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Maria obtained her Ph.D. in Summer 2020. Her dissertation, entitled "Advancing Knowledge of Design-Build and Best-Value in Highway Projects", revisits current Design-Bid-Build low bid and Design-Build best-value practices and provides new knowledge to enhance their performance. Maria obtained her Ph.D. under a dual-degree agreement between CU Boulder and the Catholic University of Chile. Maria was co-advised by Professor Keith Molenaar and Prof. Torres-Machi from CU Boulder and Professors Luis Fernando Alarcon and Alondra Chamorro from the Catholic University of Chile.

During her doctoral research, Maria worked on a research project sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) aimed to evaluate the efficiency of their Design-Build program.

Starting from Fall 2020, Maria is joining the Construction Management Department at California State University at Fresno as an Assistant Professor. Before starting her Ph.D, Maria worked in an international engineering firm for more than 13 years. She served as a project manager in the design and the construction supervision of several infrastructure projects in Spain and Chile. Between 2013 and 2016, Maria was the technical manager of Louis Berger (current WSP) headquarters in Santiago de Chile.

Maria enjoys creative writing, travelling, hiking, cycling, and practicing yoga.

Education

• PhD in Civil Engineering (Construction Engineering and Management), Â鶹ÊÓƵ, 2020
• PhD in Engineering Sciences, Catholic University of Chile, 2020
• MS in Structures, University of Cantabria, Spain, 2004
• BS in Civil Engineering, University of Cantabria, Spain, 2002

Certifications

• Project Management Profesional PMP
• Envision sutainability Professionals ENV SP