Željko “Z” Torbica

Professor

765-496-2322

LMBS 4240

School of Construction Management Technology
Lambertus Hall, 363 N. Grant Street

Z. (Željko) Torbica is a Professor in the School of Construction Management Technology at Purdue University. Dr. Torbica’s international experience of over 35 years includes faculty and leadership positions at several leading U.S. universities: he was Director of Construction Management program at Drexel University (2009-2012), Dean of Leonard C. Nelson College of Engineering & Sciences at West Virginia University Institute of Technology (2012-2019), and Head of the School of Construction Management Technology (2019-2022) at Purdue University. He has also an extensive and industry-recognized record in engineering, construction, real estate development, leadership and strategic planning. During the course of his career, Dr.Torbica has received a number of distinguished awards; served as the conference keynote speaker at international conferences; published articles in the most selective professional journals; directed projects ranging from $50 million to $550 million; served on prestigious Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners; and completed leadership programs at Columbia University and Harvard University.

Dr.Torbica received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Florida (Construction Management). Dr. Torbica is a Fellow of the American Society for Quality, Certified General Contractor in the state of Florida, and holds Project Management Professional (PMP) and Quality Engineer (QE) certifications.

Education:

Ph.D., University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida ● 1992-1997

Rinker School of Construction Management (Cumulative GPA=4.0)

DIPLOMA, B.Jupp & Partners, London, England ● 1989

Postgraduate study in Quantity Surveying and Project Management

University of Belgrade, Serbia ● 1986–1988

Graduate study in Construction Management

Dipl.Ing., University of Belgrade, Serbia ● 1981–1986

Major: Structural Engineering

Certifications:

Higher Education Management Development Program (MDP) ● Harvard, 2013

Executive Program “High Impact Leadership” ● Columbia University, 2008

Executive Real Estate Management Program “Developing Future Leaders” ● Harvard, 2007

Certified General Contractor (License #: CGC1508885) ● State of Florida

Project Management Professional - PMP (#53941) ● Project Management Institute (PMI)

Certified Quality Engineer - CQE (#35292) ● American Society for Quality (ASQ)

* Fellow of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) (2015)

* Outstanding Service Award, Drexel University CM Advisory Council (2013)

* Faculty Service and Leadership Award, Drexel University (2011)

* CABI Recognition Award (2008)

* Board of Examiners, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, NIST (2005)

* President’s Recognition Award, University of Florida (1996)

* Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement and Excellence, University of Florida (1995)

* The Honor Society of PHI KAPPA PHI

* The Honor Society of SIGMA LAMBDA CHI

* President, Montenegrin Cultural Society Njegoš - Florida (2002-2004)

KEYNOTE CONFERENCE SPEAKER:

* Torbica, Z.M. (2015) “Advancing undergraduate Construction Management education: lessons learned from the Engineering education (a U.S. perspective).” Eight International Conference on Construction in the 21st Century (CITC-VIII), May 27-30, 2011, Thessaloniki, Greece.

* Torbica, Z.M. (2011) “Construction Industry: In Need of Radical Transformation?” Sixth International Conference on Construction in the 21st Century (CITC-VI), “Construction Challenges in the New Decade”, July 5-7, 2011, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS - PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS:

* Surlan, N., Cekic, Z., and Torbica, Z.M. (2015) “Use of Value Management Workshops and Critical Success Factors in Introducing Local Experience on the International Projects.” Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, DOI: 10.3846/13923730.2014.945950.

* Ahmed, S.M., Sang, L.P., and Torbica, Z.M. (2003) “Use of Quality Function Deployment in Civil Engineering Capital Project Planning.” Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol.129, No.4, Jul./Aug., 358-368.

* Torbica, Z. M., and Stroh, R. C. (2002) Closure to “Customer Satisfaction in Home Building.” Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol.128, No.4, Jul./Aug., 358-368.

* Torbica, Z. M., and Stroh, R. C. (2001) “Customer Satisfaction in Home Building.” Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol.127, No.1, Jan./Feb., 82-86.

* Torbica, Z. M., and Stroh, R.C. (2000) “HOMBSAT-An Instrument for Measuring Home-Buyer Satisfaction.” Quality Management Journal, Vol. 7, Issue 4.

* Torbica, Z. M., and Stroh, R. C. (1999). “Impact of Total Quality Management on Home-Buyer Satisfaction.” Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Vol.125, No. 3, May/June, 198-203.

* Torbica, Z. M. (1995). "An Overview of Japanese Construction Industry." Izgradnja, 49 Vol. 9, 389-397 (in Serbian).

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS - CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS:

* Torbica, Z.M. and Rivera, J.M. (2005) “A Survey on Employee Satisfaction and Productivity in the A/E/C Industries." Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Construction in the 21^st Century (CITC III), Athens, Greece, September 15-17, 362-367.

* Rigsby, L.D. and Torbica, Z.M. (2003) “Construction Foremen and Their Effect on Productivity Improvement.” Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Construction in the 21^st Century (CITC2003), Hong Kong, December 12-14, 182-188.

* Rigsby, L.D. and Torbica, Z.M. (2002) “Customer Satisfaction: Contractor’s Perspective.” Proceedings of the First International Conference on Construction in the 21^st Century (CITC2002), Miami, USA, April 25-26, 983-987.

* Torbica, Z. M., and Stroh, R. C. (1999). “An Assessment Model for Quality Performance Control in Residential Construction.” Proceedings of the 35th Annual ASC Conference, San Luis Obispo, CA, 363-370.

* Torbica, Z. M., and Stroh, R. C. (1999). “Service to Homebuyer Needs More Attention.” Proceedings of the 5th International Conference of the Decision Science Institute, Athens, Greece, July 4-7.

* Torbica, Z. M., and Stroh, R. C. (1999). “Subcontractors Play a Key Role in Maintaining Customer Satisfaction.” Proceedings of the CIB W55 & W65 - Joint Triennial Symposium, Cape Town, South Africa, September 5-10.

* Torbica, Z. M. (1994) "Robotics Utilization in Construction: Unmanned Construction Sites." Proceedings of the Sixth Scientific Meeting iNDiS, Vol. 2. Novi Sad, Yugoslavia, 233-240.

Industry Engagement:

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Beckley, WV 07/2012 – 07/2019

Dean and Professor, Leonard C. Nelson College of Engineering & Sciences

DREXEL UNIVERSITY, Philadelphia, PA 01/2009- 06/2012

Program Director and Associate Clinical Professor, Construction Management Program

CABI DEVELOPERS, Aventura, FL 01/2006 – 10/2008

Director of Development (Apr. 2007- Oct. 2008)

Senior Project Manager (Jan. 2006 – Mar. 2007)

ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY, Bristol, Rhode Island 2004-2006

Associate Professor, School of Engineering, Computing and Construction Management

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, Miami, FL 1997-2004

Assistant Professor, College of Engineering, Department of Construction Management

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, Mankato, MN 1996-1997

Assistant Professor, Department of Interior Design and Construction Management

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, Gainesville, FL 1992-1996

Graduate Research Assistant, Rinker School of Construction Management

ENERGOPROJEKT, Belgrade, Yugoslavia 1986-1992

Lead Engineer (1990-1992)

Professional Affiliations:

Fellow:

American Society for Quality (#441233)

Member:

American Society of Civil Engineers (#406607)

American Society of Engineering Education (#75823)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (#41085399)

AACE International (#21122) (Assoc. M.)

Construction Management Association of America (#219150)

Project Management Institute (#53941)

Purdue Polytechnic Institute

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Željko “Z” Torbica

Željko “Z” Torbica

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