Feniosky Peña-Mora
Encyclopedia
Feniosky Peña-Mora is a Dominican born
engineer
, educator, and the 14th Dean of Columbia University
's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
. Formerly the Associate Provost
of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, he has an international reputation for his teaching, research
, and leadership in managing engineering programs at world-renowned universities. He is also Columbia University
's Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor of Engineering in the Departments of Civil Engineering
and Engineering Mechanics and Computer Science
. Peña-Mora's appointment to one of the top posts in the Ivy League
school has garnered much sensationalism in his home country Dominican Republic
, and he has been headlined as the country's prodigy son.
from the Dominican Republic
. He was 21 with a degree in engineering from Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña
in Santo Domingo
. Yet without a background in English, Peña-Mora took English classes at Columbia University
's Teachers College and at a YMCA
program in Greenwich Village
. He ended his days at Bronx Community College
.
Even at an age of 12, Feniosky displayed an interest in engineering
, building small bridges from popsicle
sticks. However, his childhood in the Dominican Republic
was relatively unstable. After his mother, Mirtha Lopez who was divorced when Feniosky turned 8, moved to New York
in search of employment, Peña-Mora moved around between aunts and their fathers. Later, when he failed to join the United States military after high school, Peña-Mora enrolled in the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez
in Santo Domingo
.
Before arriving in MIT, Peña-Mora met Minosca Alcantara, a fellow engineering student at the university. They started to date, and when Peña-Mora was admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
’s graduate school, she followed him to the United States
. Peña-Mora, meanwhile, focused on earning both Master of Science
and Doctor of Science
degrees in civil engineering from MIT. During this time, Peña-Mora became fascinated by the complexities of large-scale construction projects and the role of engineers in responding to major disasters, topics of which he later researched and taught. Peña-Mora impressed the faculty at MIT and was offered a teaching position upon finishing his doctorate. Subsequently, Peña-Mora took a year to develop real-world experience, working on the construction of the Central Artery
in Boston
, commonly known as the Big Dig
. In 2003, the Peña-Mora, then an associate professor at MIT, and his wife left Massachusetts
for the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he accepted an endowed faculty position in its civil and environmental engineering
department. In 2008, he became an associate provost
at the university. As Associate Provost at the University of Illinois, Peña-Mora was actively involved with Interdisciplinary, Diversity and Entrepreneurial Initiatives, interests that he has carried over into his post as Dean of Columbia Engineering. While still Associate Provost, he served as the campus lead for the Consortium on Fostering Interdisciplinary Inquiry that consisted of US research institutions which have exhibited leadership and innovation in supporting interdisciplinary activities in higher education. Consequently, Pena Mora tackled the campus’ contributions to the consortium self-study and chaired the Campus Executive Committee. A year later in June, 2009, Peña-Mora accepted his new position as Columbia's Dean of Engineering and Applied Science in June, 2009.
support for collaboration in preparedness, response, and recovery during disasters such as the 9-11 terrorist attack and Hurricane Katrina
. He also studies change management, conflict resolution
, and processes integration for large-scale engineering systems.
Peña-Mora made ground-breaking impact in the field of construction engineering and management, contributing to advances in our understanding of change and conflicts and collaboration in large infrastructure processes. Peña-Mora’s development of the Interaction Space Theory for collaboration has sharpened performance among global construction management teams. In change management
, he has identified the key components that influence the effectiveness of fast-tracking strategies construction projects and their governing dynamics. His findings on collaboration, change management, and conflict resolution have been adopted and implemented in several important large-scale infrastructure projects, such as for Boston's Central Artery
, Route 3 North project in Massachusetts, Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia
(SIRIM) Project, and the Puerto Rico's Tren Urbano
project.
and a key figure in a variety of international projects. He has founded high-tech startups
and consulting
companies, working with both the construction industry and governments of various foreign nations including Argentina
, Colombia
and Japan
. He is the holder of the 1999 National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the White House Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
. In 2007, Peña-Mora received the Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize of the American Society of Civil Engineers
(ASCE). Recently in 2008, he was recognized with the ASCE Computing in Civil Engineering Award for outstanding achievement in the use of computers for purposes of civil engineering.
From 1995 to 2009, Peña-Mora has raised nearly $7 million dollars in research funding from both private and public organizations, in addition to over $1.5 million dollars in investments for high tech start-up.
