Georgia Tech today announced that Associate Professor Daniel Castro has been appointed to chair of the School of Building Construction in the College of Architecture. An expert in material procurement, automation protocols and sustainable energy alternatives for buildings, he is tasked with advancing Building Construction education and research and with expanding its international outreach.

Castro was a finalist selected by a 12-member search committee, which comprised an equal mix of academics and senior figures in the construction industry. Educated in Latin America, Europe, and the United States, Castro is uniquely positioned to extend Georgia Tech’s impact in the global construction industry, which is expected to double in key emerging markets over the next decade.

“I am certain that Daniel’s leadership will strengthen and redefine the character of the School of Building Construction in response to transforming industry—an industry in which Georgia Tech graduates have played a strong role, and which will continue to be a major contributor to the nation’s economy,” said Alan Balfour, Dean of the College of Architecture.

“Significantly, he will bring a broad and distinct international perspective to the ambitions of the School,” he added.

Castro joined the faculty of Georgia Tech in 2006 after teaching at Ohio University. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Purdue, a MS in Construction Management from University of Reading (United Kingdom) and a BS in Civil Engineering from the Universidad de Los Andes (Colombia). A registered engineer he has membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Construction Research Council and the International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction. Read Castro’s full bio.

As interim chair in 2011, he prepared the proposal for a new PhD degree with a major in Building Construction (final approval is expected in the fall 2011) and also led the winning bid to host the American Society of Civil Engineers Construction Research Congress at Georgia Tech in 2014.

In the near term, Castro will begin implementing growth strategies outlined in response to Georgia Tech’s strategic plan. Some specific initiatives include infusing the undergraduate curriculum with interdisciplinary, project-based study abroad opportunities; promoting Innovative research in critical areas of the built environment and developing cooperative relationships with leaders in the region’s construction industry to help promote an adaptive, sustainability-conscious industry framework.