems, construction phase services (RE/RI/CI), and it owns and operates a certified/accredited materials testing laboratory for soil, asphalt, and concrete, located at the company headquarters in Wall Township, New Jersey. In addition to the HQ in Wall, FPA has regional offices in Newark, Hackettstown and Camden, as well as New York City, Bethlehem (PA) and Altanta (GA).

Previously he worked as a Senior Vice President and Development Manager for the US Northeast Region at Mott MacDonald, based in Iselin, New Jersey. He has been responsible for advising, planning, permitting, designing, and providing construction phase engineering services for numerous critical infrastructure improvement projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region that are in use today, benefiting the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

His technical background is in Civil and Environmental Engineering and three decades of project experience in the areas of water and transportation, as well as a variety of specialty project experience serving local, county and state governments, institutes for higher education, utility authorities, transportation authorities as well as private-sector clients.

He earned a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Rutgers University, and is a licensed Professional Engineer, Board Certified Environmental Engineer, and Certified Municipal Engineer, and he is active in numerous professional organizations. He is a Past President and Executive Board Member for the NJ Society of Municipal Engineers, serves on the Board of the Jersey Shore Partnership, Rutgers University's School of Engineering CEE Industry Board, and Columbia University's School of Engineering's CBIPS. He is also a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies in New Jersey and New York, serving on the Port Authority of NY & NJ Business Practices Committee.

Emre graduated from Columbia University in May 2018, earning an M.S. degree in Civil Engineering, with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Management. Prior to attending Columbia, he earned his B.S. degree from Bogazici University in Istanbul, where he majored in Civil Engineering and completed a study abroad program at the University of California. Throughout his studies, he has had a strong interest in civil infrastructure management, project delivery methods and project finance. His prior work experience includes internships at BBVA-Garanti Bank in Istanbul where he worked on energy project finance, and at Pragma Corporate Finance, also in Istanbul, where he interned as an Investment Banking Analyst. Upon graduating from Columbia, Emre joined Meridiam as an Analyst in their New York office, where he focuses on P3 infrastructure delivery in United States. 

Elizabeth Velez is the President of the Velez Organization, a second generation construction firm started in 1972 by her father, Andrew Velez. Ms. Velez has successfully earned a position as one of the integral principals of Velez Organization, as well as a supporter and leader of diversity and business issues facing the construction industry.

To her credit are hundreds of projects which have come to fruition under her direction, including over 600 units of housing made affordable by State and Federal grants in the Bronx and Harlem, and over two billion dollars of significant educational, healthcare and large-scale projects throughout New York City's five boroughs.

In addition to project involvement and corporate responsibilities, Ms. Velez is a staunch advocate for diversity in procurement and employment. She is a sought after speaker on construction industry issues, minority and women business development, and the diversification of corporate America, and the trades. She co-chaired a seminar on Women Entrepreneurship for the New York State Assembly, and the New York Construction News, Bronx Life, The Daily News, The Wall Street Journal, El Diario La Prensa, Hispanic Business, ENR and Crain’s New York Business have published interviews with Ms. Velez. She was interviewed by ABC television’s “Tiempo” show as an industry leader, and has appeared on several occasions on NY1; most recently on NY1's “Inside City Hall” to discuss the importance of effective NYS policies and budget.

Ms. Velez is Chair Emeritus of the New York Building Congress, and serves as Co-Chair of the NYC Mentorship Advisory Board, is a member of the diversity advisory boards for NYS Department of Transportation, NYC Small Business Services, NYC School Construction Authority, NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection, Chairs the Latino  Builders  Council and serves on the  Board(s)  of the  Association of  Minority Enterprises of  NY, ACE Mentor  NY, the NY Building Congress and the Women Builders Council. She is on the Board of Trustees of Boricua College. On the international front, Ms. Velez is Co-Chair of Iran 180 – an organization that advocates for human rights and the end of the threat of nuclear arms proliferation in Iran.

Ms. Velez was honored by the Professional Women in Construction at their “Meet the Construction Chiefs” event, was a panelist at ENR’s “Groundbreaking Women in Construction” event, and has participated in many discussions on the significance of diversity in the workplace alongside such distinguished panelists as the Rev. Al Sharpton. In April 2013, she was invited to the White House for a “Women  in  Transportation”  R o u n d t a b l e  Forum  with  Secretary  of  Transportation   LaHood, Secretary of Health and Human Services Sebelius and Senior Advisors to President Obama. A recognized advocate and spokesperson on diversity and construction industry issues, Ms. Velez was the keynote speaker at the launch of the Global Women’s Network for Skanska – one of the top ten construction and engineering firms in the world, and was a panelist at the Women Construction Owners and Executives 2013 “Women Build America” National Conference in Washington DC. Among her most memorable experiences in 2013 was participating in the ringing of the NASDAQ closing bell with the U.S. Hispanic Advocacy Association, and traveling to Israel on a JCRC-NY peace and education mission with other community leaders from New York.

Elisabeth Malsch is an expert in structural analysis and design, with specializations in investigative projects. She is proficient in static, dynamic, and nonlinear analysis and the evaluation of buildings, temporary structures, and mechanical systems under the effects of typical to extreme loads. In addition to serving on Thornton Tomasetti's board of directors and as co-leader of our Forensics practice, Elisabeth is a member of the leadership team that oversees the firm’s research and development program. As part of this initiative, she was one of the lead developers of Hummingbird Kinetics, a fluid harmonic damper for tall and supertall buildings that was based on NASA technology. Elisabeth is a frequent lecturer, speaking on topics that range from technical innovation to improving diversity in the field of engineering.

Elal Segev is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and is currently pursuing a combined Master's and Bachelor's in Civil Engineering at Northeastern University. She will be graduating in May of 2021. Elal gained internship experience volunteering in forest conservation in Madagascar and working with a water filtration company. She is passionate about conservation and sustainability. At CBIPS her research focused on the impacts of COVID-19 on the construction industry and how public space might change in ten years' time.

Doug is the President of Cosentini, internationally recognized in the design and construction industry because of his expertise as a mechanical engineer, his commitment to design innovation, and a long list of high-performance building projects designed by leading architects. His work in the area of LEED/sustainable design has involved design commissions from both corporate and government clients who have sought his assistance on the development of building systems that are energy efficient, ensure occupant comfort, and promote the preservation of the environment. Under his direction, Cosentini has engineered more than 50 projects that have received LEED certification, and more than 100 current projects that will achieve various levels of LEED certification.

Doug’s career spans more than 30 years and includes pioneering achievements such as the design of the first sustainable high-rise office building in Manhattan (4 Times Square) and the first LEED Gold residential high-rise in the country (The Solaire in New York City’s Battery Park City). He is also well-known for implementing underfloor air delivery systems at the first corporate headquarters in the US to incorporate this technology (Owens-Corning’s headquarters in Toledo, OH), as well as subsequent advances as seen in Goldman Sachs’ new headquarters in New York City and FedEx’s new headquarters in Memphis, TN. A significant current project is Shanghai Tower, which at 638 meters will be the tallest building in China.

Mr. Mass’s dedication to the education of future engineers and architects is evident in his service at Columbia University’s School of Architecture and at his alma mater, Brown University. He is also a committed lecturer who has spoken extensively on sustainable design and underfloor air system design at the US Department of State, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and ASHRAE. He has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University, is a registered engineer in 26 states and two Canadian provinces, and is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and serves on the board of the Salvadori Center.

Dongping Fang, Professor and Dean, School of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua Univ., Beijing 

Educational Background

• 1993             Kyushu Univ., Japan; Civil Engineering; D. Eng.
• 1992-1993   Iwate Univ., Japan; Civil Engineering; M. Eng.
• 1985-1988   Xi'an Jiaotong Univ., China; Structural Mechanics; M. Sc.
• 1981-1985   Xi'an Jiaotong Univ., China; Solid Mechanics; B. Sc.

Work Experience

• 2020-present   Dean, School of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua Univ.
• 2017-present   Chair, School of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua Univ.
• 2016-present   Executive director, Institute of future cities and infrastructures
• 2007-2017       Head, Department of Construction Management, Tsinghua Univ.
• 2003-present   Deputy Director, Institute of International Engineering Project Management
• 2002- present  Professor of Construction Management, Tsinghua Univ.
• 2001-2005       Deputy Director, FIDIC-Tsinghua-CNAEC Training Center
• 2001-2003       Assistant Director, Institute of International Engineering Project Management
• 1999-present   Director, Tsinghua-Gammon Construction Safety Research Center
• 1997-2000       Associate Director, Campus Planning & Construction Division, Tsinghua Univ.
• 1995-1998       Assistant to the Chair of Dept. of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua Univ.
• 1995-2002       Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua Univ.
• 1993-1995       Post-doctoral researcher, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua Univ.
• 1990-1993       Lecturer, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong Univ.
• 1988-1990       Assistant Lecturer, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong Univ.