's President Lee C. Bollinger, Feniosky Pena-Mora was appointed to the position of dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
in April after a two-year search. Since the announcement of his appointment, Spanish periodicals have hailed him as a hero. Dean Peña-Mora is keen on emphasizing interdisciplinary research and teaching in the applied science
s, the role of engineers as leaders, and the importance of the Columbia's famed Core curriculum
in ensuring the synergy of liberal arts and engineering studies. Dean Peña-Mora leads Columbia's engineering school, whose mission seeks to educate socially-responsible engineering and applied science leaders, whose works, according to the School's core mission, will result in the betterment of the human condition, locally, nationally, and globally. Peña-Mora's efforts in furtherance of this mission constitutes focusing on the frontier of an area that he has named “CyberBioPhysicalTM Systems,” where the biological, physical, and digital worlds integrate and fuse. These innovative pursuits will solve current challenges in health
, sustainability
, energy
, and water
.
Since 2009, Dean Peña-Mora has also instituted a “Rising Superstars” strategy to attract the best and brightest new faculty
to Columbia Engineering and to reward current faculty whose work places them at the top of their own fields. He has raised $10 million thus far to fund the massive initiative.
Administratively, he has created committees that would promote better communication among and between faculty chairs and senior staff. On the academic side, he has started to standardize the promotion and tenure processes of the School, while seeking competent personnel to carry forward new key initiatives in media relations
, corporate relations, and development.
, conference proceedings, book chapters, and textbooks. His publication, “Design Rationale for Computer Supported Conflict Mitigation,” received the 1995 award for best paper published in the American Society Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering. He is also the author of Introduction to construction dispute resolution (2002).
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, educator, and the 14th Dean of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is a school of Columbia University which awards Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Master of Financial Engineering, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Science, Doctor of Engineering degrees in engineering, applied physics and applied...
. Formerly the Associate Provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, he has an international reputation for his teaching, research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
, and leadership in managing engineering programs at world-renowned universities. He is also Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor of Engineering in the Departments of Civil Engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
and Engineering Mechanics and Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
. Peña-Mora's appointment to one of the top posts in the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
school has garnered much sensationalism in his home country Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, and he has been headlined as the country's prodigy son.
Life and career
In 1988, Feniosky Peña-Mora arrived in Washington HeightsWashington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
from the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. He was 21 with a degree in engineering from Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña
Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña
The Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña is a private, coeducational, university in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.-History:...
in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
. Yet without a background in English, Peña-Mora took English classes at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's Teachers College and at a YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
program in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
. He ended his days at Bronx Community College
Bronx Community College
The Bronx Community College of The City University of New York is a community college in the City University of New York system located in the University Heights neighborhood of The Bronx.- History :...
.
Even at an age of 12, Feniosky displayed an interest in engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, building small bridges from popsicle
Popsicle
Popsicle is the most popular brand of ice pop in the United States and Canada. The first ice pop was created by accident in 1905 when 11-year-old Frank Epperson left a cup of soda on his porch in cold weather overnight. The next morning he went to go get the soda and it was frozen, so he put two...
sticks. However, his childhood in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
was relatively unstable. After his mother, Mirtha Lopez who was divorced when Feniosky turned 8, moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in search of employment, Peña-Mora moved around between aunts and their fathers. Later, when he failed to join the United States military after high school, Peña-Mora enrolled in the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez
Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña
The Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña is a private, coeducational, university in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.-History:...
in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
.
Before arriving in MIT, Peña-Mora met Minosca Alcantara, a fellow engineering student at the university. They started to date, and when Peña-Mora was admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
’s graduate school, she followed him to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Peña-Mora, meanwhile, focused on earning both Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
and Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
degrees in civil engineering from MIT. During this time, Peña-Mora became fascinated by the complexities of large-scale construction projects and the role of engineers in responding to major disasters, topics of which he later researched and taught. Peña-Mora impressed the faculty at MIT and was offered a teaching position upon finishing his doctorate. Subsequently, Peña-Mora took a year to develop real-world experience, working on the construction of the Central Artery
Central Artery
The John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, known locally as the Central Artery, is a section of freeway in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, designated as Interstate 93, U.S. Route 1 and Route 3. It was initially constructed in the 1950s as a partly elevated and partly tunneled divided highway...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, commonly known as the Big Dig
Big Dig
The Central Artery/Tunnel Project , known unofficially as the Big Dig and as the Big Dug since completion, was a megaproject in Boston that rerouted the Central Artery , the chief highway through the heart of the city, into a 3.5-mile tunnel...
