Cindy L. Menches
Assistant Professor
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Phone: (512) 471-6982
Fax: (512) 471-3191
Email: menches@mail.utexas.edu
Dr. Cindy Menches earned her Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University
of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006. She joined the faculty of The University of
Texas at Austin that same year.
Dr. Menches researches the efficiency of the construction process and the
impact of effective construction planning on performance. She developed an
innovative technique for quantitatively evaluating planning effectiveness of
projects. Menches is currently developing a “toolkit” of efficiency
improvement strategies and adapting standard construction processes to
emergency response situations. The goal of her research is to define and
standardize the roles and responsibilities of engineers and contractors in
the emergency response process. To do this, she will investigate the
challenges involved in assessing, planning, designing, engineering, and
constructing facilities and infrastructure in a dynamic setting that
requires prompt but accurate decision-making under hazardous working
conditions.
Research interests:
- Contingency engineering and construction management during emergency response
- Collaboration between owners, engineers and contractors on project planning and management
- Assessment, management, and mitigation of a construction workforce shortage
- Construction process efficiency strategies