Honors and Awards

• Most Cited Chinese Researchers, Elsevier (2014-2020)
• Emerald Literati Network 2009 Outstanding Paper Award (2009) (Patrick X.W. Zou, Shouqing Wang and Dongping Fang. A Life-cycle management framework for PPP infrastructure projects)
• ICPMA (International Construction Project Management Association) Award, CIOB. (2008)
• Jubilee Professor" at Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Sweden (2007)
• Eminent Scholar, Del Webb School of Construction, Arizona State Univ., USA (2006)

Full CV at http://www.civil.tsinghua.edu.cn/en/cm/essay/548/2388.html

Donato Vinciguerra is a Construction Project Manager at Plaza Construction LLC with over four years of successful experience in managing high end residential high-rise buildings as 111 Murray St, New York, NY.

Before becoming a Construction Manager, Donato spent two years working as a structural engineer on one of the top design consultants in Venezuela. However, it was during this time where he realized that he needed more day-to-day action, face to face relationship with clients, subcontractors and third parties; and made the career changing decision of joining the Construction Management Masters Degree at Columbia University.

When he is not working, you will find Donato enjoying soccer (AS Roma), spending family time or developing his real estate side business.

Dimitra Karachaliou is a Project Controls Manager with AECOM for the past 5 years and she is leading AECOM’s Metro NY Deputy Project Manager team. She is specialized in interactive cost and schedule performance dashboard creation, project finance and operations. She holds a Structural Engineering Diploma (master’s equivalent) from N.T.U.A., Athens, Greece, and a Master’s in Construction Management from Columbia University, NY.

Dimitra began her construction career working in the Budget and Estimating department of Stern Projects, LLC a construction management company focused on residential renovations. Since joining AECOM in 2016, she worked as a project controls specialist for various multi-million projects, such as NYC Build It Back Program and EWR Terminal A Redevelopment program.

Currently, she is working as a consultant to the Chief of Project Controls and VDC of Port Authority of NY and NJ, managing project controls and operations initiatives for the Authority's Engineering department. Apart from her client work, she is working closely with AECOM's Metro NY Director of Operations on Operation Excellence Initiatives.

Dimitra is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and she has received the CORO Leadership New York Certification. In 2018, she was honored by Women Builders Council as one of the “Next Generation Women Builders”. She is a member of the ACE Mentor Program and she is Operations Chair of PWC’s Experienced & Emerging Professionals Mentorship Program (2020-2021)..

Denise M. Richardson served as the Executive Director of the General Contractors Association of New York, a 300-member trade association that represents New York City’s unionized, heavy civil and public works construction contractors.  Prior to joining the GCA in 2006, Ms. Richardson had over 20 years of construction contract and management experience including positions at NYC DEP, MTA/New York City Transit, the former NYC Department of General Services (now DDC), NYC Department of Sanitation and Honeywell International.

She serves as an employer trustee on several union pension and health benefit funds, overseeing benefits administration and fund investments.  She is on the boards of Helmets to Hardhats, the New York League of Conservation Voters, Regional Plan Association, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Waterfront Alliance and the Department of Education’s Career and Technical Education Program at City Poly High School.  

Denise has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Simmons College and a master’s degree in public administration and urban and regional planning from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.  

Denise M. Berger is the Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer (CSIO) of the U.S. East & Latin America (LATAM) region of AECOM, a Fortune 500 global infrastructure firm. A results-oriented leader recognized for her trailblazing service within the A/E/C industry, Ms. Berger brings extensive executive experience in strategy and operations.

Ms. Berger has a proven ability to create and execute against short- and long-term business plans while driving business performance improvements and cost reductions. Providing oversight of several hundred professional staff working to deliver capital and operating programs, Ms. Berger possesses an outstanding ability to motivate and engage diverse teams to accomplish challenging projects. She is also adept at assessing and implementing workflow enhancements and maximizing digital and innovative solutions.

As CSIO, Ms. Berger is responsible for driving growth, strategy and digital innovation across the U.S. East & LATAM region ⁠— AECOM’s largest region ⁠— comprised of over 65 offices, 7,500 employees and $1.7B gross revenue. She remains focused on major cities and key accounts across the Transportation, Water, Buildings + Places, Program Management, Environment and Energy business lines. Ms. Berger joined AECOM in 2020 as the chief operating officer responsible for profit and loss in the northeast region, then compromised of 2,500 employees and US$660 million in revenue.

Ms. Berger is the former chief of operations for the engineering department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). In this capacity, she was responsible for the leading the operations of an engineering department comprised of over 570 engineers and architects with an annual budget of US$1.3 billion. This department is a critical contributor to the delivery of the PANYNJ’s US$37 billion, 10-year capital plan.

In 2018, Ms. Berger was inducted into the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows for her leadership and advocacy of design excellence in transportation and infrastructure projects. In 2021, she was recognized by the international community with a fellowship in the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, and in 2022 she was inducted into the National Academy of Construction.

A champion of equitable engagement and inclusion, Ms. Berger serves on AECOM’s global Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) Steering Committee, and she is also the chair of the ED&I Committee for Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) International. She serves on several boards including Columbia University’s Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space; New York Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture & Design; and the Women Builders Council. Ms. Berger is also an executive member of numerous organizations and committees, where she provides insight on best practices, finances, standards and governance.

Ms. Berger has been recognized across the A/E/C industry, receiving the WTS International Woman of the Year Award, WTS Greater New York Chapter Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award, Professional Women in Construction (PWC) New York Chapter Woman of the Year Award, ACE Greater NY Mentor Program Leadership Award, and recently was selected as one of the most Notable Women in Construction, Design and Architecture by CRAIN’s New York Business.

Deborah Weintraub is the Chief Deputy City Engineer for the Bureau of Engineering, and the highest-ranking architect in the City. She provides leadership for an integrated architecture and engineering organization of approximately 1,000 people, with approximately 480 active projects totaling $3.6 billion.The organization provides professional design, project management and construction management to the City of Los Angeles, serving the needs of City residents and our fellow City employees. The projects include streets, stormwater infrastructure, wastewater infrastructure, fire facilities, police facilities, recreational and cultural facilities, parks, zoo facilities, general office facilities, and bridges. Deborah also oversaw the implementation of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan.

Some recent projects under her oversight include the design and construction of the new 6th Street Viaduct, proposals for reuse of the site of the old Parker Center building, the design and construction of a new facility for Channel 35 in a historic structure at Olvera Street, and the exploration of the expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center. As a recognized expert in sustainable design, Deborah was instrumental in the adoption of LEED for City buildings and has extended the sustainability initiatives by piloting the use of Envision for civil projects. As the most senior architect in an engineering-focused organization, she has championed design discussions as integral to the process of project delivery.

Deborah received her undergraduate degree in architecture from Princeton University, later attending the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design for her Master's degree. After co-founding the New York architecture firm Lane & Weintraub, Deborah moved to Los Angeles in 1989, and has worked for the City of Los Angeles since 2001.

In 2016, she was awarded the 2016 Julia Morgan ICON Award for her contribution to the design industry. Morgan, the first female architect licensed in California, is best known for her work on Hearst Castle in San Luis Obispo COunty. Deborah's downtown office overlooks the old Los Angeles Herald-Examiner building, which Julia Morgan designed. The award is also fitting as Deborah Weintraub is the first woman, as well as the first architect, to hold her position at the Bureau of Engineering.

Deborah has received numerous local and national awards, including a national AIA urban design award for the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan, has published many professional articles, and has presented in a variety of professional and public forums.

David J. Odeh (invited)
Principal
Odeh Engineers

Felipe Paniagua is a fellow. of the center for buildings, infrastructure and public space and enrolled in the master’s degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) conferred in February 2017.

Felipe has the particularity of having work experiences in public, private, and nonprofit organizations. In Costs Rica he worked for a real estate condominium developer as a site engineer where he oversaw construction management, schedules, and inspections for large residential condominiums projects.  Later, he worked as a site inspector for public entity Costa Rican Institute of Electricity, which has the task of production and distribution of electricity in Cost Rica, where he inspected projects across his home country. Following his social commitment, he started his international career working for Planning. Design, and Construction Section of United Nations Headquarters in New York City, where he conducted on-site inspections across the headquarters complex and presenting project information to architects and organization stakeholders.

His research interest include Modular Construction and Robotics applied in construction projects, particularly in social driven projects. At CBIPS he will be focusing in research and evaluation technical solutions for infrastructure maintenance and operations.

David Chitanava enrolled in the Master’s Degree program in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University in Fall 2019. His graduation is expected in Dec 2020.
David has a BS and MS degree with honors in Civil Engineering from Georgian Technical University. Also, he is an MBA from the Free University of Tbilisi, where he was awarded the status “The student with the highest academic standing”.

David's successful career allowed him to acquire engineering, managerial, and leadership skills in the AEC industry. He is experienced in building and heavy civil engineering projects and has a strong commitment to sustainable development. 

David has significant experience in Construction Project Management worked as a Deputy Director of NCC LLC in Tbilisi, Georgia where he was leading the Construction and Operational Department of the company and successfully led more than twenty construction projects. Also, he was Head of the International Project Division at the Georgian Amelioration Ltd, where he had a chance to collaborate with international donor organizations, such as the World Bank, IFAD, and Netherlands Enterprise Agency. David has huge experience in waterproofing, decorative concrete, sport/safety surface, and construction chemistry, which he acquired working as a Superintendent in NCC LLC and a Project Engineer in GRC LLC - Representative of BASF Construction Chemicals in Tbilisi, Georgia at the beginning of his career.

