Bio

Dr. María Calahorra-Jiménez is an assistant professor in the Moss Department of Construction Management at Florida International University (FIU). Before joining FIU, she earned early tenure and promotion at California State University, Fresno, where she served for five years as the Beavers Assistant Professor of Heavy Civil Construction Management.

Dr. Calahorra-Jiménez holds two doctoral degrees—one in civil engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder and another in engineering sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Prior to her academic career, she worked for more than 14 years with international engineering firms, managing and supervising the design and construction of over 100 infrastructure projects across Spain and Chile, totaling nearly $2 billion.

Her research and teaching focus on alternative project delivery and procurement methods, digital transformation—including the use of building information modeling (BIM) and emerging technologies throughout the project life cycle—and sustainability and resilience in infrastructure planning and delivery. She is also dedicated to broadening women’s participation in heavy civil engineering and construction, as well as in engineering and construction education.

Dr. Calahorra-Jiménez has authored more than 20 publications and has led multiple funded projects in these areas. She is passionate about advancing engineering and construction practices in infrastructure projects and believes that research and higher education are key to achieving this vision.

Maria enjoys reading, travelling, yoga, and spending time with her son, husband, family and friends.