GLOBAL CHANGE
Research Group
Currently led by Dr. Luis-Angel Gomez-Cunya
About Us
Our group research interest emphasizes the interaction between Natural hazards, Human Perception, and technology in Construction. Our work is based on interdisciplinary collaboration (e.g., engineering, computer science, and social science). For such purposes, our team uses computational tools.
Current classroom
Classroom: September-December 2025:
Teaching
Current and past classes:
- Capstone Project - OSU
- Heavy Civil Construction Management - OSU
- Engineering Planning - OSU
- Construction Estimating I - OSU
- Introduction to Virtual Design and Construction - OSU
- Civil and Construction Engineering Graphics and Design - OSU
- Virtual Design and Construction - UTRGV
- Civil Engineering Measurements - UTRGV
- Construction Scheduling - UTRGV
- Fluid Mechanics (Theory) - UTRGV
- Fluid Mechanics (Lab) - UTRGV
- Intro to Civil Engineering - UTRGV
- Hydrology - UPC - OSU
- Water Resources Engineering - UPC - UNSCH
- Hydroinformatics - UNI
- Mathematical Modelling in Hydraulic Engineering - UNI
- Hydraulic Seminar - UNI
- Geographic Information Technologies for the Disaster Risk Analysis - UNI
- Hydraulic Projects Planning - UNSCH
- Civil and Construction Engineering Graphics Design - OSU
- GIS in Water Resources - OSU
- Introduction to virtual Design and Construction - OSU
- Statics - OSU
Research
Motivation:
Our research is motivated by the urgent need to design and manage construction and infrastructure systems that are resilient, sustainable, and adaptive to a changing climate. Through our experience, we have witnessed firsthand how variability in weather, resource constraints, and environmental impacts challenge project delivery. These experiences drive my interest in advancing methods that integrate construction management, virtual design and construction (BIM), and automation technologies with climate-adaptive strategies for planning and building infrastructure. By linking engineering practice with research, we aim to develop sustainable materials (such as hybrid construction blocks made from recycled plastic) and inform decision-making under uncertainty, ultimately contributing solutions that enhance efficiency, minimize environmental impact, and prepare the construction industry to meet future societal needs.
Research in progress:
- Adaptation in the hazard-exposed areas.
- Luis Gomez
- Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
- 01/2024-Present
- Resource-Efficient Mortar-Free Blocks.
- Luis Gomez
- Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
- 08/2025-Present
- Automated Construction with Mortar-Free Blocks.
- Luis Gomez
- Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
- 08/2025-Present
Research interest:
- Our research interest emphasizes the interaction between Natural hazards, Human Perception, and technology in Construction.
Resources
Spatial data download:
Climate data download:
Census data download:
People
- Principal Investigator
- Luis-Angel Gomez-Cunya, Ph.D., EIT
- Faculty at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley UTRGV
- Former Faculty at UPC, UNI, and UNSCH
- PhD, Civil Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis-OR-USA, 2018
- MEng, Civil Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis-OR-USA, 2016
- MS, Hydraulic Engineering, National University of Engineering, Peru, 2010
- BS, Civil Engineering, National University of San Cristobal Huam., Peru, 1998
- Current Graduate Students
- Victor-Raul Leon-Medina
- Civil Engineering Master student - UNI; BS Civil Engineering - UNI Peru 2017; BS Sanitary Engineering - UNI Peru 2017
- Former Students
- Arrieta Huaman, Diego Gabriel
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Carbajal Valle, Angelo
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Chavez Caffo, Jimena Alejandra
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Fiestas Molina, Maximo Antonio
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Garay Aylas, Jhamira Melisa
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Gonzalez Quispe, Shirley Nashya
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Hernandez Llicahua, Christian Manuel
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Jara Trejo, Nestor Sebastian
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Leon Lara, Jose Alonso
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Masias Padilla, Luis Jean Pierre
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Medina Puchuri, Wilfredo Cesar
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Mendez Sulca, Leslie Michelle
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Nuñonca Mollo, Samuel
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Ortiz De Orue Moreno, Kimberly Madelen
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Palma Gongora, Yahir Aaron Hammell
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Rodríguez Ninanya, Marcelo Anthony
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Sedano Jesus, Roosevelt Edwin
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Tantalean Colan, Victor Eduardo
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Terrazo Hinostroza, Kevin Aldhair
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC
- Zuta Medina, Fabiola Valery
- Civil Engineering Undergraduate student - UPC