His research interest at the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space program is focused on Corrosion of Structures, which will be based on a specific requirement of the NYC Department of the Parks and Recreation. His main interest in research is caused by his prior experience. He has an aim to widespread his research results nationwide and generally in Construction.

As a Fellow of the Columbia University CBIPS David has completed two research projects:

• Collaborative research projects with NYC Department of Parks and Recreation about waterfront infrastructure, implementation methods for corrosion protection, determination pros and cons with respect to efficacy, installation costs, environmental impacts, maintenance requirements, determine the optimal sustainable design solutions, etc.
• Research and preparation of the publication about the recovery of the AEC industry in NY, US harmed by COVID-19.

In September 2020 David became Program Associate of the Columbia University CBIPS where he participated in the organizing of weekly lecture series dedicated to Social Justice and the AEC Industry.

David Chitanava David is a '21 graduate of Columbia University in the City of New York. He was awarded a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Management.

David was a Program Associate and a fellow at the Columbia University Center for Buildings, Infrastructure, and Public Space. Currently, he is holding an Office Engineer position for Gannett Fleming, Inc (via Pena Alcantara M To Pros JV LLC). David is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Engineers Without Borders (EWB), and a member of the board of alumni of the Columbia University Center of Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space (CBIPS).

During David’s professional experience, he led the Construction and Operation Department of one of the most successful construction companies in Georgia. His career allowed him to acquire engineering, managerial, and leadership skills in the construction industry. David is experienced in building and heavy civil engineering projects.

David actively continues his career in the US and the global AEC market.

Daili Peng is a M.S student majoring in construction engineering and management at the Fu Foundation School of Columbia University as well as a fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space. After completing his bachelor’s degree from Tongji University (Shanghai, China) in 2016, he worked as a road designer for a year and a half in Tongji Architecture Design Company in Shanghai, during which he undertook the designing responsibility of several large-scale infrastructure projects around China.

He has comprehensive knowledge in the design of large road interchange as well as significant experience cooperating with different design specialties. The most important project he participated as a main designer was Xindian Street interchange in Taiyuan, the one that most closely and frequently interacted with railways around China, was rare for its high degree of difficulty and restriction in terms of design and construction.

He joined the “NYCHA” research group when entering Columbia in 2019 and is currently conducting research on feasible practices for NYCHA to strengthen its capacity in the maintenance, renovation and construction of affordable housing in New York City.

As Co-President of Syska Hennessy Group, Cyrus Izzo leads one of the world’s best-known engineering firms, with more than 500 professionals across 16 offices.

Cyrus joined Syska in 1993 as an electrical engineer after working for 7 years at Ammann & Whitney.  In 2007, he was named Syska’s Co-President.   In this role, Cyrus has overseen expansion into new sectors, including consulting, information and communications technology; and into new geographies: Dubai and Shanghai.  In addition, he has codified best practices and established a collaborative and diverse management team to lead the firm’s future growth.

In 2005, Cyrus established Syska’s first global practice, Critical Facilities, which has become a world-class business unit.  The professionals in this practice specialize in the design of critical systems, and have worked on some of the world’s most important data centers and trading floors.  Cyrus continues to lead this practice, and he takes a hands-on approach to managing key relationships and projects, working closely with such clients as JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, The Mount Sinai Hospital, and Morgan Stanley, to name a few.

Cyrus recently celebrated Syska’s 90-year anniversary, and he is excited about the next 90 years. “When I think about how we’re leveraging technology and high-performance, sustainable solutions, it inspires me,” he says. “I get to help our clients execute some of the most uniquely challenging projects in the world.”

Cyrus holds a BSEE from Manhattan College, and is a licensed professional engineer in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. He is a member of Syska’s board of directors, responsible for long-term growth and corporate governance of the firm, which is privately held.  Additionally, he serves on the boards of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), New York Building Congress, 7×24 Exchange International and ACE Mentor Program of New York.

Dr. Cris B. Liban, P.E. is the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (LA Metro) Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO).  Cris oversees LA Metro’s internationally recognized Environmental, Sustainability, and Energy initiatives.  He prides himself to be one of the handful of engineers who holds this very important position. As CSO, Cris' responsibilities are also unique as he sets the environmental, sustainability, and resiliency vision for the agency while oversees the implementation of programs to fulfill that vision. His group has been one of the profit centers in LA Metro, generating over $100M of revenue in the last three years through monetized environmental benefits and reinvesting those into sustainable infrastructure. 

Cris is currently a Commissioner in the City of Los Angeles Board of Transportation Commissioners (appointed by LA City Mayor Eric Garcetti); as well as the Vice-Chair of the Los Angeles County Beach Commission (appointed by LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl). He previously held political appointed positions in the State of California as a member of the Climate Safe Infrastructure Working Group, and as an adviser to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Administrator (Obama and Trump Administrations) as a Council Member of the USEPA National Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). He recently got appointed by CA State Treasurer Fiona Ma to sit on the Green Bonds Development Committee and develop Green Bonds Standards for the State of California.

Dr. Liban is currently the American Society of Civil Engineers National Committee on Sustainability Chair. In that capacity, he is overseeing the development of an international standard for sustainable infrastructure, a manual of practice for the incorporation of climate science into engineering practice, a manual of practice for green procurement. 

Dr. Liban has also been the Chair or Member of multiple National Academies of Sciences Transportation Research Board research projects that continues to tackle emerging and timely topics on social equity and climate, climate change impacts, greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategies, life-cycle and cost framework, and sustainable transport funding and financing.

Cris is the recipient of the 2020 Engineering News Record (ENR) Award of Excellence (AOE) for his work on environmental science, climate change, and environmental equity (https://www.enr.com/enr-award-of-excellence). In 2016, he was the recipient of the 2016 Pamana ng Pilipino Award from Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. This is the Philippines' Highest Civilian Honor for Filipinos living overseas.

He has degrees in geology (magna cum laude), civil and environmental engineering, and environmental science and engineering.

Craig Dykers is Co-Founder and Partner in Snøhetta. He was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1961 and has lived extensively in both Europe and North America. Dykers received a bachelor’s degree in architecture at the University of Texas, Austin after initial studies in medicine and art. He has worked in Texas and California and later co-founded the architecture, landscape and interior design company Snøhetta in Oslo, Norway in 1989 and in New York City in 2004.

As one of the founding partners of the firm, Craig Dykers has led many of their prominent projects internationally, including the Alexandria Library in Egypt, the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo, Norway, the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion in New York City, and the Ryerson University Student Learning Centre in Ontario, Canada. Dykers is currently leading the design of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Expansion in San Francisco and the Times Square Reconstruction in New York City, both of which will be completed this year (2016), as well as the Calgary Public Library in Alberta, Canada, and the Temple University Library in Philadelphia.

His work has led to numerous international awards and widespread recognition including the Mies van der Rohe European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, the World Architecture Award and the Aga Kahn Award for Architecture, among many others. His interest in design as a promoter of social and physical well-being is supported by ongoing observation and development of an innovative design process.

Active professionally and academically, Dykers has been the diploma adjudicator at the Architectural College in Oslo and a distinguished professor at City College in New York City and as a visiting critic in the Syracuse University New York City studio. He has lectured extensively in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Christine Flaherty is the Senior Vice President of Health + Hospital’s Office of Facilities Development responsible for all real estate, planning, design, construction and facilities management for Health and Hospital’s system, comprising more than 20 million square feet of building assets across all five boroughs. NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the United States, providing essential inpatient, outpatient, and home-based services to more than one million New Yorkers every year in more than 70 locations across the city’s five boroughs. She is also responsible for developing NYC Health + Hospitals’s Housing Initiative to accelerate access to housing for the systems most vulnerable homeless high-risk patient population.

Christine Flaherty is a capital delivery executive with over 20 years of experience managing and leading capital projects for both the private and public sectors in the New York City area. Over the past 5 years, Ms. Flaherty has served in capital leadership positions for New York City at Health + Hospitals and previously at the Department of Design and Construction, where she oversaw the diverse portfolio of public building projects valued at over $3 billion.

Prior to serving the City of New York, Ms. Flaherty has worked as a consultant and contractor in roles from project manager to Vice President. She has been a key member of the senior leadership teams responsible for account management, client satisfaction, strategic planning and business development. Ms. Flaherty has diverse experience working on both public and private programs ranging in value from $1 million to over $1.2 billion.

As a volunteer leader, she is the Past President of CMAA’s Metro NY/NJ Chapter, a board member of the Greater New York ACE Board of Directors.

Christine earned her Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from Bucknell University and her Masters in Business Administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business Langone Program. She is a Certified Construction Manager and periodically facilitates and teaches sessions on project management and leadership.

Cheryl McKissack Daniel, President & CEO of McKissack & McKissack, has more than 30 years of experience in the construction industry, including major work in the commercial, healthcare, education and transportation sectors.  Born in Nashville to architect William D. Berry and teacher, Leatrice McKissack, Cheryl represents the fifth generation of the McKissack family business. McKissack & McKissack is the oldest minority-owned design and construction firm in the nation. 

