Research @ Rinker School
The Rinker School of Construction Management is a national leader in advancing research across the built environment. Our research spans a wide and evolving spectrum of topics that reflect the complexity and dynamism of the built environment. Our commitment to advancing knowledge is rooted in a strong culture of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaboration, bridging ideas, methods, and innovations across traditional boundaries.
Our Diverse Research Areas
Safety and Health in Construction
Focus Areas: Job site safety protocols and hazard mitigation; Regulatory compliance and safety standards; Work health, ergonomics, and well-being; Data-driven safety analytics and predictive risk modeling
Construction Automation and Robotics
Focus Areas: Industrialized, off-site, and modular construction; Human-robot collaboration; Aerial and ground robotics (e.g., drones, legged and wheeled robots); AI and machine learning; Internet of Things (IoT)
Project Delivery and Management
Focus Areas: Lean construction; Alternative project delivery methods and contracting strategies; Team collaboration; Effective training and leadership; Construction economics and finance; Construction law
Virtual Design and Construction
Focus Areas: Building Information Modeling (BIM); Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR); Digital twins; Data usage in facility management, maintenance, and operation
Sustainability and Resiliency in Built Environment
Focus Areas: Building energy modeling; Life cycle analysis; Smart buildings and cities; Resilience and disaster recovery; Affordable and sustainable housing; Innovative cement and concrete technologies
Tech-Supported Workforce Education and Training
Focus Areas: Situated, experiential, and hands-on learning in physical and virtual environments; Digital field trips; AI-enabled education; AI literacy; Robot-assisted learning
Our Research Faculty
At the Rinker School, we have over 20 faculty members actively engaged in cutting-edge research funded by a wide range of federal and state funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as various industry and foundation grants.
These faculty members also serve as supervisors to graduate students, guiding master’s and Ph.D. students as chairs of their thesis and dissertation committees. You can explore faculty profiles below and view those who are conducting research in specific focus areas at Rinker.
Dr. Aladdin Alwisy
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Assistant Professor RINKER 311 aalwisy@dcp.ufl.edu
Dr. Chimay Anumba
College of Design, Construction and Planning Dean and Professor AH 331A anumba@ufl.edu
Dr. Gabriel Castelblanco
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Assistant Professor RINKER 315 gabriel.castelbl@ufl.edu
Dr. Aaron Costin
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Associate Professor RINKER 324 aaron.costin@ufl.edu
Dr. Robert F. Cox
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Director and Professor RINKER 306 robcox@ufl.edu
Dr. Bryan Franz
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Associate Professor and Ph.D. Program Director RINKER 309 bfranz@ufl.edu
Dr. Masoud Gheisari
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Director of Graduate Programs and Research and Associate Professor RINKER 304B masoud@ufl.edu
Dr. R. Raymond Issa
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Distinguished Professor RINKER 325 raymond-issa@ufl.edu
Dr. Idris Jeelani
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Assistant Professor RINKER 317 idris.jeelani@ufl.edu
Dr. Rui Liu
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Associate Professor RINKER 321 liurui@ufl.edu
Dr. Edward Minchin
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Professor RINKER 320 minch@ufl.edu
Dr. Larry C. Muszynski
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Holland Associate Professor RINKER 327 larrym@ufl.edu
Dr. Robert J. Ries
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Professor RINKER 332 rries@ufl.edu
Dr. Ryan Sharston
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management, School of Architecture, Florida Institute for the Built Environment Resilience (FIBER) Assistant Professor AH 246 r.sharston@ufl.edu
Dr. Ravi Srinivasan
College of Design, Construction and Planning, M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives, Professor; Interim Director, Sustainability and the Built Environment (SBE) Program AH 331C sravi@ufl.edu
Dr. Jason von Meding
M.E Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management, Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER) Associate Professor RINKER 344 jason.vonmeding@ufl.edu
Dr. Chaofeng Wang
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Assistant Professor RINKER 342 chaofeng.wang@ufl.edu
Dr. Maria Watson
M.E. Rinker, Sr, School of Construction Management, Shimberg Center for Housing Studies Assistant Professor RINKER 203 maria.watson@ufl.edu
Dr. Vivian Wong
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Assistant Professor AH 446 vivian.wong@ufl.edu