. In 2003, the Peña-Mora, then an associate professor at MIT, and his wife left Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
for the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he accepted an endowed faculty position in its civil and environmental engineering
Environmental engineering
Environmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to improve the natural environment , to provide healthy water, air, and land for human habitation and for other organisms, and to remediate polluted sites...
department. In 2008, he became an associate provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
at the university. As Associate Provost at the University of Illinois, Peña-Mora was actively involved with Interdisciplinary, Diversity and Entrepreneurial Initiatives, interests that he has carried over into his post as Dean of Columbia Engineering. While still Associate Provost, he served as the campus lead for the Consortium on Fostering Interdisciplinary Inquiry that consisted of US research institutions which have exhibited leadership and innovation in supporting interdisciplinary activities in higher education. Consequently, Pena Mora tackled the campus’ contributions to the consortium self-study and chaired the Campus Executive Committee. A year later in June, 2009, Peña-Mora accepted his new position as Columbia's Dean of Engineering and Applied Science in June, 2009.
Research
Peña-Mora’s research encompasses information technologyInformation technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
support for collaboration in preparedness, response, and recovery during disasters such as the 9-11 terrorist attack and Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. He also studies change management, conflict resolution
Conflict resolution
Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...
, and processes integration for large-scale engineering systems.
Peña-Mora made ground-breaking impact in the field of construction engineering and management, contributing to advances in our understanding of change and conflicts and collaboration in large infrastructure processes. Peña-Mora’s development of the Interaction Space Theory for collaboration has sharpened performance among global construction management teams. In change management
Change management
Change management is a structured approach to shifting/transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state. It is an organizational process aimed at helping employees to accept and embrace changes in their current business environment....
, he has identified the key components that influence the effectiveness of fast-tracking strategies construction projects and their governing dynamics. His findings on collaboration, change management, and conflict resolution have been adopted and implemented in several important large-scale infrastructure projects, such as for Boston's Central Artery
Central Artery
The John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, known locally as the Central Artery, is a section of freeway in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, designated as Interstate 93, U.S. Route 1 and Route 3. It was initially constructed in the 1950s as a partly elevated and partly tunneled divided highway...
, Route 3 North project in Massachusetts, Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia
Sirim
SIRIM Berhad, formerly known as the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia , is a corporate organisation owned wholly by the Malaysian Government, under the Minister of Finance Incorporated...
(SIRIM) Project, and the Puerto Rico's Tren Urbano
Tren Urbano
The Tren Urbano — or Urban Train in English — is a fully automated rapid transit that serves the metropolitan area of San Juan, which includes the municipalities of San Juan, Bayamón and Guaynabo. It is electrified by third rail at 750 V DC...
project.
Recognition
Peña-Mora is the author of more than 100 publications. His research has been groundbreaking in the field of construction engineering and management. He is a professional engineer registered in the Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and a key figure in a variety of international projects. He has founded high-tech startups
Startup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
and consulting
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
companies, working with both the construction industry and governments of various foreign nations including Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He is the holder of the 1999 National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the White House Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
PECASE
The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. The White House, following recommendations from participating agencies,...
. In 2007, Peña-Mora received the Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize of the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
(ASCE). Recently in 2008, he was recognized with the ASCE Computing in Civil Engineering Award for outstanding achievement in the use of computers for purposes of civil engineering.
From 1995 to 2009, Peña-Mora has raised nearly $7 million dollars in research funding from both private and public organizations, in addition to over $1.5 million dollars in investments for high tech start-up.
Dean of Columbia
Affectionately called “Feni” by Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's President Lee C. Bollinger, Feniosky Pena-Mora was appointed to the position of dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is a school of Columbia University which awards Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Master of Financial Engineering, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Science, Doctor of Engineering degrees in engineering, applied physics and applied...
in April after a two-year search. Since the announcement of his appointment, Spanish periodicals have hailed him as a hero. Dean Peña-Mora is keen on emphasizing interdisciplinary research and teaching in the applied science
Applied science
Applied science is the application of scientific knowledge transferred into a physical environment. Examples include testing a theoretical model through the use of formal science or solving a practical problem through the use of natural science....
s, the role of engineers as leaders, and the importance of the Columbia's famed Core curriculum
Core Curriculum
The Core Curriculum was originally developed as the main curriculum used by Columbia University's Columbia College. It began in 1919 with "Contemporary Civilization," about the origins of western civilization. It became the framework for many similar educational models throughout the United States...
in ensuring the synergy of liberal arts and engineering studies. Dean Peña-Mora leads Columbia's engineering school, whose mission seeks to educate socially-responsible engineering and applied science leaders, whose works, according to the School's core mission, will result in the betterment of the human condition, locally, nationally, and globally. Peña-Mora's efforts in furtherance of this mission constitutes focusing on the frontier of an area that he has named “CyberBioPhysicalTM Systems,” where the biological, physical, and digital worlds integrate and fuse. These innovative pursuits will solve current challenges in health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
, energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
, and water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
.