As President & CEO, Cheryl serves as Project Executive on numerous high-profile projects where she provides executive leadership ensuring successful project completion and is actively involved in project oversight and in the implementation of McKissack’s commitment to diversity. McKissack is involved with some of New York’s largest projects including: Columbia University’s Manhattanville Campus; the NYC Economic Development Corporation Hunts Point Cooperative Market and MART125 in Harlem; Pacific Park/Atlantic Yards Barclays Center; and The Studio Museum in Harlem. McKissack also serves as the MTA Independent Engineer overseeing the Capital Construction Program of the nation’s largest transportation system.

Cheryl serves on various professional and community boards, including the New York Building Congress, Women Builders Council, Greater New York ACE Mentor Program, Philadelphia Authority of Industrial Development and the National Liberty Museum Board, where she was honored as a “Hero of Liberty” for her support of humanitarian initiatives and for promoting the responsibilities of a free and diverse America.  Cheryl also served as co-chair on Philadelphia Mayor John Street’s Transition Committee for Small Business, served on NY Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Transition Team on Transportation and Infrastructure, currently serves on NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio’s MWBE Advisory Council, and is an active member in the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) and Women in Transportation. 

Cheryl earned both a bachelor and master’s degree in civil engineering from Howard University.

Catherine Sheridan is President of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority. She previously served as Chief of Staff and SVO Delivery Operations at MTA Construction & Development. Kathy also served as Chief Engineer at the New York State Thruway Authority. 

She is an experienced executive with demonstrated success in the transportation and maritime industries. Kathy is skilled in Strategic Leadership, Complex Program and Project Delivery, Civil Engineering, Disaster Recovery and Mitigation, Dispute Resolution, Asset Management, Contract Procurement, and Public Speaking. She has strong operations and design/construction background with a Master of Science focused in Civil Engineering from Columbia University. Kathy is a Professional Engineer in New York State.

In November 2010, Catherine Barbé joined the new state agency commissioned to design and implement 200 km
of new metro lines around Paris Metropolitan area : the Société du Grand Paris. She is responsible for the
development of partnerships with all metropolitan institutions and stakeholders, especially in relation to urban
development.

From November 2001 to June 2008, Catherine Barbé was the director of the Paris Department of City Planning.
In her previous position in the Ministry of Public Works, Ms. Barbé was in charge of national planning and
housing strategy and legislation. She coordinated the preparation of a major piece of legislation that renewed the
planning rules and procedures of public urban development in France.

Ms. Barbé also studied at the Institut d’études politiques de Paris and the national school of administration
(ENA) and is a qualified architect.

Brennan is a fifth generation family member, focused on Gilbane’s steadfast commitment to client satisfaction through her work. She is a key promoter of the company’s dedication to creating customers for life and is active in making sure that client satisfaction results are communicated, while using them in a way to constantly improve the firm’s business practices across all Global projects and how Gilbane is impacting the industry it services. An educator by training, she is also focused on internal engagement through building internal promoters as part of the external promoter strategy. By using various tools to measure and gauge employee positioning and engagement, Brennan is able to implement actions to improve the employee environment and build positive connections with the company, its culture and its brand.

Brennan’s passion also extends to helping advance the careers of women at Gilbane and in the construction industry. Brennan is a member of the leadership team for Gilbane’s Advancing
Women committee as well as the New York City Women’s Peer Group. Both of these support women’s professional development, career advancement and peer-to-peer engagement. Brennan’s championship of these efforts has resulted in several innovative initiatives including the Gilbane Executive Exchange, Advancing Women Steering Team, and the IDEA (Inclusion, Engagement, and Advancement) Council and Take Your Child To Work Day. Brennan’s focus and efforts go beyond her internal involvement. She is a board member on the Women Builders Council, where Brennan shares the council’s vision for representing women in the construction industry within several important areas: legislative advocacy, new business development, and professional development with a focus on leadership within the construction industry.

Brennan is a board member of the New York Building Congress and also a board member of the Salvadori Center whose direct mission is to gives students the tools to unlock the math and science embedded in the structures that surround us. The foundation aims to inspire students and teachers to use the wonder, beauty, and logic of our built world as a foundation for learning.

Brennan’s support of career development in the construction industry also extends to mentorship and growth at the High School level through her position as board member of The ACE Mentor Program of America, Inc. (ACE) program. ACE helps mentor high school students and inspires them to pursue careers in design and construction.

Prior to this role, Brennan worked in the field on some of the firms most notable projects including those for higher education such as Brown University’s The Watson Institute for International Studies and The Prudential Center New Jersey Devils Arena.

Brennan earned her Bachelor’s degree from Brown University and her Master’s degree from Providence College. Brennan is on the steering committee for the Brown Real Estate Group and a Brown Alumni Leader. Before joining Gilbane, Brennan was a teacher at St. Paul’s School in Cranston, RI and St. Brigid’s School in New York, NY. Brennan lives in New York, NY with her husband and two daughters.

Dr. Lee is a University-Industry Cooperation Professor at the Institute of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Seoul National University. He received his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Inha University in 1976, and subsequent project management training in the United States. After graduating we worked for two years at the Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company, for almost eighteen years at the Korea Power Engineering Company, and for eight years at the Construction Economy & Research Institute of Korea. Starting in 2005 he has concurrently been a teaching professor at Dongkuk University and Hanyang University, moving to Seoul National University as a teaching professor in Project Planning & Management. Since 2014 he has been a University-Industry Cooperation Professor at SNU. He is the Innovation Committee Chair of the National Construction Industry organization in South Korea and Ambassador-at-Large for Asian Infrastructure Cooperation. 

Bingzhen He is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space (CBIPS) and enrolled in postgraduate program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Management in Engineering Management from the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, China, conferred in 2019. He was awarded Excellent Scholarship for Academic Science and Innovation twice in his undergraduate stage.

He has published two conference papers about efficiency management of construction companies and industry based on DEA model in ICCREM 2018. He has extensive experience working as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Urban Economics of Central University of Finance and Economics where he concentrated on Industrial Research and Data Analysis based on GIS. When he worked as the Research Assistant of the Management Center of Investment Project, Central University of Finance and Economics, he finished the Study on the Construction of Financial Reform Service Support System Based on the Ministry-province Co-construction Platform.

His research interests have centered on deep learning, data analysis, BIM, as well as management of construction enterprises. At CBIPS he will be participating in the research of visualization and data analytics.

Bhumit Sanghavi is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. He pursued Masters of Business Administration in Technology Management (Civil Engineering) from the NMIMS University in Mumbai, India, conferred in 2019. The course was a combined course with his technical major in civil engineering and his management major in operations and project management. He published a research paper in the NICMAR journal of Construction Management titled, “Critical Success Factors and Risk Factors for Implementation of PPP model in Affordable Housing Segment in India”.

He has worked as an intern in three different construction projects. He was part of the execution team which involved the Construction of Large Thermal Vacuum Chamber Building for Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Ahmedabad, and the Construction of 150TPD Powder Plant for AmulFed Dairy, Gandhinagar, where he assisted in various tasks like scope management, daily site planning and supervision of execution works which improved his ability to visualize large scale projects. He was a part of the Project Management team which involved the construction of Vendor Complex building for ISRO, Ahmedabad, where he got a hands on experience in the Project Management aspects.

His research interests have centered on various project delivery methods like PPP, IPD and many more, as well as the link between the construction and manufacturing industry to improve efficiency in construction. At CBIPS, he will be participating in the research efforts which focuses the identification of various PPP models used in various projects like affordable housing, roads, railway, etc.; their advantages, disadvantages, success factors, risk factors and the risk allocation involved in each of these models.

Ben Pape is a New York-licensed Professional Engineer with experience in construction management, logistics, temporary structures design, and project cost controls.

He has worked in and around New York City on construction of the new Goethals cable-stayed bridge, renewable energy facilities, bridge repairs, mixed-use complexes, and transit substations.  Outside of the United States he spent 2 years working on a greenfield airport project in the Middle Eastern city of Doha, Qatar.

Currently Ben is working on the new concourse for the East Side Access project underneath Grand Central terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

In 2014 he received his Master’s Degree from Columbia University in Civil Engineering.  While at Columbia he was a member of the GLCM, and also researched the application of large-scale 3D printing for single family homes. 

Ben completed his undergraduate work at the University of Wisconsin, also in Civil Engineering. He is originally from Chevy Chase, MD and frequently has to explain it is not named after the actor.  He likes to travel and explore other countries public transit, on his last trip to China he took the new high speed train from Guangzhou to Hong Kong.

Ashutosh Tripathi is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space and enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. His undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from NMIMS University in Mumbai, conferred in May, 2017.

He has significant experience working as an Engineer Trainee at the Shubham Group where he monitored site requirements and supervised execution of construction on residential projects. He also generated schedules according to the deliverables and client requirements. Previously Ashutosh worked as a Construction Management Intern at Larsen & Toubro Realty Limited where he oversaw the execution of various project details and verified load design parameters comparing manual calculations with those generated using STAADPro.

