Public Works Engineering Education Through setting up An
International Public Works Center at the University of Florida
Dr. Fazil T. Najafi¹, Dr. Dennis Y. Fukai², Dennis H. Ross³, Ravi S. Srinivasan 4
Abstract
The Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering at the University of Florida has a Graduate Public Works
Division (GPWD), one of its kind in the State of Florida. The GPWD has a separate curriculum that sets
students to become future public works leaders. The curriculum includes flexible and a wide range of
subjects that relate to the facilities managed by Public Works agencies. It has been a long-standing vision of
the Public Works Division to start an International Public Works Center (IPWC) to foster leading edge
teaching and research in the field of Public Works Engineering and Management. The mission of the IPWC
will be to develop and foster leading edge research and educational programs in public works engineering
and management. The IPWC will serve as the focal point for coordination of intra and inter-institutional
interaction in research, teaching, service, and training activities in the areas of public works. The IPWC will
supplement and extend existing departmental programs by providing a platform to maintain the
infrastructure necessary to address research issues requiring either a long-term focus, or immediate
attention, and technology transfer aspects
Introduction
Historic development of the economic and social systems closely parallels phases of infrastructure
development. With rapid growth in technological advancement, people in general people expect a higher
standard of life and public services, demands on infrastructure and related services increase (W. Ronald
Hudson, Ralph Haas, Waheed Uddin 1997). Public works and infrastructure is a pervasive part of every
aspect of urbanized life and increasingly impacts the human and natural environment. The scale of
infrastructure systems in the United States continues to increase, along with the number of institutions
involved in planning and management of the infrastructure.
Public works is a generic term used to describe the physical structures and facilities required for delivery of
various types of services provided, directly or indirectly, by Federal, State and local governments. And the
origins of modern public works management lie in the early 1880s, when municipal governments first
became involved in providing services for their rapidly expanding population (Public Works Today 1990).
Professor, Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering, University of Florida
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Design, Construction & Planning, University of Florida
3 Director, Professional Development, American Public Works Association
4 Graduate Student, Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering, University of Florida
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The rapidly approaching end of the public infrastructures’ life that were installed in the first half of the
century and the complexities of job assignments for public works administrators and infrastructure
managers effectively brings in a renewed debate on the present Public Works educational curriculum
(Dennis H. Ross April 2000). Courses and seminars are available on all of the topics outlined for the
infrastructure management curriculum at the Universities. These are taught by trainers and associations
such as the American Public Works Association (APWA) to work closely with universities to educate and
deliver successful public works managers (John Ostrowski April 2001). The topics may range from
construction planning and scheduling, site planning and feasibility, civil engineering systems, public works
planning, public works management, municipal refuse disposal, legal aspects of civil engineering, developing
leadership skills, organizational behavior and financial accounting. In short, public works is all about
government process and government process is about group process. And public works curriculum should
focus on the integration of technical knowledge, situational knowledge and communication skills.
Theory, Practice and Research in Public Works Education
Classroom studies of the public works’ subjects provide students with a wide range of technical knowledge. It
is to be noted that even public works administrators / practitioners also undertake courses to upgrade their
skills. Today, more effective public works managers graduating from universities (John Ostrowski 2001).
This is due to the existing undergraduate or graduate curricula at the educational institutions. The following
are few suggestions to strengthen the existing curriculum to bridge the gap between public works theory and
practice: (1) people skills – understanding human behavior and know-how to use that understanding, (2)
administrative and analytical skills – to turn complex problems into rational policy choices and, (3) financial
skills – to run public works agencies (John Ostrowski 2001).
Currently, fewer thank fourteen universities have any formal curriculum emphasizing public works,
although many have individual graduate courses on public works, infrastructure management, or related
subjects. Research possibilities using computers to understand the complexities of mutually interactive
components like planning, programming, design, construction, maintenance, renovation and evaluation is
abundant. Public works education should expose students, managers and public works administrators to
theory, practice and research.
Public Works Engineering Education at the UF through a Public Works
Division
The Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering at the University of Florida has a Graduate Public Works
Division (GPWD), one of its kind in the State of Florida. The GPWD has a separate curriculum that sets
students to become future public works leaders. The curriculum includes flexible and a wide range of
subjects that relate to the facilities managed by Public Works agencies. The subjects are construction
planning and scheduling, site planning and feasibility, civil engineering systems, public works planning,
public works management, municipal refuse disposal, legal aspects of civil engineering, developing
leadership skills, organizational behavior and financial accounting.
International Public Works Center (IPWC) at the UF
It has been the vision of the Public Works Division to start an International Public Works Center (IPWC) to
foster leading edge research in the field of Public Works and Infrastructure Management. The International
Public Works Center is designed to bring out high achieving, career public managers and to enhance
leadership by raising awareness of new developments in the theory and practice of public administration.
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Mission
The mission of the IPWC will be to develop and foster leading edge research and educational programs in
public works management and infrastructure facilities focused on global application of principles in the
developed nations. The IPWC will serve as the focal point for coordination of intra and inter-institutional
interaction in research, service, and training activities in the areas of public works. IPWC will provide an
identity that will serve to promote excellence and growth in these areas. The IPWC will supplement and
extend existing departmental programs by providing a platform to maintain the infrastructure necessary to
address research issues requiring either a long-term focus, or immediate attention, as well as for technology
transfer and training.
Vision
The IPWC will become a principal US center for new information, concepts, and collaboration in the field of
Public Works and Infrastructure Facilities Management. The IPWC will use the World Wide Web to
showcase innovative thinking, leading edge research, and recent developments in public works engineering
and management.
Objectives

