{"id":18,"date":"2017-07-07T20:21:08","date_gmt":"2017-07-07T20:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/utsaengineer.wpengine.com\/faculty-page-example\/?page_id=18"},"modified":"2026-03-25T15:14:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T15:14:26","slug":"people","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ceid.utsa.edu\/iawolusi\/people\/","title":{"rendered":"People"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
Faculty<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nIbukun Gabriel Awolusi, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/span>
\nPrincipal Investigator and Director of (SI3<\/sup>) Lab
\nAssociate Professor and Division Leader of Construction Science and Management
\nSchool of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management
\nKlesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
\nThe University of Texas at San Antonio<\/span>
\nibukun.awolusi@utsa.edu | (210) 458-3060<\/span>
\nGoogle Scholar<\/a> ResearchGate<\/a>\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a><\/span><\/span>Education<\/strong><\/span>
\n2017\u00a0 Ph.D., Civil Engineering, The University of Alabama<\/span>
\n2015\u00a0 M.S., Civil Engineering, The University of Alabama<\/span>
\n2014\u00a0 M.Sc., Construction Management (Distinction), University of Lagos<\/span>
\n2009\u00a0 B.Sc., Building (First Class Honors), University of Lagos<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Ibukun Gabriel Awolusi<\/strong> is an Associate Professor and Division Leader of Construction Science and Management in the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio). He is the Principal Investigator and Director of the Safety Innovation and Intelligent Infrastructure (SI3<\/sup>) Lab at UT San Antonio. Dr. Awolusi holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. in Civil Engineering from The University of Alabama (UA), an M.Sc. in Construction Management (with Distinction) and a B.S. in Building (with First-Class Honors) from the University of Lagos (Unilag).<\/p>\n

Before joining academia, Dr. Awolusi worked in the construction industry for several years, where he managed the construction of various building and infrastructure projects. Before assuming his current position, he worked on several research projects and taught courses within the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at UA. Dr. Awolusi currently conducts research in the areas of construction safety and health, automation and robotics, innovation and technology integration in construction, space construction, sustainable materials and infrastructure, and workforce development. His research has attracted grant funding support from federal agencies and foundations, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United States Department of Labor (USDOL), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Association for Iron & Steel Technology Foundation (AIST), among others. Dr. Awolusi has published and presented numerous research articles in top-tier peer-reviewed journals and at notable international conferences.<\/p>\n

Dr. Awolusi teaches courses covering construction safety, advanced concepts in construction safety planning and management, the fundamentals of construction materials, testing, and methods, and advanced topics in construction systems. As a seasoned educator and researcher passionate about delivering results-oriented solutions to problems, Dr. Awolusi continues to contribute to the body of knowledge through his scholarly work and the implementation of innovative pedagogies. He has been honored with several prestigious awards for his outstanding achievements in teaching and research by different academic and professional organizations. Two of these notable awards are the 2025 William E. Tarrants Outstanding Safety Educator Award by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and the 2025 Rising Stars of Safety Award by the National Safety Council (NSC). Dr. Awolusi is an ACUE Teaching Fellow of the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) and an active member of several professional organizations, including ASSP, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), among others.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
Graduate Student Researchers<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nChinedu Patrick Okonkwo<\/strong><\/span>
\nPh.D. Student and Graduate Research Assistant<\/span>
\nGoogle Scholar ResearchGate LinkedIn<\/a><\/span><\/span>Education<\/strong><\/span>
\n2015\u00a0 B.Eng., Civil Engineering (First Class Honors), University of Nigeria<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n

