Yulizza Henao-Barragan received her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 2014 from Western Kentucky University and subsequently worked as a design engineer for four years. At Georgia Institute of Technology, she received her master’s degree in 2019 in building construction and facility management and her PhD in civil and environmental engineering in 2024. Currently, she is pursuing licensure as a civil professional engineer. Her research aims to boost environmentally friendly alternatives that reduce emissions, ensure economic viability, and improve societal wellbeing. One key focus is the development of sustainable supply chains for repurposing wind turbine blades into infrastructure such as transmission poles, and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, she investigated stakeholder decision making behind wind turbine blade decommissioning. Her future research vision is to facilitate closed-loop systems in the construction industry. As an invitee to the Create-X program in Colombia, she mentored students about entrepreneurship subjects such as customer discovery and value proposition to increase their products’ market prospects. Henao-Barragan also is co-developer of the RobotArts initiative between Georgia Tech and two Colombian universities, securing $34,000 from the U.S. Department of State to fund four students from underrepresented communities to participate in an immersive cultural exchange. As a faculty member, she will promote a safe learning environment in which students feel safe and respected enough to ask questions and even dispute some of the ideas presented.

Research Interests

Circularity in the built environment; Reduction of construction waste