Bring Florida to the forefront in public works engineering and management.

Bring University of Florida to pioneer in Public Works Study program among other universities in the
State with a Center that fosters for the leading edge in research in public works engineering and
management.

Technology Transfer: Researchers, practitioners, and students will investigate the leading technological
advancements in public works and ways to transfer the emerging technologies into practice by Federal,
State, and local government. This technology transfer would better enable developing countries to use
these advances to enhance the quality of life through improvements in delivery of public works projects
and services.

The IPWC will assist international communities and countries and transfer technology to the betterment
of living.

Identify, disseminate, and implement solutions to both long-term and short-term problems and integrate
a broader range of perspectives and disciplines into public works engineering and management.

Coordinate and promote interaction among international groups and agencies that deal with public
works issues.

Evaluate emerging technologies, concepts, and procedures that may provide significant benefit to public.

The IPWC develops resources and networks to interactively disseminate new knowledge focused on
sustaining, renewing, and improving the nation’s infrastructure system.

The development, integration, and deployment of state-of-the-art research and technology that are
needed to maintain and renew the infrastructure more effectively.
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Focus areas of the IPWC
Coordinate and promote interaction among cross-functional groups that deal with public works related
issues, including but not limited to:

Pavement Systems Design

Pavement Evaluation

Pavement Management

Flowable Fill

Asphalt Materials

Transportation statistics

Weigh-in-motion Models

Infrastructure Visualization Techniques

Infrastructure Facilities Simulation

Waste Management & Energy

Intelligent Infrastructure Renewal

Maintenance, Rehabilitation & Renovation

G.I.S and Advanced Database Management
Conclusion
The IPWC, in conclusion, will develop and foster leading edge research and educational programs in Public
Works Engineering and Management students, exchange of faculty with other international institutions, and
transfer of knowledge of emerging technologies. This establishment of IPWC will identify, disseminate, and
implement solutions to both long-term and short-term problems and integrate a broader range of
perspectives and disciplines into public works engineering and management. The well-established Graduate
Public Works Division with its diversified curriculum related to public works engineering and management
would help in the development of the International Public Works Center, which would be one of its kind in
the State of Florida, with a wide variety of cross-functional groups’ interaction.
References
W. Ronald Hudson, Ralph Haas, Waheed Uddin, [1997] Infrastructure Management, McGraw Hill
American Public Works Association, [1990] Public Works Today – a profile of local service organizations &
managers - Special Report No. 57, APWA
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Dennis H. Ross [April 2000] “Creating a new curriculum to prepare public administrators to effectively manage
public works program – a response to Gordon, Little, and Grigg”, Public Works Management & Policy, Vol.
4, No. 4, pg331-334, American Public Works Association
John Ostrowski, [April 2001] Public Works Management & Policy, Vol. 5 No. 4, Pg 336-339
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Dr. Fazil T. Najafi
Dr. Fazil T. Najafi is Professor at the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering (CCE) at the University of
Florida in Gainesville. He is also the Coordinator of the Public Works Engineering and Management Division. Dr.
Najafi earned his BS (Architectural Engineering), MS, and PhD degrees (Civil Engineering) from Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI&SU). He also has a BSCE from the American College of
Engineering, Kabul, Afghanistan. Dr. Najafi came to the United States with a Fulbright scholarship in July 1966
and started his formal education at VPI&SU. His teaching responsibilities include graduate and undergraduate
courses in Public Works Engineering & Management and Introduction to Engineering.
His research focuses on diverse areas such as the development of User Cost Data for Florida’s Bridge Management
Systems, Radon Reduction in the construction of new houses, the Oil Spill Response System in Florida, methods to
reduce Urban Congestion, Transportation Planning and Cost Optimization, including Maglev systems, High Speed
Rail, Tort Liability related to utility, Public Works Planning and Management, Construction Engineering and
Management, Legal Aspects of Engineering and Engineering Cost Analysis. Current research involves in the
evaluation of Flowable Fill in Florida.
Dr. Najafi is a member of several professional societies including the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE),
American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), Transportation Research Board (TRB), American Public Works
Association, and Tau Beta Pi, Florida Alpha Chapter, and has served on many professional committees and
