David Mendonca

Dr. David Mendonca is a Senior Research Fellow at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's School of Engineering, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He concurrently serves as Senior Principal Decision Scientist at MITRE Corporation. His research focuses on improvisation and adaptation in emergency response, cognitive foundations of decision-making, and computer-based decision support systems. He has been continuously funded by the NSF since 2001, including an NSF CAREER award.

Education:

• Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• M.S., Carnegie Mellon University
• B.A., University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Research interests emphasize decision-making processes, cognitive science applications in emergency contexts, and human-system interactions. His work bridges theoretical insights with practical guidance for emergency responders and organizations.

Professional highlights include visiting research positions at TU Delft (The Netherlands) and the University of Lisbon, as well as prior roles as an NSF Program Director. He holds IEEE Senior Member status and has maintained strong academic-industrial collaboration through his dual institutional affiliations.