Assistant Professor Director, Construction Engineering and Management Program
Bio
B.S. Civil Engineering, Universidad Industrial de Santander, 2013M.S. Civil Engineering, Universidad Industrial de Santander, 2016Ph.D. Civil Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2020
"The construction industry demands professionals and leaders that make substantial contributions to the field in both research and practice. Thus, the learning environment should adapt to today’s generation and should guarantee that students will gain the knowledge and skills they need as future professionals.
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Dr. Franco Duran received her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Universidad Industrial de Santander (Colombia).
Her primary research interest is in engineering education, focusing on teaching and learning. Specifically, she is interested in:
Evaluating the impact of contemporary pedagogy on enhancing students’ learning process.
Understanding how to promote effective learning environments that help students to develop the competencies required by the construction industry.
Developing assessment forms that constitute evidence about the knowledge acquired and skills developed by students.
Awards
ASCE, JCEM Feature Paper: Review of Resource-Constrained Scheduling Algorithms. 2019
1st Place ACOFI Award: Engineering Teaching is Stuck in the Past: How to Move Forward from the Traditional and Obsolete Approach?2018
3rd Place University Synchro Software Challenge: Improving Road Infrastructure and Minimizing Mobility Impacts by Accelerated Bridge Construction.2018
Outstanding PhD Student: Vecellio Construction Engineering and Management Program.2018
This fall, the department will introduce courses developed in a new partnership with leaders in the industry as initial steps toward a CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. The goal is eventually to establish an academic track for undergraduates, a professional master’s degree and continuing education for working professionals.
Performance of Resource Constrained Scheduling Heuristics (2020). Journal of Construction Engineering and Management,146 (4), pp 1-12. ABSFranco Duran, D.M., de la Garza, J.M.
Review of Resource-Constrained Scheduling Algorithms (2019). Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 145 (11), pp 1-16. ABSFranco Duran, D.M., de la Garza, J.M.
Phantom Float in Commercial Scheduling Software (2019). Journal of Automation in Construction, 103, pp 291-299. ABSFranco Duran, D.M., de la Garza, J.M.