programs at the University of Florida. He is currently the Chair of American Society of Engineering Education –
Southeast Division.
He has to date authored 30 refereed journal publications, 50-refereed proceedings, 21 technical research reports, 2
monographs, and 3 non-refereed proceedings, and has additionally contributed to 3 books, 3 research projects and 6
miscellaneous publications. He has also served on several peer review panels for TRB, ASCE, ASEE and Canadian
Society of Civil Engineering. Dr. Najafi has delivered numerous presentations at professional conferences and
meetings: 89 international (11 invited); 21 national (3 invited); and 53 local (33 invited); and has also developed
courses, videos & software packages.
Dr. Dennis Y. Fukai
Dennis was a contractor and licensed architect for 20 years before returning to the University of California, Berkeley
to earn a Ph.D. in Architecture. He received a Center for Latin American Studies Research Grant to Mexico in 1991,
a CJAAA Scholarship in 1992, and a Fulbright Fellowship to Chile in 1992-93. While completing his graduate
studies, Dennis worked for more than two years as a high school and community college teacher in the San
Francisco Bay Area and Central California and two years at Washington State University as an assistant professor
of architecture and construction. He is currently an assistant professor of construction management at the M.E.
Rinker School of Building Construction, College of Architecture, at the University of Florida (UF).
This research centers on the Erectable Hypergraphic Trainer (EHT). The EHT is a research instrument used to test
various hypotheses for a piece-based construction information system (PCIS). PCIS is a networked document that
describes the construction of an object according to the visual relationships of its pieces. The EHT tests to see how
changes in the visual organization of the construction information affect the efficiency of its construction. The
objective of these tests is to understand the potential of the computer to transfer construction information using
three-dimensional visual explanations.
Applications for this research include a visual approach to project management, 3D construction documents, and
interactive education. Commercial services include 3D preconstruction model, project visualization, and sequence
modeling.
Dennis H. Ross
Mr. Ross is the Director of Professional Development for the American Public Works Association (APWA), Kansas
City, MO. He was instrumental in the establishment of [the journal of] Public Works Management and Policy and
serves as an Associate Editor.
Dennis earned a B.S. from Portland State University, an M.B.A. from the University of Redlands, and is a registered
civil, sanitary, and environmental engineer in three states. His experience includes over thirty years working with
public works and public administration issues in the both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining APWA, he
worked for state, municipal and regional government agencies providing various public works projects and services
in Oregon, Washington, and California. He was also a co-owner of a financial management consultancy serving
public agencies in the Western United States.
He has been involved in continuing education for public works professionals for over twenty years and has chaired
education committees for several professional organizations. From 1985 to 1993, he served as a faculty member for
the APWA Education Foundation teaching public works courses to thousands of public works officials in North
America. He was the driving force in the creation of a professional certificate in public works management and
administration at the University of California (San Diego, Irvine, and Davis) in the mid 1990s and taught public
works courses at UC-San Diego.
Dennis has published numerous papers on public works management and administration as well as being a frequent
lecturer on leadership, management, and engineering subjects. He is the editor of Public Works Management
Practices Manual and Improving Public Works Operations and Management, both published by APWA.
His awards include Donald C. Stone Excellence in Education from APWA, Gordon Atkins Career Achievement from
the University of Redlands, and is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Alumni from the School of
Engineering at Portland State University. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and a
member of APWA.
Ravi S. Srinivasan
Ravi S. Srinivasan is a graduate student at the Public Works Division, College of Engineering, University of Florida.
His
interests
lie
in
Public
Works
Engineering
and
Management.
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TITLE OF PAPER:
Public Works Engineering Education Through setting up An International Public
Works Center at the University of Florida
AUTHORS: Dr. Fazil T. Najafi, Dr. Dennis Y. Fukai, Dennis H. Ross, Ravi S. Srinivasan
PUBLICATION: ASEE Southeastern Section Meeting Proceedings
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In the event that the above paper is not accepted and published by ASEE, or is withdrawn by the author before acceptance
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Signature
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