Headshot

Pouya Zangeneh

PhD. PEng.

Affiliations

Assistant Professor

Schulich School of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering

Endowed Chair in Engineering Project Management

Schulich School of Engineering, Centre for Project Management Excellence

Contact information

Preferred method of communication

Please contact me via email

Background

Educational Background

PhD University of Toronto, 2021

MSc University of Calgary, 2011

BSc University of Tehran, 2008

Biography

Pouya Zangeneh, Ph.D., P.Eng., is Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and Endowed Chair in Engineering Project Management at the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary. He has more than 15 years of experience in multi-billion-dollar capital projects and capital investment planning across heavy industrial, utilities, energy, mining, and infrastructure sectors.

His research follows two tracks.

The first is generative AI in construction and project management: how large language models, multi-agent systems, machine learning, and knowledge representation change project delivery, construction safety analysis, project controls, and portfolio decision-making. This work builds on a decade of earlier research on semantic web and linked data for megaproject knowledge, and machine learning for construction site risk assessment.

The second is risk and project complexity: Portfolio and project interdependency modelling, Bayesian and probabilistic modelling of socio-technical risk in industrial megaprojects, reference class forecasting, project de-risking, failure mode analysis, and risk-based maintenance and asset management. It also covers game-theoretic analysis of strategy, bargaining and negotiation between project participants.

Dr. Zangeneh teaches risk management, Bayesian methods for risk modelling, strategic and game-theoretic project management, and fourth-year civil engineering design. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in probabilistic modelling, knowledge representation, and socio-technical risk in engineering projects and systems.

Before joining academia, he established and led the risk analytics group at a major Canadian international engineering consultancy, delivering risk modelling, capital investment and asset management planning, and risk-based maintenance frameworks for owners, PMOs, and executive teams. His project experience spans North America, South America, the Middle East, and Australia, across infrastructure, oil and gas, renewables, mining, steel, aluminum, and hydro.

He is a licensed professional engineer and serves as Chair of the Engineering Management Technical Committee of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE). He writes on project and construction management research at EPM Research (epmresearch.com).

Research

Areas of Research

Generative AI in Construction and Project Management
Risk and Project Complexity
Research Opportunities & Prospective Students
  • Prospective PhD and MSc Graduate Students: Candidates interested in the above research areas and methodologies with excellent credentials from Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Applied Statistics, and Development Studies backgrounds may contact me with their complete CVs. Please specify your email subject as “Prospective Graduate Student – Your Name.”
  • Undergraduate Internships: Undergraduate Candidates for summer internships interested in project management and the above research areas and methodologies may contact me with their complete CVs. Please specify your email subject as “Undergraduate Internships – Your Name.”

Publications

More Information

I will consider offering the following subjects as deep-dive independent study courses for current UofC graduate students in case we are able to form groups of three or more students. Student interested may contact me with their complete CVs. Please specify your email subject as “Independent Study – Your Name.”

  • Bayesian Networks and Bayesian Statistics for Risk Modelling
  • Engineering Megaprojects: Development and Project Financing
  • Game Theory and Applications in Projects
  • Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)
  • Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE)