Michael J. Garvin, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, the David H. Burrows Professor of Construction Engineering in the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been named a fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.
Garvin, over the course of his career, has served as a military officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a consulting engineer, and a professor and researcher, bringing perspectives from military engineering operations, engineering practice, and academia to the study of infrastructure delivery systems, public-private partnerships, and the governance of complex infrastructure projects.
His research has contributed to the advancement of alternative project delivery and public-private partnership practices in the United States. His work examines the institutional, contractual, and governance structures that shape the performance of infrastructure delivery systems, including risk allocation, financing strategies, and stakeholder alignment. His has been published in leading journals, such as the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management and the Journal of Management in Engineering. His paper on risk allocation in public-private partnership highway contracts received the Best Paper Award from J. Construction Engineering & Management and was nominated for the Norman Medal. Earlier in his career, his thought leadership in infrastructure delivery was recognized with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
Beyond scholarly publications, Garvin’s work has influenced infrastructure policy and professional practice through major national research initiatives. He has led and contributed to projects sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, and the American Council of Engineering Companies. These efforts have produced guidance on infrastructure finance, risk allocation, and alternative delivery methods used by transportation agencies and infrastructure owners across the United States. He is also a co-author of the book Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure Development: Finance, Stakeholder Alignment, Governance.
Garvin plays an active leadership role in advancing infrastructure research and professional practice. He serves as Eastern Region Director of the Build America Center, a research center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration that focuses on infrastructure finance and project delivery. He also chairs the Scholarship Committee of the National Academy of Construction, overseeing national scholarship programs that support students pursuing careers in the construction and infrastructure sectors.
At Virginia Tech, Garvin contributes to the education and professional development of future infrastructure leaders. He directs the Transportation Construction Management Institute; a professional education program delivered in partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance that provides advanced instruction to transportation construction professionals. He has advised 16 doctoral students and numerous master’s students, many of whom now hold leadership roles in engineering firms, transportation agencies, and universities in the U.S. and internationally.
In recognition of his leadership in infrastructure delivery systems, public-private partnerships, and construction engineering research, Garvin was elected a member of the National Academy of Construction in 2021, one of the highest honors in the construction profession.
