Introduction to Construction Dispute Resolution

Feniosky Pena-Mora (Sc.D., MIT) is an Associate Professor of Information Technology and Project Management in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department's Intelligent Engineering Systems Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Professor Pena-Mora's current research interests are in information technology support for collaboration, change management, conflict resolution, and process integration during design and development of large-scale engineering systems. He is the leader of the Da Vinci Agent Society Initiative at MIT that integrates his research interests. He is the author of publications on computer-supported conflict resolution, computer-supported engineering design and construction, and project control and management of large-scale engineering systems. One of his publications received the 1995 award for best paper published in the ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering. He is also holder of a 1999 NSF Career Award and a 2000 White House PECASE (Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers) Award. He has been an invited speaker at numerous conferences and symposiums, including the 2001 National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. Professor Pena-Mora has been a consultant for industry and governments in Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Japan, Puerto Rico, and the United States. He is the chief technology officer for Pena Alcantara Consultants, a consulting firm specializing in project management and information technology. He was the chief technology officer for inMe6ting.com, an Internet company specializing in managing rich collaborative sessions in heterogeneous devices for large-scale product development. In the Boston Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel Project, he was the chief information technology consultant for the project director. There, he focused on information technology support for change management and process integration during the design and construction stages of this $13.6 billion decade-long regional engineering endeavor.

Carlos E. Sosa (M.Sc., MIT) is a practicing professional in the field of claim management and dispute resolution in Venezuela. After working with some of the major contractors in Venezuela, in 1997 he began his own consulting firm dedicated to offering construction management and dispute avoidance and resolution services to contractors and developers. In 1999 he led the development and successful launch of Venezuela's first and most important Internet construction portal, www.areazul.com, together with the Venezuelan Construction Chamber. Currently he is working on expanding the services offered by his firm throughout Latin America.

D. Sean McCone (M.Sc., MIT) is a practicing professional in the construction management and engineering profession. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign while working for Johnson, Mirmiran and Thompson, a transportation-engineering firm in Baltimore, Maryland, as a work/study student. As an assistant program manager he was involved in the management for the design of over $1 billion in capital improvements at the Baltimore Washington International Airport.