Maria Juenger

Maria Juenger is a Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, holding the Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Centennial Chair in Engineering #2. She is affiliated with the Cockrell School of Engineering and the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering. Her expertise spans infrastructure materials engineering, with a focus on cement chemistry, concrete durability, and sustainable construction materials.

Dr. Juenger earned a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University (1999) and a B.S. in Chemistry from Duke University (1994). Her research emphasizes reducing the environmental impact of concrete production, including the development of low-carbon cements, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), and geopolymer alternatives. Key technical interests include hydration chemistry, microstructural characterization of cement materials, and mechanisms of chemical deterioration.

Her work addresses challenges in geothermal well cementing, carbonation resistance, and self-healing materials. Recent projects investigate the industrialization of calcined clay cements and the standardization of testing methods for SCM reactivity. She has contributed to RILEM technical committees (TC 282-CCL, TC 267-TRM) to advance global standards in cement science.

Dr. Juenger has received the Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Centennial Chair honor. Her research has led to innovations in alkali-activated geopolymers for lost circulation mitigation and CO₂ sequestration applications. She collaborates on projects such as Development of Thermodynamic and Kinetic Simulation Tools for durable concrete formulations and Encapsulated Zinc Compounds for photocatalytic NOₓ removal in concrete.

Her labs focus on material characterization, including thermal analysis, rheology, and durability testing. Ongoing efforts explore reclaimed fly ash utilization, calcined clay reactivity, and sustainable cement alternatives for infrastructure resilience.