Phuong Nguyen

Assistant Professor

Email 605-688-4160

Biography

Phuong Nguyen, an assistant professor in the Department of Construction and Operations Management, began teaching at �þ��Ƶ in fall 2023 after his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta, Canada. His research focuses include applications of artificial intelligence (e.g., machine learning, reinforcement learning and fuzzy logic) and automation in construction; innovative project delivery and procurement methods; and improving construction labor productivity and safety using wearable sensors and computer visions.

Education

Ph.D. in civil engineering, specializing in Construction Engineering and Management | University of Kansas | 2020
M.S. in construction management | California State University, East Bay | 2016
B.Eng. in civil engineering | Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology | 2014

Academic and Professional Experience

Academic Interests

Cost estimating
Construction planning and scheduling
Construction surveying
Building information modeling

Academic Responsibilities

CM 210: Construction Surveying
CM 352: Advanced Cost Estimating with BIM
CM 443: Construction Planning and Scheduling

Committees and Professional Memberships

National Science Foundation, reviewer, 2024-present
American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, assistant specialty editor, 2025-present
Journal of Engineering, Project and Production Management, editor, 2025-present
ASCE Construction Research Congress, member, 2016-present
Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, member, 2020-present
U.S. Green Building Council, member, 2019-present
Associated Schools of Construction, member, 2018-present

Research and Scholarly Work

Areas of Research

Innovative project delivery and contracting methods
Construction safety
Construction productivity
Artificial intelligence (machine learning, computer vision, fuzzy logic) in construction
Physiological sensors and exoskeletons
Geographic information system for winter maintenance operations

Awards and Honors

2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, Outstanding Reviewer, ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management.
2022, Outstanding Reviewer, ASCE Journal of Architectural Engineering.
2018, J.E. Dunn Construction Scholarship, University of Kansas and J.E. Dunn Construction Group.
2018, Bert and Dorothy Steves Memorial Scholarship, University of Kansas.
2017, Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program Scholar Selections, California State University.
2016, Engineering Doctoral Degree Scholarship, University of Kansas.

Grants

Optimizing SCDOT’s Permitting, Mitigation and Compliance Systems to Improve Project Delivery. South Carolina Department of Transportation. Fund: $800,000. Duration: 36 Months.
Efficient Construction Material Testing and Inspection Based on Risk Levels. South Dakota Department of Transportation. Fund: $160,000. Duration: 18 Months.
Integrating Eye-Tracking Technology to Optimize Cognitive Load and Clinical Competency in Nursing Simulation. South Dakota Board of Regents Competitive Research Grant. Fund: $90,000. Duration: 12 Months.
XAI-SMS: eXplainable AI-Integrated Construction Site Safety Monitoring System. �þ��Ƶ FY26 RSCA Challenge Fund. Fund: $15,000. Duration: 12 Months.
Direct Measurement of Human Factors to Understand Undergraduate Nursing Students Perceived Anxiety During Patient Care. �þ��Ƶ FY26 RSCA Challenge Fund. Fund: $15,000. Duration: 12 Months.
Optimizing Clinical Competency and Cognitive Load in Computer-Based Simulation Using the Self-efficacy Prebriefing Model. Society for Simulation in Healthcare Early Career Mentored Research Award. Fund: $10,000. Duration: 18 Months.

Publications

Madarshahian, M., Nguyen, P. (corresponding author) and Huynh, N. (2025). “Determine patterns of causal factors of truck crash injury severity on urban and rural roadways using fuzzy cluster analysis.” Sage Journals.
Nguyen, P., Tran, D., Scott, S. and Konrath, L. (2024). “Implementation of progressive design-build in airport capital construction projects.” Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. Sage Journals.
Nguyen, P. and Tran, D. (2024). “Exploring the use of quality control plans for alternative contracting methods in highway projects.” Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. ASCE.
Maali, O., Ko, C-H and Nguyen, P. (corresponding author) (2024). “Applications of existing and emerging construction safety technologies.” Automation in Construction. Elsevier.
Nguyen, P. and Tran, D. (2024). “Constraint-based snowplow optimization model for winter maintenance operations.” Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice. Elsevier.

Conference Publications

Nguyen, P., Harper, C., Sturgill, R. and Tran, D., (2025). “Examining Post-Construction Evaluation for Highway Projects Delivered Using Alternative Contracting Methods.” In Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting. Washington, D.C.
Elhouar, S. and Nguyen, P. (2025). “The need to incorporate artificial intelligence in construction curricula.” In ASEE 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition.
Elhouar, S. and Nguyen, P. (2025). “Investigating the need for integrating automation in construction curricula.” In ASEE 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition
Nguyen, P. and Tran, D. (2025). “Current practices of implementing quality control plans in managing quality assurance programs in highway construction projects.” CSCE Construction Specialty Conference/ASCE Construction Research Congress (CRC) 2025. Montreal, Canada.
Nguyen, P. and Tran, D. (2024). “Implementing Bayesian Networks in delivery selection for highway construction projects.” In Construction Research Congress 2024. Des Moines, Iowa: ASCE. Best Paper Award in the CRC 2024 Track of Contracting, Project Delivery and Legal Issues.

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