Jesus M. de la Garza
Director of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
Clemson University
CEEAA Distinguished Alumni Award, 2026
For exceptional scholarship and leadership in construction engineering and infrastructure systems, advancing both theory and practice through foundational contributions to construction scheduling, risk analysis, and infrastructure asset management, including the formalization of Phantom Float now embedded in industry standard tools; for national service and stewardship of the discipline through leadership at the National Science Foundation to develop a landmark framework that strengthened civil infrastructure research nationwide; and for an enduring commitment to mentorship, professional service, and education—shaping generations of engineers, influencing public policy, and exemplifying the highest ideals of the engineering profession and the University of Illinois.
Biography
Jesus M. de la Garza, MS’84, PhD’88, serves as the founding director of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at Clemson University. He earned his Master of Science and Ph.D., both in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He then began his academic career at Virginia Tech, where he dedicated three decades to teaching, research, and professional service. At the conclusion of his 30th year, he received a letter from HR with some news that would thrill just about anyone who commutes to a college campus—he now was entitled to free parking.
Dr. de la Garza has been elected to the National Academy of Construction and recognized as a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He is also a Fellow of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) and a recipient of ASCE’s prestigious Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Award. In March 2023, he was appointed Chair of the National Research Council’s Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment (BICE), further underscoring his nationwide leadership and impact on the profession.
Dr. de la Garza and his wife, Bertha, are the proud parents of two daughters, Lorena and Cecilia, both of whom pursued degrees in biology. Engineering runs deep in the de la Garza family heritage—his great-grandfather served as a crew chief overseeing the construction of railroad bridges, with his grandfather working as his deputy.
Dr. de la Garza fondly recalls long evenings at the Engineering Library, often leaving around 11:30 p.m. to catch the last bus back to Orchard Downs.