Since 2009, Dean Peña-Mora has also instituted a “Rising Superstars” strategy to attract the best and brightest new faculty
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
to Columbia Engineering and to reward current faculty whose work places them at the top of their own fields. He has raised $10 million thus far to fund the massive initiative.
Administratively, he has created committees that would promote better communication among and between faculty chairs and senior staff. On the academic side, he has started to standardize the promotion and tenure processes of the School, while seeking competent personnel to carry forward new key initiatives in media relations
Media relations
Media relations involves working with various media for the purpose of informing the public of an organization's mission, policies and practices in a positive, consistent and credible manner. Typically, this means coordinating directly with the people responsible for producing the news and features...
, corporate relations, and development.
Awards and positions
Dean Peña-Mora is the holder of some of the most prestigious awards in the engineering and research profession.- 1999 National Science Foundation CAREER Award
- 2000 White House Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) AwardPECASEThe Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. The White House, following recommendations from participating agencies,...
. - 2007 ASCE Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize
- 2008 ASCE Computing in Civil Engineering Award
- Associate Editor for the ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering
- Editorial board member of the IEEE Internet Computing MagazineIEEE Internet ComputingIEEE Internet Computing is a bi-monthly magazine, published by the IEEE Computer Society, covering all aspects of emerging and maturing Internet technologies. The journal publishes articles concerning the latest developments, key trends, and new applications related to the Internet...
- Specialty Editor for the ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
- Editorial board member of Automation in Construction, the Journal of IT in Construction and the Revista Ingeniería de Construcción
- Speaker at the 2001 National Academy of EngineeringNational Academy of EngineeringThe National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
Frontiers of Engineering Symposia, the 2003 American Society of Civil EngineersAmerican Society of Civil EngineersThe American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
Symposium on Information Technology in Civil Engineering, & the 2004 National Academies Convocation on Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research - Member of National Academies’Committee on Advancing the Productivity of the U.S. Construction Industry
Books
Peña-Mora has authored or co-authored over one-hundred publications in refereed journalsAcademic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
, conference proceedings, book chapters, and textbooks. His publication, “Design Rationale for Computer Supported Conflict Mitigation,” received the 1995 award for best paper published in the American Society Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering. He is also the author of Introduction to construction dispute resolution (2002).
- Peña-Mora, F., Sosa, C., and McCone, S., Dispute Avoidance and Resolution in Large Scale Civil Engineering Systems, MIT/Prentice Hall Civil and Environmental Engineering Textbook Series, August 2002.
- Feniosky Pena-Mora, Carlos E. Sosa, D. Sean McCone, Introduction to Construction Dispute Resolution
- Peña-Mora, F., Soibelman, L., Anumba, C., Park, M., Samii, M., Lyneis, J., and Kalligeros, K., System and Project Management, MIT/Prentice Hall Civil and Environmental Engineering Textbook Series, August 2009.
- Fruchter, R., Peña-Mora, F., and Roddis, K. (eds.), Computing in Civil and Building Engineering, ASCE Press, Reston, VA, 2000
- Soibelman, L., and Peña-Mora, F. (eds.), Computing in Civil Engineering, ASCE Press, Reston, VA, 2005
See also
- Ivy LeagueIvy LeagueThe Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
- Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
- Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied ScienceFu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied ScienceThe Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is a school of Columbia University which awards Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Master of Financial Engineering, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Science, Doctor of Engineering degrees in engineering, applied physics and applied...
- University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
- Civil EngineeringCivil engineeringCivil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
External links
- New Dean is Feniosky Pena-Mora
- Curriculum Vitae
- New York Daily: Columbia engineering school dean Feniosky Peña-Mora also dean of the American Dream
- New York Times: An Immigrant’s Journey to a Top Post at Columbia
- Columbia Spectator: Who runs Columbia: Find out who is large and in charge
- Brill Newmann Executive Consulting Search
- civil.columbia.edu
- Professional Bio
- Law Professors Web
- Research Group