*Subject to Change*
Thursday | March 19
Opening Plenary- CI & CRC | AEI & IRD: TxDOT's Digital Delivery Transformation
This session provides a comprehensive look at the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) project landscape, anchored by an in-depth presentation from the TxDOT Digital Delivery Program. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the state's digital delivery pilot projects, including a specific focus on the digital transformation of the high-profile I-35 Northeast Expansion (NEX) Central project.
Session Highlights:
- The Digital Delivery Program and State-of-the-Art Practices: Discover the program's strategic goals, including standardizing processes, leveraging data, and training the workforce for a fully digital future. Learn how digital delivery improves project communication, reduces risks, and provides more accurate model-based quantities, leading to lower construction costs.
- Project Portfolio Overview: Gain insights into TxDOT's broader project landscape and how the Digital Delivery Program is scaling these advancements across the state's transportation network.
- The NEX Project Digital Showcase: Get an exclusive look at how the I-35 NEX project is piloting these innovations, using digital deliverables to enhance project execution and collaboration.
This session is a must-attend for anyone interested in the future of project delivery, from project managers and engineers to asset managers and technology partners.
Speakers: Jacob Tambunga, P.E., Director, Digital Delivery, Texas Department of Transportation; Marco Galindo, P.E., Senior Construction Engineer for the IH 35 NEX Project, Alternative Project Delivery Supervisor, Texas Department of Transportation
Friday | March 20
Plenary Lunch - From Lab to Jobsite: Moving Research to Practice through Commercialization
Join us for an engaging moderated plenary lunch presentation, showcasing inspiring faculty founders, innovative startup leaders, and executives from dynamic construction firms. They’ll share their firsthand experiences with research-based innovations.
We’ll explore crucial topics like identifying significant challenges, forging robust university-industry partnerships, and navigating IP and funding opportunities—all while managing the complexities of embracing cutting-edge technologies. Join us in discovering how the academic construction research community can team up with practitioners, contractors, and business owners to create meaningful change
Moderator: Steven Ayer, Associate Professor, Faculty Director for Civil Engineering Construction Engineering and Management, University of Colorado Boulder
Speakers: Ali Mostafavi, Zachry Endowed Professor of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University; Logan Farrell, Co-Founder and CTO, Rugged Robotics; Todd Sutton, Director of Construction Technology, Zachry Construction Corporation, Fernanda Leite, P.E., Ph.D., F.ASCE, King Professor in Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Interim Vice President for Research, The University of Texas at Austin
Afternoon Plenary Session- Perspectives from Innovation Leaders: The Future of Engineering and Construction
As the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry accelerates into an era defined by artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, digital twins, immersive visualization, and automation, innovation is transforming every stage of project delivery. This session brings together three visionary leaders; Charles Hixon (Former Chief Digital Officer, Mott MacDonald), Thai Nguyen (Director of Innovation, Hensel Phelps), and Stephen Phillips (Solution Architect, Epic Games); for a candid discussion about how emerging technologies are reshaping design, construction, collaboration, and the workforce across the built environment.
Each panelist brings a distinct lens on innovation: Strategic digital transformation in global engineering, organizational innovation in construction delivery, and the power of real-time visualization and immersive tools to reimagine design and project engagement. Through a dynamic dialogue, they will share real-world examples, organizational strategies for fostering innovation, insights into deploying cutting-edge technologies from digital twins and AI to real-time engines like Unreal and Twinmotion in AEC workflows; and highlight what it takes to lead change in an industry balancing tradition with rapid technological evolution.
The session will also explore how academia and industry can collaborate to prepare the next generation of professionals for this rapidly evolving landscape. Conducted in a moderated format, the discussion will promote an interactive Q&A and exchange of ideas among the leaders and the audience.
Moderator: Melissa Rohland, MBA, PE, PMP, Director of Strategic Programs, Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc.
Speakers: Charles Hixon, Former Chief Digital Officer at Mott MacDonald; Stephen Phillips, Solution Architect for Epic Games; Siavash Mohseni, Innovation, Corporate Venture Capital, Strategic Partnership ,Strategic Innovation Planning, Hensel Phelps