His research interests include the analysis of market conditions in the construction industry of the Philippines, and comparison of conditions there with international trends of construction practices. Additional research related these trends to the life-cycle, maintenance and operational costs of a particular project. At CBIPS he will be participating in the research efforts pertaining to the Infrastructure Financing in operations and maintenance.

Arash Shamsian is a New York-licensed Professional Engineer with experience in construction management, logistics, temporary structures design, and project cost controls.

He has worked in and around New York City on construction of the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge, various bridge repairs, mixed-use complexes, and transit substations.  Outside of the United States he spent 10 years working on various design projects for high rise building and complexes in middle east

Currently Arash is working on the reconstruction of upper and lower level toll plazas and southbound approach at the Henry Hudson bridge and lighting replacement at northbound/southbound Henry Hudson Parkway in Bronx.

In 2016 he received his second Master’s Degree from Columbia University in Civil Engineering.  His first master was in civil engineering from AmirKabir university in Tehran, Iran. 

Arash likes extreme sports and has international license in paragliding, he also likes to travel and explore other countries and culcures.

Anthony S. Bartolomeo, PE, served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Pennoni from January 1999 until December 2019 and is now a Senior Consultant to the firm. Tony joined Pennoni in 1986 and has more than 36 years of experience in environmental engineering, coupled with broad experience in the relationship development among the federal, state and local government levels, all of which have a stake in the success of major civil infrastructure projects. He has integrated the engineering and financial aspects of major projects into the legal, regulatory and community objectives, to the benefit of Pennoni’s diverse client base. Tony is a licensed Professional Engineer in several states, an American Society of Civil Engineers Fellow, and is a Civil Engineering graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

Tony is a respected and recognized leader in both the local business community and the A/E/C industry as a whole. During his time on former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission, Tony’s efforts directly contributed to greater measures regarding the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible extraction and use of unconventional natural gas reserves in Pennsylvania.

In addition, as Past Chairman of the Board of the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia for seven years, Tony was instrumental in accelerating global business growth for companies in the Greater Philadelphia Region. Under his direction, the WTGCP assisted companies in generating more than $1 billion in increased export sales, creating more than 12,500 jobs. The growth and success of the WTCGP during his tenure reflects his dedication and support for the organization, earning Tony the Philadelphia Business Journal “Outstanding Director” Award in 2014.

Finally, Tony has spearheaded the development of the “ASCE Grand Challenge”, a call-to-action for the civil engineering profession. As a result of his efforts, Tony recently received the ASCE President’s Award for his leadership in developing the Grand Challenge, which includes the goals of reducing our nation’s infrastructure lifecycle costs by 50% by 2025 and optimizing infrastructure investments. The award also recognized his ongoing commitment to encouraging youth to attain 21st century skills and post-secondary education, and his leadership to community and non-profit organizations. In selecting Tony for this award, the Society particularly noted his deep commitment to community service. He also received the ASCE President’s Medal in 2014 and the ASCE OPAL award in 2017. Tony recently completed certification as an Envision Sustainability Professional by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure.

Anna Mehrotra is a licensed PE with more than 15 years of experience in all aspects of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment—from process modeling to pilot studies to design. She completed her PhD in civil and environmental engineering at the University of California at Berkeley and is currently the technical lead for CDM Smith’s wastewater-based epidemiology research on predicting Covid-19 resurgences via wastewater analysis.

Anke Liu is an incoming student enrolled in the Master’s Degree program for Construction Engineering & Management at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University. Her undergraduate degree was double B.S. majoring in Civil Engineering and Mathematics in Syracuse, NY, conferred in May 2019. She graduated with the highest distinction, Summa Cum Laude, recognized in the United States.

She had the privilege of working as a summer intern at the Dubai Contracting Company last summer, where she explored the knowledge of design features encounters at eight project sites in Dubai. This experience has not only brought her an understanding of how to plan and execute construction projects but also made her decide to concentrate on construction management as the master degree. What’s more, working in a totally international environment in Dubai has taught her how diverse perspectives can make a team stronger.  

Her other two past experiences working in the field of big data have also given her a strong desire to possess the programming tools to analyze problems in the digital world. She also took many programming courses in the undergraduate school, including Java, Python, R, and Matlab. In this case, she has a great passion for merging her mathematical and computerized skills with construction, and has a great interest to focus on Visualization and Data Analytics as her research project at CBIPS.

Alican Sevim could gain his Bachelor’s Science degree in Civil Engineering in just three years with honors from Istanbul Technical University, in Istanbul, Turkey, conferred in 2018. This has been achieved by only %1 ITU graduates so far. Just after his graduation, he enrolled in Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science as a candidate in the Construction Engineering and Management Master of Science Program beginning Fall2019.

He participated in some significant national projects as an intern, and academic projects, when he was at university. He took part in one of the largest airport projects of the world, which is named as Istanbul Grand Airport. He mainly attended some superstructure projects of the airport such as Energy Center Project of the Airport. For this project, he had the chance to make collaboration with other engineering fields. Mainly, he worked with electrical and mechanical engineers. Furthermore, he had a significant chance to be part of Turkey’s largest Urban Renewal Project. At this project, he collaborated with experienced Project and Construction Managers. After all, it should be highlighted that Alican Sevim is one of the member of the most important team of Civil Engineering Faculty of ITU. Alican’s team achieved the design of the first Crash Cushion Project of Turkey for Istanbul city under control of his advisor, and his team cooperated with Istanbul Municipality for this project. Besides these, he designed four-floor hospital, highway and railway and some geotechnical engineering projects, when he was at ITU.

Finally, he would like to integrate his technical and practical knowledge with experiences that he hope will gain from CBIPS to solve real-world issues for New York City and World by considering vital engineering parameters including sustainability, resilience, safety, and of course time, quality, and budget. Thanks to CBIPS, he hope learn how to best design, construct and manage buildings, infrastructures and public spaces by using up-to-date technological improvements by collaborating with the pioneers of AEC sector. In addition, he firstly would like to take part in cybersecurity and secure by design research project. And secondly, he preferably would take a role in NYC Department of Environmental Protection research topic. Consequently, as a young and hardworking intellectual, he believe that he can contribute to the research program that he will join with his persistent character, hardworking personality, and effective team membership.

Ali Chaudhry is Senior Vice President and Chief of Development and Government Relations at AECOM - Americas East. He joined AECOM in November 2020 after serving as Deputy Secretary for Transportation to New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. In this role, he oversaw policy, funding, and operations at all transportation State agencies and public authorities, including the Department of Transportation, the MTA, the Thruway Authority, the Port Authority, and the Department of Motor Vehicles. In the past, Mr. Chaudhry has served as Governor Cuomo’s Deputy Secretary for Economic Development, as well as Assistant Counsel to the Governor. He has provided counsel and leadership on various economic development and infrastructure projects across the State including the LaGuardia Airport redevelopment, Gateway Project, the Second Avenue Subway, the MTA Capital Plan, the DOT Capital Plan, the Empire Station Complex, the Broadband Initiative, Upstate Airports Competition, and the expansion of the Javits Convention Center. Declared “Albany’s Top 40 under 40 Rising Stars of 2017” by City & State, Mr. Chaudhry serves as the policy lead on alternative project delivery procurements, and has been involved in every piece of Design Build legislation in the State of New York. Before joining public service, Mr. Chaudhry practiced civil litigation in the private sector, focusing on employment matters.

Alex Lin is a Water/Wastewater Project Engineer with AECOM with over 5 years of experience in the industry. Alex has experience with public agencies from working at the California Department of Transportation and diverse private consulting perspectives from working at Kimley-Horn & Associates, WSP USA and AECOM. In his role, Mr. Lin primarily focuses on hydrology/hydraulics analysis, climate resiliency mitigations, and green infrastructure design. He has a wide range of project experience, from commercial retail projects such as McDonald’s to multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects, such as Los Angeles International Airport – Midfield Satellite Concourse and San Diego Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Rail Extension. He has experience being involved with all phases of projects from planning to design to construction. Alex received his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of California San Diego and Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Columbia University in the City of New York.

Alex is currently working on approaches to tackling future water infrastructure challenges in the United States, from pipeline rehabilitations, direct/indirect potable water reuse implantations, decentralized wastewater treatment, and desalination membrane technologies. These projects can be achieved through alternative delivery methods such as Public-Private Partnerships.

He is also an active member both locally and nationally with the American Society of Civil Engineers. Most recently, He is on the committee for planning the annual Younger Member Leadership Symposium, a three-day national experiential leadership workshop that focuses on early-career professional skills development to help ASCE Younger Members succeed and lead in the workplace.

Alejandro Lizcano Caballero is currently Research Coordinator for the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space.

Jo-Yu (Zoe) Shih is a 2026 CBIPS Fellow. Her research centers on Infrastructure Interdependency..

Ziying Yin is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. Her current CBIPS research project is Plazas and Public Space in NYC.

Zhiyu (Kathy) Yang is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors in Transportation and Highway Engineering, was conferred by the Civil Aviation University of China. Her current CBIPS research project is Congestion Pricing.

Xinze (Zoe) Li is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, specializing in structural engineering. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors in Civil Engineering, was conferred by UCLA. Her current CBIPS research project is Bridge Resilience & Adaptation.

