Jesus M. de la Garza

Dr. Jesus M. de la Garza is the Director of the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences and a Professor of Civil Engineering at Clemson University. He holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois and a B.Sc. from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico. His research focuses on Construction Engineering and Management, Highway Infrastructure Management, and Design-Construction Integration, emphasizing the philosophy that design and construction must be deeply integrated to achieve effective outcomes.

Dr. de la Garza has held significant leadership roles, including Chair of the National Academies' Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment (2023–Present) and Editor-in-Chief of ASCE's Journal of Construction Engineering and Management (2011–Present). His work spans academia, industry, and policy, with notable contributions to highway maintenance systems, accelerated project delivery (APD), and resilient infrastructure design.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of Illinois, 1988
  • M.Sc., Civil Engineering, University of Illinois, 1984
  • B.Sc., Civil Engineering, Tecnológico de Monterrey, 1978

His research interests include innovative construction technologies, safety in construction, and decision support systems for infrastructure resilience. He has led projects funded by the National Science Foundation, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and the Construction Industry Institute (CII). Key contributions include the development of Flash Tracking methodologies for accelerated project delivery and frameworks for multi-hazard resilient building design.

• Awards:
  • 2021 ASCE OPAL Award
  • ASCE Distinguished Member (2014)
  • Vecellio Endowed Professorship (2003)
  • Member of the National Academy of Construction (2010)
  • Over 20+ best paper awards from ASCE and CII

Dr. de la Garza has advised numerous research initiatives and collaborated with global institutions like Chalmers University of Technology and Arizona State University. His work bridges academic research with practical industry applications, emphasizing sustainable and efficient infrastructure solutions.