Global InfrastructurE Valuation & Risk Analysis (GINEVRA) Center

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SENIOR RESEARCHERS

Nicola Chiara (Executive Director)

Nicola Chiara, Ph.D., specializes in the areas of Risk and Decision Analysis, Infrastructure Finance (Stochastic/Econometrics models and Stochastic Optimization/Monte Carlo Simulation). His research interests include project risk analysis and project credit risk analysis; investigation of risk mitigation instruments for infrastructure project finance; option theory and its application in complex infrastructure and engineering systems; risk assessment in asset management and project management of engineering systems; risk mitigation contracts in project management. 
 Email: nc2112@columbia.edu

RESEARCH ASSOCIATES

Wei Wang

Mr. Wei Wang is an E.Sc.D candidate in the CEEM department of Columbia University. His research has been focused on life cycle cost modeling and risk mitigation in BOT project finance. Currently, he is doing research on Monte Carlo simulation using Copula and risk mitigation contracts for BOT projects. Wei has more than ten years of design, construction, and project management experience, working with private consulting firms as well as government agency in New York City. He has worked on many large-scale projects including high- rise buildings, sports centers and public transportation facilities. Wei received his Bachelor degree from HUST, China and his MSc degree from Cornell University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of New York.

Email: wlw2101@columbia.edu

Nakhon Kokkaew

Nakhon is a Ph.D. candidate in the CEEM Department of Columbia University. He received master degree in Civil Engineering from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. His research interests include stochastic network scheduling using genetic algorithms and Monte Carlo simulation, multi-objective stochastic optimization, and risk management in BOT projects. He is currently studying risk analysis and mitigation in transportation projects under BOT arrangements.

Email: nk2226@columbia.edu

Cengiz Ucbenli

Cengiz is a Ph.D. candidate in the CEEM Department of Columbia University. He previously received a B.Sc. degree in Civil Engineering from Istanbul Technical University and an MBA degree in Finance from Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey. His research interests focuses on infrastructure project finance, particularly energy project finance and finding new methods to mitigate risk in these types of projects by employing energy derivatives and real option analysis. Currently, he is investigating how to adapt game theory to real option modeling of infrastructure investments under BOT scheme. 

Email: cu2115@columbia.edu

Feng Dong

Feng is a Ph.D. candidate in CEEM Department of Columbia University. He has already obtained his master degree in Civil Engineering from Columbia University in 2007. Before that, Feng received his bachelor of engineering from Tongji University, Shanghai, China. His research is concentrated on financial risk management, especially market risk in infrastructure project. Now Feng is studying how to measure financial commodity risks - steel and energy - by modeling and hedge them by financial instruments and dynamic hedging contracts.

Email: fd2151@columbia.edu

Gregory Fitch

Greg Fitch is a PhD student in the Civil Engineering Department at Columbia University.  He received his Masters of Science degree from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.  Greg’s research interests include risk analysis and asset management, program optimization models for water departments and transportation authorities, alternative project delivery systems, and dispute resolution.  Greg also has over ten years of project controls experience and is currently on assignment at the secondary treatment upgrade and rehabilitation program at New York City’s largest waste water treatment facility at Newtown Creek.

Email: gjf2101@columbia.edu

Azadeh Sharif

Azadeh Sharif is currently pursuing her Ph.D. degree at Columbia University. She received her B.Sc. degree in civil engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) and her M. Sc. Degree in structural engineering from Polytechnic Institute of NYU (Formerly known as Polytechnic University- Brooklyn). She is currently working in a private consulting firm in New York and has been working on many large-scale projects including high rise building. She is currently serving as an officer on ASCE Metropolitan board - structural section. Her research interests focus on quantitative risk management and infrastructure project finance.

Email: as3509@columbia.edu

Amy Tang

Amy Tang is currently pursuing her Masters/Ph.D. degree at Columbia University. She recently graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from Columbia University, concentrating in Construction Management. She also has a minor in Economics. Her research interests include stochastic modeling and financial risk management of Renewable Energy infrastructure systems.

Email: yat2101@columbia.edu

VISITING RESEARCH  ASSOCIATES

Roberta Pellegrino

Roberta Pellegrino is Ph.D. student in Advanced Production Systems in the Department of Mechanical and Management Engineering at Politecnico di Bari in Bari, Italy. She earned her laurea in Management Engineering (5-years degree) from Politecnico di Bari, Italy. The topic of her thesis focuses on the theory of Real Options to evaluate real investment projects or strategies in risky environments. Her other research interests are in the area of organizational process management (economic-management engineering).

Email: ropelle@poliba.it

Eloïse MEIGNIÉ - Ecole Centrale Paris, FRANCE

Wei LING - Tsinghua University, CHINA

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