Xinkui Huang is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Engineering, was conferred by Jilin University. Her prior CBIPS research project is Bridge Resiliency; she is currently working on Cloudburst Flooding Mitigation.

Weiyi Wang is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in transportation planning and engineering mechanics. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering, was conferred by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also hold a Bachelors of Civil Engineering degree from Zhejiang University. Her current CBIPS research project is Congestion Pricing.

Temilola Moronfolu is an undergraduate at Columbia University pursuing a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in Architecture. Her current CBIPS research project is Cloudburst Flooding Mitigation.

Pierre Lefaivre is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. He will concurrently be receiving a Masters degree in Civil Engineering from ESTP. His current CBIPS research project is AI-Driven Decarbonization.

Metehan Gumustekin is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering focusing on structural and geotechnical engineering. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Applied Science in Civil Engineering, was conferred by San Diego State University. His current CBIPS research project is AI & Decarbonization.

Jiabao (Julie) Shen is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Electrical Engineering. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Engineering, was conferred by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her current CBIPS research project is AI-Driven Decarbonization.

Fuad Jafarli is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering, was conferred by Azerbaijan University of Architecture & Construction. His current CBIPS research project is Land Reclamation & Landfill.

Dimitris Antoniou is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Real Estate Development, Construction Management & Finance. He holds a prior Masters degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Patras. His current CBIPS research project is Cloudburst Flooding Mitigation.

Anjali Sreeja is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. He undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Technology in Civil Engineering, was conferred by ACE Engineering College in Hyderabad. Her current CBIPS research project is AI-Driven Decarbonization. Her research interests relate to sustainable and smart cities, and more specifically to decarbonization using AI across various construction phases and different types of projects in the built environment

Anjali is a Civil Engineering graduate with experience on site. She is passionate about resilient design management and sustainability. Through years of volunteering and public speaking, she has developed strong leadership, communication, and teamwork skills that complement her technical expertise. She has completed an intensive internship focused on reinforcement of columns and slabs, setting up temporary formwork systems and placing reinforcement steel. As an intern she gained practical experience in interpreting detailed plans, ensuring dimensional accuracy, and troubleshooting site challenges under real-time conditions. She closely observed and implemented best practices in concrete handling, curing, and safety protocols  - strengthening her ability to connect structural design principles with on-site execution for durable and stable construction. 

Professional goals and interests include the aspiration to be an entrepreneur and initator of a firm in the construction industry in India. Personal interests include music (particularly Indian Classical music), photography, and traveling. 

Sam Kortchmar is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Earth and Environmental Engineering. His undergraduate degree, a BA in Computer Science, was conferred by Brown University. His current CBIPS research project is AI-Driven Decarbonization.

Sam is a former software engineer pivoting into climate tech. His interests include renewable energy, desalination, carbon capture and utilization, and climate modeling. Within Columbia's Yip Lab, he is hoping to use his computational background to contribute to brine valorization processes. In his spare time, Sam likes to play & hear music, play and watch basketball, and read science fiction.

Xiyin (Fred) Zhu is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His current CBIPS research project is Cloudburst Flooding Mitigation.

Mathias Berthelot is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His prior degree is a Bachelors of Civil Engineering from ESTP in Paris. His prior research topic at CBIPS is Housing and Sustainability and he is currently working on Cloudburst Flooding Mitigation.

Cassandra Pin is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. She is concurrently receiving a degree from ESTP (Grand école d’ingénieurs de la construction). Her prior CBIPS research project is Energy & Technology; she is currently working on Cloudburst Flooding Mitigation.

Yugandhar Devanaboina is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His undergraduate Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering degree was conferred by the Vellore Institute of Technology. His current CBIPS research topic is Transit and Mobility. He is participating in the STV Industry Field Study.

Utsav Vora is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His current CBIPS research project is Transit & Technology.

The 2024-25 Fellows of CBIPS will be selected in August of 2024.

Sophie Chen is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with interests in urban infrastructure, energy, and transportation. Her undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by Columbia University. Her current research topic at CBIPS is Energy and Technology. She is currently participating in the STV Industry Field Study.

Shivani Venugopal is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Engineering in Civil Engineering, was conferred by New Horizon Institute of Technology & Management. Her current CBIPS research project is Housing & Sustainability. She is participating in the STV Industry Field Study.

Seth Loukakou-Bataille is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. He received a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering from ESTP (Grand école d’ingénieurs de la construction). His current CBIPS research topic is Housing and Sustainability.

Saitejasvi Deshmukh is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her undergraduate Bachelor of Technology degree was conferred by SVKM's NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management & Engineering. Her current CBIPS research topic is Transit and Mobility. She is participating in the STV Industry Field Study.

Ruben Bazalar is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by Columbia University. His current research topic is bridge resiliency.

Prakeerth Ammisetty is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors of Technology degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by KL University, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh (India).. His current research topic is Housing and Sustainability.

Marion Ndubi is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. She received a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nairobi. Her current CBIPS research topic is Transit and Mobility.

Kavit Thakkar is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Technology in Civil Engineering, was conferred by Nirma University. His current CBIPS research project is Housing & Sustainability.

Chi Hin Tam is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering, was conferred by Rutgers University. His current CBIPS research project is Energy & Technology. He is participating in the STV Industry Field Study.

Camilo Ferreira is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His undergraduate Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering degree was conferred by the Universidad de Los Andes. He also holds an Advanced Certificate in Construction Management from New York University. His current CBIPS research topic is Transit and Mobility. He is participating in the STV Industry Field Study.

Anvitha Yadama is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering, was conferred by Mahindra University. Her current CBIPS research project is Transit & Technology. She is participating in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Aarti Dasari is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her undergraduate degree was conferred by PES University where she majored in Structural Engineering and Construction Technology. Her current CBIPS research topic is Housing and Sustainability.

Vedant Rakesh Singh is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. He received a Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering in India. His current research topic is Social Housing and Open Space. He is also a participant in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Utsav Vora is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. He received a Bachelors in Civil Engineering from SVKM/s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Maharashtra (India). His current research topic is Social Housing and Open Space. He is also a participant in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Trushar Padwekar is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. He received a Bachelors of Technology degree in Civil Engineering in from MIT World Peace University in Pune (India). His current research topic is Social Housing and Open Space. He is participating, as well, in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Tonny Kiplagat is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering, conferred by the University of Nairobi (Kenya). His current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization. He is participating, as well, in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Srimathi Am is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Structural Engineering. Her Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred in India. Her current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization. She  is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study.

Sree Lakshmi Ranjeeth is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. She received a Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Calicut (India). Her current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization.

Shaik Numan Aadeel is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred at MS Ramaiah University in Karnataka, India. Currently his group research topic is Social Housing and Open Space. He is participating, as well, in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Sean Kim is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Construction Engineering and Management. He holds a prior Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from the Cooper Union. His current research topic is Social Housing and Open Space. He is also participating in the STV Industry Field Study.

Sanjeeth Ramesh is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. He received a Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering from BMS College of Engineering in Bangalore, Karnataka (India). His current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization. He is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study.

Ruben Bazalar is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by Columbia University. His current research topic is bridge resiliency. He  is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study.

Prathap Yellam is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. He received a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from the NIT, Karnataka, Surathkal (India). His current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization. He is also a participant in the STV Industry Field Study.

Prakeerth Ammisetty is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelor of Technology degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by KL University, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh (India). His current research topic is Social Housing and Open Space. He  is participating, as well, in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Nuuman Ahad is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred in India. His current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization. He  is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study.

Nikita Aggarawal is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred at MS Ramaiah University in Karnataka, India. Currently her group research topic is Social Housing and Open Space. He is participating, as well, in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Maya Taibi-Guenole is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. She will concurrently receive a degree from ESTP in Paris. Her current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization. She is also a participant in the STV Industry Field Study.

Marion Leah  Ndubi is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. She will received a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nairobi (Kenya). Her current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization. She is participating, as well, in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Kaustubh Tiwari is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. He received a Bachelors of Technology in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Patna (India). His current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization. He is also a participant in the STV Industry Field Study.

Kalyani Shah is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. She received a Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Dr. JJ Magdum College of Engineering in Jaysingpur (India). Her current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization. She is also a participant in the STV Industry Field Study.

Javier Quiros is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. He received a Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University. His current research topic is bridge resilience. He is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study.

Fumin (Renee) Chen is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. Her Bachelors degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering was conferred by Virginia Tech. Her current research topic is bridge resiliency.

Feng Zhang is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. He received a Bachelors in Civil Engineering from Rutgers University. His current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization.

Corentin Loonis is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. He will be received a concurrent Masters degree from ESTP in Paris. His current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization. He is participating, as well, in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Adina Sargozhina is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. She received a Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Nazarbayev University in Astana (Kazakhstan). Her current research topic is infrastructure decarbonization. She is also a participant in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Abhishek Jadhav is a 2023-24 CBIPS Fellow pursuing a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering. His prior degree, a Bachelors of Technology in Civil Engineering, was conferred at the Maharashtra Institute of Technology in Pune (India). His current research topic is Social Housing and Open Space. He is participating, as well, in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Aarti Dasari is a 2023-24 CBIPS Fellow pursuing a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering. Her prior degree, a Bachelors of Technology in Civil Engineering, was conferred at PES University in Bangalore (India). Her current research topic is Social Housing and Open Space. She is participating, as well, in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Alok Vidyarthi is a Fellow of the Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space at Columbia University and pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering Management. He received a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering degree from the National Institute of Technology in Karnataka (India). His current research topic is Social Housing and Open Space. He is also a participant in the AECOM Industry Field Study.

