The Department of Building Construction would like to welcome the newest members of our team. We are pleased to have them with us and excited that our continued growth has resulted in new talent. Please take a moment to introduce yourself when you see them in Bishop-Favrao.
Aleksandra Graff received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from Ohio University. She has over 5 years of experience in the construction industry working as a Staff Engineer and Project Manager for a top 20 ranked engineering firm, Intertek-PSI. While working at Intertek-PSI, Ms. Graff oversaw AASHTO accredited laboratory and managed construction inspection and materials testing for large scale projects in Central Ohio. Her areas of expertise include building construction, geotechnical and materials engineering, and project management. She joins us as an Assistant Professor of Practice for the Department of Building Construction.
Gary Kinder joins the department as an academic advisor. Having served the university community for 25+ years, Gary is a proud Hokie, having received a Master of Education in Counseling from Virginia Tech, and a Bachelors of Business Administration in Marketing, from Radford University, and we are happy to have him. He was raised in Southwest Virginia (Wythe County), appreciates the solid work ethic of those in the construction industries. He enjoys home remodeling, gardening, traveling to the DownEast coast of Maine, and is a self-avowed “Foodie” – especially cooking for family and friends, and for Hokie Football Tailgates. A man who serves the University community with the guiding principles of Ut Prosim.
Nazila Roofigari-Esfahan received her MSc and PhD in Construction Engineering and Management from Concordia University and McMaster University in Canada. During her PhD studies, she also worked as Assistant Project Manager in the facility services at McMaster University. She most recently worked as post-doctoral associate at the University of Florida. Her education and research pursuits are geared toward automating building and highway construction processes. More specifically, she is interested in the application of Cyber-Physical Systems and smart systems for improving safety, knowledge management and real-time decision making in construction worksites. She has contributed to over twenty journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters. She joins us as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Building Construction.