Chinedu Patrick Okonkwo<\/strong> is currently a Ph.D. Student in the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management at The University of Texas at San Antonio. He joined the (SI)2<\/sup> Lab in Fall 2021. Chinedu has more than 6 years of industry work experience as a project engineer in the construction industry. His research interests are in construction safety, automation, and the application of artificial intelligence in construction. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and a recipient of several awards including the ASCE UESI Pipeline Student Scholarship, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Scholarship, and the MTN Foundation Scholarship.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"Roy<\/td>\nRoy Lan<\/strong><\/span>
\nPh.D. Student and Graduate Research Assistant<\/span>
\nGoogle Scholar ResearchGate Linkedin<\/a><\/span><\/span>Education<\/strong><\/span>
\n2021\u00a0 M.Sc., Construction Management (Distinction), University of Lagos<\/span>
\n2009 B.Eng., Civil Engineering, Covenant University<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
Roy Lan<\/strong> is currently a Ph.D. Student in the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management at The University of Texas at San Antonio. He joined the (SI)2<\/sup> Lab in Fall 2022. Roy has more than 7 years of industry work experience in project engineering, management, and safety in the construction industry. His research interests are in intelligent autonomous systems, computer vision, machine learning, and robotics. His research has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Best Paper Award at the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) World Building Congress (WBC) 2025, the Best Poster Award at the 60th Annual Conference of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), and multiple scholarships from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Utility Engineering & Surveying Institute (UESI), the North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT), and the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST), among others.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nMehdi Torbat Esfahani, M.S.<\/strong><\/span>
\nPh.D. Student and Graduate Research Assistant<\/span>
\nGoogle Scholar<\/a> ResearchGate LinkedIn<\/a><\/span><\/span>Education<\/strong><\/span>
\n2023\u00a0 M.S, Engineering\/Industrial Management, Michigan Technological University<\/span>
\n2012\u00a0 \u00a0M.S., Civil Engineering, Tafresh University<\/span>
\n2008 B.Eng., Civil Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad Branch<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
Mehdi Torbat Esfahani<\/strong> is currently a Ph.D. Student in the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management at The University of Texas at San Antonio. He joined the (SI)2<\/sup> Lab in Spring 2023. The thesis project Mehdi worked on as part of his master’s degree in civil engineering was ranked first among 32 students. His research focuses on construction safety management, technology, and automation in construction. Mehdi is currently a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP). Mehdi also has more than 10 years of industry experience in construction engineering and management.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
Undergraduate Student Researchers<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nKatelyn Trevino<\/strong><\/span>
\nProgram:<\/strong> B.S. in Construction Science and Management<\/span>
\nResearch:<\/strong> Virtual Reality for Hands-on Construction Laboratory Training<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nStefanie Zuniga<\/strong><\/span>
\nProgram:<\/strong> B.S. in Construction Science and Management<\/span>
\nResearch:<\/strong> Managing Safety in Steel Erection<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nJo Kaspersen<\/strong><\/span>
\nProgram: <\/strong>B.S. in Construction Science and Management<\/span>
\nResearch:<\/strong> Computer Vision for Safety and Infrastructure Monitoring<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recent Graduates and Alumni<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nAliu Akinsemoyin, M.S.<\/strong><\/span>
\nM.S. in Civil Engineering (May 2022)<\/span>
\nResearch:<\/strong> Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) and Deep Learning for Safety and Health Monitoring on Construction Sites<\/span>Current Position: <\/strong>Telecommunications Manager at ENTRUST Solutions Group<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nNoah Lubbering<\/strong><\/span>
\nB.S. in Construction Science and Management (Aug 2023)<\/span>
\nResearch:<\/strong> Interlocking Earthen Masonry Units for Sustainable Residential Building Construction<\/span>Current Position: <\/strong>Facilities Mgt. Intern at Southwest Research Institute<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nRaul Sandoval<\/strong><\/span>
\nB.S. in Construction Science and Management (Aug 2022)<\/span>
\nResearch:<\/strong> Digital Technology for Safety and Health in Steel Manufacturing<\/span>Current Position: <\/strong>Project Engineer at Catamount Constructors<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nBrenda Campbell<\/strong><\/span>
\nB.S. in Construction Science and Management (May 2022)<\/span>
\nResearch:<\/strong> Wearable IoT for Safety and Health Monitoring in Steel Manufacturing<\/span>Current Position:<\/strong> Jr. Estimator at Embrey<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nAdrian Alcocer<\/strong><\/span>
\nB.S. in Construction Science and Management (May 2021)<\/span>
\nResearch:<\/strong> Construction Safety and Health in the Curriculum of Construction Programs<\/span>Current Position: <\/strong>Project Coordinator at Mears Group Inc.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\nJennifer Mondragon<\/strong><\/span>
\nB.S. in Construction Science and Management (Dec 2021)<\/span>
\nResearch:<\/strong> Characterization and Mapping of Safety and Health Hazards in Steel Manufacturing<\/span>Current Position: <\/strong>Estimating Assistant at Foster Fence LTD<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Faculty Ibukun Gabriel Awolusi, Ph.D. Principal Investigator and Director of (SI3) Lab Associate Professor and Division Leader of Construction Science and Management School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design The University of Texas at San Antonio ibukun.awolusi@utsa.edu | (210) 458-3060 Google Scholar ResearchGate\u00a0LinkedInEducation 2017\u00a0 Ph.D., Civil […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-18","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nPeople - Safety Innovation and Smart Infrastructure Research Lab<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ceid.utsa.edu\/iawolusi\/people\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"People - 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