Divy Agrawal is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. He hods an MBA TECH in Civil Engineering from SVKM's NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management and Engineering.  His current research topic is Social Housing and Open Space. He  is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study.

Lauren Alger is the National Director of Sustainable Design at STV. She is a civil engineer with experience supporting LEED-certified and Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) award winning projects. She promotes sustainable design practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency, minimize resource waste, and use clean energy sources, often coordinating closely with agency sustainability leads. As a member of SE 2050, the ASCE-SEI commitment to reduce embodied carbon within structural systems of buildings, Lauren is launching Infrastructure 2050 which will expand the scope to quantify, analyze and reduce embodied carbon within other infrastructure project designs. Her prior experience includes work at MLJ Contracting, Balfour Beatty US and Skanska USA. She holds a degree in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering from George Mason University.

Kritika Kharbanda leads sustainability strategies at Henning Larsen's New York office, on projects across multiple geographies, climates, scales, and typologies, including higher education facilities and schools, cultural and civic buildings, labs, offices, mixed-use projects, and masterplans. Her passion, training, and experience lie at the intersection of architecture, sustainability and technology, arming her to develop and inform sustainability goals and concepts as part of strategic visioning, programming, and the earliest phases of design. Her skillset ranges from early-stage energy simulations, carbon benchmarking for life cycle, indoor thermal comfort, daylight, microclimate analysis, and other computational workflows for evidence-based design. She also supports projects targeting LEED, Living Building Challenge, and WELL certifications.

Kritika received her Masters in Design with specialization in Energy and Environments from Harvard with cross-enrollment at MIT, and was a Social Innovation and Change Initiative Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. Her commitments within the broader building science community include contributing to the global Carbon Leadership Forum, International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA), and local carbon-focused policy efforts in Boston and New York City.

Kate Mikuliak is Program Manager for Strategic Policy at the NYC Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) where she has worked since 2010. She is dedicated to implementing public realm solutions to enable the sustainable and equitable movement of freight and waste and is particularly interested in low-impact solid waste set out and collection and the reactivation of a local marine highway. Recent examples of her work include producing the Delivering Green freight vision plan, NYC DOT’s contributions to the City’s strategic climate plan, and the $7.25M award winning Filling the Gaps. At DOT she previously worked as Director of Legislative Affairs, Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Affairs and Outreach Coordinator.

She holds an MPA in Public Policy from the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a Bachelor's Degree in Urban Public Health from Hunter College.

Dana Mecomber has spent her entire career focused on environmental protection and sustainability in the New York metropolitan region. In early 2023 she joined MTA Construction & Engineering as Director of Climate Sustainability Planning, where she is responsible for building and managing an agenda for climate sustainability within the MTA's capital program, including the development of the Twenty-Year Needs Assessment and multi-billion dollar 5-year Capital Plan. Prior to joining the MTA, Dana worked in the Port Authority of NY & NJ's Office of Sustainabiity, where she led strategy to reduce carbon emissions from the Agency's many tenants, stakeholders, and customers across the aviation, maritime, and on-road transportation sectors.

She received a Master of Public Administration, Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia | SIPA and a BS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Delaware.

Yuhuan Gao is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her group research topic is Equity in Infrastructure. She is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study.

Waheed Ahmad Safi is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by Kandahar University. Currently his group research topic is Bridge Digital Twins in collaboration with the NYC Department of Transportation. He  is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study (formerly called Practicum).

Sruta Gunuganti is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by Osmania University. Currently her group research topic is Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Multi-family Residential buildings. She is participating, as well, in the AECOM Industry Field Study (formerly called Practicum).

Siddhi Deshpande is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Architecture from Savitribai Phule Pune University. Her group research topic is Equity in Infrastructure. She is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study.

Shivani Patel is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by the University of Maryland, College Park. Currently her group research topic is Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Multi-family Residential buildings. She is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study (formerly called Practicum).

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Sai Mithil Krishna Kumar is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred in September of 2021 by B.M.S. College in Bangalore, Karnataka (India). He interned at Sathyateja Construction, Bengaluru, Karnataka (India) in 2021. Also in September of 2021 he published a paper on Fly ash Based Geopolymer Concrete. Currently his group research topic is the development of DIgital Twin and BIM Guidelines for the NYC Department of Transportation. He  is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study (formerly called Practicum).

Rishav Shrivastav is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Civil Engineering, was conferred by Tribhuvan Vishwavidalaya, Kathmandu (Nepal). Mr Shrivastav has worked as a Civil Engineer at the Nepal College of Travel & Tourism Management (NCTTM), at Sarbottam Engineering Solutions Pvt. Ltd., and International Realty Investment & Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and at Kasthamandap Associates Pvt. Ltd. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow was focused on Data Analytics. Last year he participated, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum. His current group research topic is Bridge Digital Twins in collaboration with the NYC Department of Transportation.

Rajveer Gurbuxani is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by Shri Ramdeobaba College. Currently his group research topic is Equity in Infrastructure. He  is participating, as well, in the STV IndustStudy (formerly called Practicum).

Qixiao Zhang is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred in China. Currently her group research topic is Bridge Digital Twins in collaboration with the NYC Department of Transportation. He is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Study (formerly called Practicum).

Julio Tupayachi is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP). Currently his group research topic is Bridge Digital Twins in collaboration with the NYC Department of Transportation. He  is participating, as well, in the Industry Field Study (formerly called Practicum).

Hardhik Kasireddy is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by Mahindra College. Currently his group research topic is Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Multi-Family Residential buildings. He  is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study (formerly called Practicum).

Fumin (Renee) Chen a graduate student working on an M.S. degree in Civil Engineering focusing on Construction Engineering and Management at Columbia University in the City of New York. At CBIPS her group research topic is Electric Vehicle Charging Stations    in Multi-Family Residential buildings. She is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study (previously called Practicum). She graduated with a B.S. in Civil and Environment Engineering at Virginia Tech. During her time at VT, the college curriculum help her to have a rock-solid theoretical academic foundation. Additionally, she has gained precious experience within the Civil Engineering Industry through construction engineering and management internships. By following her passion for Construction Management, she looks forward to applying her academic experience as well as courage and enthusiasm to the industrial field through an internship.

Feng Zhang is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by Rutgers University. Currently his group research topic is Bridge Digital Twins in collaboration with the NYC Department of Transportation. He is participating, as well, in the AECOM Industry Study (formerly called Practicum).

Chintan Vohra is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by CEPT University. Currently his group research topic is Bridge Digital Twins in collaboration with the NYC Department of Transportation. He  is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study (formerly called Practicum).

Atmaja Vilas Patil is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Engineering in Civil Engineering, was conferred by Vidyavardhini's College of Engineering and Technology, Vasai-Virar, Maharashtra (India). Ms. Patil has worked as a Junior Site Engineer at Ace Sports and Infra in the Mumbai suburban district..Her research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow was focused on Data Analytics. Last year she participated, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum and, as an intern at STV, she is currently helping with the STV Industry Field Study (previously called Practicum). Her current group research topic is Bridge Digital Twins in collaboration with the NYC Department of Transportation

Alejandro Lizcano is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by the Universidad De Los Andes. Currently his group research topic is Equity in Infrastructure. He  is participating, as well, in the STV IndustStudy (formerly called Practicum).

Aashini Patel is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering was conferred by the University of Maryland, College Park. Currently her group research topic is Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Multi-family Residential buildings. She is participating, as well, in the STV Industry Field Study (formerly called Practicum).

