RESEARCH

My research interests and areas of expertise include development of innovative computer based risk assessment and strategic management decision support systems and solutions for construction engineering and project management. The increasing complexity of the construction industry environment and scarcity of resources have increased the need for innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to risk assessment, project delivery and financing, strategic planning, and management support systems.

Over the past seven years, including five years as a research assistant at Purdue University and two years as an assistant professor at Florida International University, I have engaged in cutting edge research in construction engineering and project management funded by agencies such as the Construction Industry Institute, Ohio DOT, and Florida DOT. My research has made significant contribution to the field of infrastructure management, project controls, and innovative contracting by developing innovative solutions for risk assessment and strategic process evaluation for management decision making. I have authored and co-authored 14 journal papers, including 5 published and 9 under review; while 3 more are in preparation. Furthermore, I have 7 published conference papers, one forum piece, and several other publications (Please refer to my vitae for details).

Since joining Florida International University in Fall-2006, I have initiated contact with several companies and associations within Florida with an objective to pursue my research interests. At the national level, I serve as the Associate Editor for the ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering and as a reviewer for several leading national journals. I am an Engineer Intern (EIT) and am planning to take my P.E. exam in the near future.

While I have benefited considerably from continual collaboration with other colleagues in the same field, my areas of research are also interdisciplinary and warrant collaboration with researchers from other areas. Specifically, my research interests fall in three major areas:

1. Risk assessment and decision making in project management

2. Alternative financing and innovative contracting

3. Green construction and sustainability

RESEARCH GRANTS (at FIU)

• “Development of Improved Information Management Processes for FDOT Dispute Review Board System.” Funding Agency: Florida Department of Transportation, June 2008 – June 2009, Role: Co-PI, Amount: $96,480.

OTHER RESEARCH

At FIU

• “A LEED Implementation Framework for Building Contractors and Construction Managers in the United States.” M.S. Thesis Research, Role: Major Advisor, Thesis committee chair.

At Purdue

• “The Evaluation of Warranty Provisions on ODOT Construction Projects.” Role: Research assistant under grant to Dr. Makarand Hastak, Purdue University and Dr. Issam A. Minkarah, University of Cincinnati (FHWA/OH-2003/019).

The study established the state-of-practice of warranty contracting in the U.S. and analyzed its pros and cons in conjunction with current Ohio DOT practices. Responsibilities included literature review, conducting questionnaire surveys and personnel interviews, data analysis, report preparation, and presentations.

• “Trade-Off between Cost & Schedule.” (CII-RT 214). Role: Research assistant under grant to Dr. Makarand Hastak, Purdue University and Dr. Sanjiv Gokhale, Vanderbilt University.

A decision support tool has been developed to identify and quantify the cost and schedule trade-off in industrial projects as well as to prioritize the cost and schedule reduction techniques based on their effectiveness in achieving the trade-off for the whole project and individual project phases. Responsibilities included data consolidation from survey forms, report preparation, presentations, and closeout activities.

• “Infrastructure Planning Handbook.” Role: Research assistant.  (Alvin S. Goodman & Makarand Hastak, McGraw Hill – ASCE, 2006)

Assisted Dr. Hastak in the preparation of a textbook that provides a comprehensive treatment of infrastructure planning in the public sector including the environmental, social, and institutional assessments as well as other non-engineering and economic aspects. Responsibilities included preparing illustrations and managing permission requests.