The National Academy of Construction has elected William J. O'Brien, professor and associate chair for architectural engineering in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, as a new member of its 2020 class.
Election to the academy is a high professional honor for engineers and constructors. Membership honors those who have made made significant contributions to the effectiveness of the engineering and construction industry over a period of several years and those who are recognized as an industry leader by his or her peers. Significant contributions may be in the areas such as technology, work process, safety, working relationships, tools, communications, education, and cost/schedule effectiveness.
During the induction ceremony, NAC cited O’Brien as a "highly regarded academic researcher, teacher, and leader whose continuous research and persistence sped the adoption of Advanced Work Packaging as an industry best practice."
Wayne Crew, General Secretary of the Academy said, “The 2020 class undoubtedly strengthens the Academy membership. Their career achievements, collectively, broaden NAC’s wealth of experience. We’re honored that the entire class of 2020 is now part of our NAC membership.”
The National Academy Of Construction was established in 1999 as a way to recognize and honor individuals for their distinguished contributions to the industry and to share this reservoir of expertise as a service to the nation. The Academy currentlyincludes approximately 200 professionals.
Read more about Professor Bill O'Brien below.
Bill O’Brien is a professor and associate chair for architectural engineering in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He earned master’s and doctoral degrees in civil engineering and a master’s in engineering-economic systems from Stanford University. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Columbia University. He currently holds the Phil M. Ferguson Centennial Teaching Fellowship within the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT-Austin.
Prior to returning to academia, he was the first employee of Collaborative Structures, a venture capital backed internet startup. Bill is active in service to the profession and the community and has held several leadership positions, including serving as editor for the journal Advanced Engineering Informatics, interim director of Fiatech, and chair of the executive committee of the Computing Division of the American Society of Civil Engineers. As a researcher and educator he has led in the evaluation and implementation of complex systems for construction.
He is particularly noted for his contributions to the practice of advanced work packaging and supply chain management. He has received numerous awards, including the Richard L. Tucker Leadership and Service Award from the Construction Industry Institute in 2018.