Ms.Yuhuan Gao is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Engineering in Civil Engineering, was conferred by Beijing Jiaotong University (China). Ms. Gao has worked as a Data Analyst at Schneider Electric and as a Digital Analyst at Siemens in Beijing. Her research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Data Analytics. She is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Ms. Wenjun Gao is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Engineering in Civil Engineering, was conferred by the University of Hong Kong. Ms. Gao has worked as a Project Assistant in Open  BIM & Modular Construction at the HKU - iLab of the University of Hong Kong, as a Research Assistant at the Department of Real Estate and Construction of HKU and as a Project Assistant Intern at the China Construction Eighth Engineering Divison Corporation Limited. Her research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Modular Construction. She is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Ms. Victoria Yip is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. Her prior degree is a Bachelor of Science in Structural Engineering conferred by the Jacobs School of Engineering of the University of California at San Diego (USA). Ms. Yip has worked as a Geotechnical and Structural Intern at Arcadis and as a structural intern at Hyder Consulting, both in Hong Kong. Her research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Public-Private Partnerships. She is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Ms. Rujutha Parameswaran is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Architecture,  was conferred by the University of Mumbai, located in Mumbai, Maharashtra (India). Ms. Parameswaran has worked as an Architecture Consultant, a Junior Architect, and Research Intern in or near Mumbai. Her research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Public-Private Partnerships. She is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Roopesh Pugalendi is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Civil Engineering, was conferred by the Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu (India). Mr. Pugalendi has worked as an intern at GEK Terna-CGCE JV in Muharraq, Bahrain, and at Gulf Fencing Specialist Surfacing in Asker, Bahrain. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Construction Technology. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Rishav Shrivastav is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Civil Engineering, was conferred by Tribhuvan Vishwavidalaya, Kathmandu (Nepal). Mr Shrivastav has worked as a Civil Engineer at the Nepal College of Travel & Tourism Management (NCTTM), at Sarbottam Engineering Solutions Pvt. Ltd., and International Realty Investment & Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and at Kasthamandap Associates Pvt. Ltd. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Data Analytics. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Ms. Qinyang Zhu is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Science in Project Management, was conferred by the Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing (China). Ms. Zhu has worked as a Project Assistant at Infinity Technology Co., Ltd. and as a Research Assistant at the China Investment Consulting Co., Ltd., both in Beijing. Her research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Public-Private Partnerships. She is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Ning Wang is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Real Estate Development, Finance and Management. His prior degree is a Master of Science in Civil Engineering conferred by Tianjin University in Tianjin, China, and a Bachelors in Civil Engineering from Hebei University of Technology, also in Tianjin. Mr. Wang has worked as a Real Estate Industry Analysis intern at Tianfeng Securities Co., Ltd.; as a Kingsman Intern in Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); as an Investment Banking Analysis intern in Tianjin; and as a Management Trainee in Beijing. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Construction Technology: Modular Construction. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Krunal Patel is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Architecture, was conferred by Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat  (India). Mr. Patel has worked as an Architect at One Graphite Studio in Ahmedabad and as a Construction Intern at Haridev Buildcon. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Real Estate. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Kenichiro Suzuki is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His prior degrees, a Bachelors of Architecture and a Masters of Architecture, were both conferred by Waseda University, Tokyo (Japan). Mr Suzuki has worked in both construction management and planning in the Building Construction Division of the Obayashi Corporation, Japan's largest general contractor. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Construction Technology. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Kahan Shah is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors in Construction Technology, was conferred by CEPT University, formerly the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad, Gujarat (India). Mr. Shah has worked as a Project Manager at HCP Design Planning & Management Pvt. Ltd. in Ahmedabad. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Real Estate. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Jianjun Long is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His undergraduate degrees, a Bachelors of Construction Management, was conferred by Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona (USA) and a Bachelors of Science in Engineering/Industrial Management, was conferred by Chongqing University of Post and Telecommunications, Chongqing (China). Mr. Long has worked as an Assistant Project Manager at the Chongqing Construction Group Fourth Construction. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Data Analytics. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Ms. Jennifer Sharon Antony Nelsson is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. Her undergraduate degree, a five-year Bachelors in Architecture, was conferred by the MARG Institute of Design and Architecture Swarnabhoomi (MIDAS). It included two internship opportunities, one in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (India) and the other in Mason City, Iowa (USA). She is a LEED Green Associate, currently preparing for the LEED AP BD+C specialization and a Registered Architect with the Council of Architecture, India. Her research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Public-Private Partnerships. She is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Ms. Jennie Gandhi is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Engineering in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, was conferred by the Adani Institute of Infrastructure in Ahmedabad, Gujurat (India). Ms. Gandhi has worked as an Assistant Structural Engineer in Bhavnagar, Gujarat (India) and has completed internships in engineering and real estate in Ahmedabad and Surat. Her research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Real Estate. She is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Hongxin Jiang is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Road, Bridge and River-crossing Engineering, was conferred by Jilin University in Changchun, Jilin (China). Mr. Jiang has worked as a Project Manager Assistant at the China United Engineering Corporation and a Project Management Intern at China Western Power Industrial Co., Ltd. in Zigong, Sichuan (China). His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Construction Technology. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Harsh Rajendrabhai Patel is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Engineering Management. His undergraduate degree a B,achelors of Engineering in Civil Engineering, was conferred by Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad Gujarat (India). He has gained significant knowledge in the real estate development industry by closely working with hi family's real estate development firm in Surat, Gujurat. He has also gained experience as an intern site engineer at two different firms in India. Mr. Patel is oriented towards the development as well as finance side of the construction industry. At CBIPS, during the pandemic, his research focused on the impacts of COVID-19 on the real estate market of New York City, understanding the recovery curve of the market, as well as predicting the future trends. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Real Estate. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Hardhik Kasireddy is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His undergraduate degrees, a Bachelors of Technology in Civil Engineering, was conferred by Mahindra University, Bahadurpally, Hyderabad (India). Mr. Kasireddy has worked as an intern Site Engineer for Accurate Developers Pvt Ltd and for AECOM, both in Hyderabad, Telangana (India). His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Construction Technology: Robotics and AI. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Ms. Haiwen Zhu is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. Her prior degree is a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering conferred by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York (USA). Ms. Yip has worked as an intern at the Wuhan Construction Engineering Group and as a Supervisory Assistant at Chongqing CISDO Engineering Consulting, both in China. Her research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Data Analytics. She is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Haimil Patel is a a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering, with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management and Real Estate, Construction and Finance. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelor in Civil Engineering was conferred by the Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University - now PDEU, located in Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India). Mr. Patel has worked on commercial and residential building projects with a strong interest in real estate management and finance. He also completed a certification program in Real Estate Management and Housing Finance from the Real Estate Management Institute in Mumbai, India. He has also participated in two international programs to study engineering management and civil engineering in a global context; one of these was in Texas (USA) and the other in Sembilan (Malaysia). In his recent project management internship at the Sampad Group in Ahmedabad, India, he was responsible for the preparation of project timelines and Gantt charts to analyze and understand the practical concepts of construction management. Mr. Patel is highly motivated to pursue his dream of starting his own business doing project management consultancy in India. Currently he serves as Board Treasurer of the Columbia Engineering Energy Club. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Real Estate. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Derry Radityatama is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors in Regional and City Planning, was conferred by the Bandung Institute of Technology, West Java (Indonesia). Mr. Radityatama has worked as a Project Expert at Indonesia's Ministry of Public Works and Housing in Jakarta Selatan. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Construction Technology. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Chitiz Sahani is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His undergraduate degree, a Masters of Technology, was conferred by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (India). He received a Bachelor of Technology degree in Civil Engineering from the KIET Group of Institutions where he was Vice President of the Civil Engineering Society (CIVEC). Mr. Sahani has worked as a Senior Site Engineer for Swadeshi Civil Infrastructure Private Limited, as a Site Engineer for B.D. Raizada Projects Private Limited, and as a Construction Engineering Intern for the Jaypee Group in Noida, Uttar Pradesh (India). His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Real Estate: Affordable Housing. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Ms.Atmaja Vilas Patil is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Engineering in Civil Engineering, was conferred by Vidyavardhini's College of Engineering and Technology, Vasai-Virar, Maharashtra (India). Ms. Patil has worked as a Junior Site Engineer at Ace Sports and Infra in the Mumbai suburban district..Her research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Data Analytics. She is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Rohan Sandeep Ghatagel is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Technology in Civil Engineering, was conferred with First Class Distinction by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavans Sardar Patel College of Engineering (India). Mr. Ghatagel has worked as a Project Engineer at Calibre Concrete Solutions in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India, and as a Construction Management Intern at the Mumbia Metro Rail Corporation and a Project Engineering Intern at Larsen & Toubro in Mumbai. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on the relation of Data Analytics to Smart Infrastructure. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Mr. Aakash Goel is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. His undergraduate degree, a Bachelors of Technology in Civil Engineering, was conferred by Delhi Technological University (India). Mr. Goel has worked as a Project Engineer at AAR CEE Contracts Private Ltd., a construction firm in Delhi. His research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Public-Private Partnerships. He is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Ms. Lin Shi is a graduate student at Columbia University pursuing a Masters degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Construction Engineering and Management. Her undergraduate degree, a Bachelors in Industrial Engineering was conferred by Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China), and exposed her to both design and engineering disciplines.

Her interest in construction management started when she was taking a quality control course during her bachelor's study, and further developed when she was interning as an assistant cost estimator or the Hande Group Co., Ltd., which is located in Nanjing, China. During the internship, her primary mission was to be in charge of reviewing project budgets and preparing budget statements. Throughout the four-year undergraduate study and the one-and-a-half year internship, she exercised research, interpersonal, and motivational skills, and consistently contributed to team efforts and organizational improvements.

During the 2020-2021 academic year, Lin Shi participated in CBIPS research on the relation of the pandemic to the AEC Industry, mainly on the recovery from the pandemic and also participating in research with the "Ten Years After" theme, which discusses future housing, commercial space, and public space, based on the changes occasioned by COVID-19. During this research, her team is focusing on the topic of Green Buildings. She is also interested in historic infrastructure preservation.

Her research as a CBIPS 2021-2022 Fellow is focused on Construction Technology. She is participating, as well, in the CBIPS/AECOM Practicum.

Atharva Powar is a 2026 CBIPS Fellow. His research centers on AI=Driven Decarbonization.