Lucia Cruz

Background

Lucia Cruz is on the faculty of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado. Before Porter, Lucia did geotechnical investigations for a transportation department.

Lucia's work centers on teaching and curriculum in pavement engineering and structural analysis and design, including course redesign and mentoring newer instructors.

Areas of expertise

• Pavement engineering
• Structural analysis and design
• Undergraduate research and project mentoring

Teaching

Lucia regularly teaches courses in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering. Specific sections and syllabi are listed in the class schedule each term.

Lucia designs courses around clear, visible learning outcomes, frequent retrieval practice, and prompt feedback, and revises the sequence each year based on where students actually get stuck.

Advising and office hours

Lucia advises students in the Civil & Environmental Engineering programs and holds weekly office hours during the fall and spring terms, posted on the office door and in the course pages. Prospective students are welcome to email to arrange a visit or a call.

Advising conversations usually cover course sequencing, whether to add a minor or a concentration, and how classroom work connects to internships, research, or graduate study. Students who are undecided are welcome; part of the job is helping them narrow things down.

Recent and representative work

Lucia's recent activity centers on teaching scholarship and curriculum work in pavement engineering and structural analysis and design. Representative items:

• A redesigned course sequence in pavement engineering, with open or low-cost materials.
• A conference presentation on teaching structural analysis and design at the undergraduate level.
• Mentoring of new instructors and teaching assistants in the department.

Titles and venues here are illustrative. UW–Porter Falls is fictional; Lucia has no real publication record.

Get in touch

The fastest way to reach Lucia is email (lcruz@uwporterfalls.edu); messages during the fall and spring terms are usually answered within two business days. Prospective students and families can ask the Civil & Environmental Engineering department office to set up a call, a class visit, or a meeting during an admitted-student day.