Meet Our Researchers
Dr. Sulyn Gomez
Principal Researcher, DPR Construction
Dr. Sulyn Gomez is a Principal Researcher at DPR Construction, collaborating with the Quality National Team to enhance team dynamics and integrate psychological safety into construction practices. Her research focuses on fostering environments where teams thrive through trust, collaboration, and continuous improvement. With a solid foundation in Lean Construction principles, she aims to bridge the gap between people-focused practices and project success. Dr. Gomez believes that when individuals feel safe, they unlock their full potential, leading to stronger teams, better outcomes, and a more resilient construction industry.
In partnership with the Respect for People Taskforce of the Lean Construction Institute, she leads initiatives to understand and promote psychological safety across the construction sector.
Dr. Glenn Ballard
Research Associate of the Project Production Systems Laboratory, UC Berkeley
Dr. Ballard retired in 2018 after teaching and conducting research at UC Berkeley since 1989. He remains active as a research associate, continuing to contribute to both academic research and industry development. His principal research interest is adapting lean production theory from manufacturing to project management practice. Dr. Ballard co-founded the International Group for Lean Construction in 1993 and the Lean Construction Institute in 1997. Throughout his career, Dr. Ballard has been instrumental in delivering significant value to the delivery of capital projects through development of theory and application of operations management concepts, including the Last Planner approach. He has also developed a model for lean delivery of capital facility projects, the Lean Project Delivery System.
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