• Ph.D. Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Construction Engineering and Management, University of Colorado Boulder, USA, 2020
• Ph.D. Engineering Science, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Chile, 2020
• MSc. Civil Engineering, Universidad de Chile, Chile, 2015
• BS-MSc. Civil Engineering, Structures, Universidad de Cantabria, Spain, 2004

• 13+ years experience in design, construction, and management of public infrastructure projects in international contexts.
• 100+ infrastructure projects managed and supervised, including new highways, interchanges, bridges, road widening, road reconstruction, and water infrastructure.
• 100+ design project proposals prepared for public and private entities in international contexts.
• 50+ professionals supervised successfully in local and virtual environments.

Peer-reviewed journal articles:

Gaikwad S.V., Calahorra-Jimenez M., Molenaar K.R.,Torres-Machi C., (2021). Challenges in Engineering Estimates for Best-Value Design-Build Highway Projects. ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. Vol 147 No 7 2021, pp 04021065

Calahorra-Jimenez M., Torres-Machi C, Chamorro A, Alarcon L.F. and Molenaar K,, (2021). The importance of Non-Cost Criteria Weighting in Best-Value Design-Build U.S. Highway Projects. ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering. Vol 37 No 4 2021, pp. 04021027

Calahorra-Jimenez M., Molenaar K, Torres-Machi C., Chamorro A, and Alarcon L.F. (2020). Structured approach for best-value evaluation criteria: US Design-Build Highway procurement. ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering. Vol 36 No 6 2020, pp. 1-14

Calahorra-Jimenez M., Alarcon L.F, Torres-Machi C., Chamorro A, and Molenaar K. (2020). Improving cost performance in Design-Bid-Build projects by mapping the reasons for cost overruns into the project phases. Journal of Construction ( Approved for publication).

Arroyo, P., Herrera, R., Salazar, L., Giménez, Z., Martínez, J., Calahorra, M. (2018). A new approach for integrating environmental, social, and economic factors to evaluate asphalt mixture with and without waste tires. Journal of Construction Vol 33 No 3 2018, pp. 301-313

 

Books/Book Chapters

Calahorra-Jimenez M., Torres-Machi C. and Molenaar K. (2021). Addressing the Fallacy in Lump-Sum Best-Value Procurement for Design-Build Highway Projects in: Building a Body of Knowledge in Construction Project Delivery, Procurement and Contracting, Word Scientific Publishing (WSP) (In progress)

Alarcón, Luis F., Wegmann Adolfo, Calahorra Maria (2018). Oportunidades para el mejoramiento de la gestión de proyectos de infraestructura pública en Chile in: Propuestas Para Chile 2017, Centro de Políticas públicas UC, Santiago de Chile. Chapter VII pp. 199-239.

 

Conference Proceedings

Calahorra-Jimenez M. (2022). “Exploring Long-Term Performance in Design-Build Best-Value Goals and Evaluation Criteria.” International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management ICCEPM 2022 (Under review)

Calahorra-Jimenez M. (2022). “Best-value in Design-Build Highway Projects: Technical Scoring Trends and Award Algorithms.” Construction Research Congress 2022 (Approved for presentation)

Calahorra M., Torres-Machi C., Molenaar Keith R., Chamorro A., Alarcon L.F. (2019). Alignment between Project goals and evaluation criteria in best-value procurement”. Transportation Research Board. Washington, D.C., January 12-16, 2020.

Calahorra M., Torres-Machi C., Molenaar Keith R. (2019). Information Exchange in the procurement process of Design-Build Transportation projects: digging into the What, the When, the Who and the How. Transportation Research Board.Washington, D.C., January 12-16, 2020.

Calahorra M., Giménez Z., Herrera R., Martínez J., Salazar L. (2016). “Análisis de ciclo de vida de mezcla asfáltica con/sin caucho: estudio de caso” Proceedings of the VII Elagec, Bogota, Colombia, November 15-18, 2016.

Herrera R., Calahorra M. (2016). “Competencias que debe poseer un director de proyecto y como desarrollarlas” Congreso Internacional de Gestión de Proyectos PMI. XII Versión del Tour Cono Sur Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile, November 9, 2016. 

• Deciding How to Select: Exploring Award Algorithms to Reach Best-Value in Design-Build Highway Projects. LCOE Chancellor’s Office RSCA. PI: Maria Calahorra-Jimenez. July 2021-June 2022
• Contracting Strategies: A Different Approach to Address Long-Term Performance in Road Projects. Fresno State Transportation Institute. PI: Maria Calahorra-Jimenez. April 2021-December 2021
• Effectiveness of the SCDOT Design-Build highway program. South Carolina Department of Transportation. PI: Keith Molenaar, co-PI: Cristina Torres-Machi, doctoral research assistant: Maria Calahorra. January 2018-March, 2020.
• Oportunidades para el mejoramiento de la gestión de proyectos de infraestructura pública en Chile. Center of Public Policy of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile “PI: Luis F. Alarcon, co-PIs: Adolfo Wegmann, Maria Calahorra. January 2017- January 2018.

Professional

• Project Manager Professional PMP.
• Envision Sustainability Professional ENV PS.

Other

• Certificate in Effective College Instruction                                       

  o   Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) and the American Council on Education (ACE).

   

• 2020-2021 Grant Proposal Certificate                                              

  o   Office of Research and Sponsored Programs California State University Fresno.

   

• Communication.                                                                        

  o   Graduate School. University of Colorado Boulder

Focused on Heavy Civil Projects:

• Alternative/Integrated/Lean Project Delivery Methods
• Sustainability in Infrastructures
• Risk Management & Data Analytics

• Fresno State Transportation Institute Faculty Fellow 2021/2022
  2021
• Abertis UC Research Award on Transportation Systems and Infrastructure Management for doctoral thesis “Advancing Knowledge of Design-Build and Best-Value in Highway Projects” (Ex-aequo)
  2021
• Lyles College of Engineering (LCOE) 21/22 Chancellor’s Office Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Award
  2021
• Outstanding Faculty Publications 2021. Lyles College of Engineering. California State University, Fresno. Henry Madden Library
  2021
• Provost's Award for Extraordinary Teaching in Extraordinary Times: Student Success. 2020