Theodora Onwunyiri
Construction Materials Testing (CMT) Lab Manager��

Q: Theodora, you play a critical role in the day-to-day activities at one of �鶹TV��վ’ laboratories. How did you become interested in materials testing or what inspired you to pursue a career in this field?

What sparked my interest in materials testing was the realization that every test I conduct has a profound impact on the safety and durability of the structures all around us. I’m inspired to know that my meticulous attention to detail plays an important role in making sure buildings, bridges and vital infrastructure are built to last and that they protect the communities they serve. There’s a deep sense of pride and responsibility that comes from knowing the work I do contributes directly to the foundation of our everyday lives.

Q: �鶹TV��վ’ New Jersey lab handles significant cylinder break volume, as well as aggregate/concrete��and soils��testing. What does a typical day in the lab look like for you?

For me, a typical day involves making sure all laboratory activities are performed according to strict standards and safety protocols. I focus heavily on accuracy and timeliness —making certain that test reports are correct, equipment is well maintained and the lab environment is functioning at peak performance. This work is essential because the quality and reliability of these tests directly impact the safety and longevity of the structures built with the materials we examine. By upholding rigorous testing practices and upholding compliance standards, I help prevent costly construction errors, support the integrity of critical infrastructure and ultimately protect the communities who depend on these projects every day. ��

Q: What kind of material testing do you perform, and what aspect of your job do you enjoy best? How does your role directly support major infrastructure projects?

I work frequently with concrete, masonry materials (mortar and grout) and soil samples collected from construction sites. I enjoy testing these materials because each sample tells a story about the project’s requirements. Comparing the test results to specifications helps confirm whether a structure is built to last.

Good quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) practices help make sure the materials used in construction meet design expectations. My work supports the safety, reliability and long‑term performance of finished structures. It’s a critical component of delivering value for our clients, while also protecting the communities who benefit from the built infrastructure.

For example, my lab worked on a renewable energy project that supports an offshore wind energy generation hub. Serving as the Special Inspection agency, �鶹TV��վ provided QA/QC services to evaluate the construction processes and activities and make sure they are performed in accordance with the approved construction documents and/or design. I take significant pride knowing my work supports quality assurance and is making an impact on the world.

Q: Is there anything about your job that might surprise people?

Many people may not realize how essential materials testing is to overall construction quality. It’s not just a behind-the-scenes function; it’s a cornerstone of safe and successful construction. In fact, every test conducted plays a direct role in determining whether the structures we depend on — such as buildings, bridges and roads — are built to withstand the demands of everyday use and environmental challenges. Materials testing ensures that components like concrete, masonry and soils meet stringent quality and safety standards before they become part of a finished project. By identifying potential weaknesses, verifying compliance with design specifications and catching issues early, this process helps prevent costly errors, structural failures and safety hazards. Ultimately, materials testing supports the reliability, durability and longevity of infrastructure, providing confidence not only to clients but also to the communities that rely on these structures for their safety and well-being.

Q: What does WIC Week mean to you? How has being a woman in this field shaped your experience?

WIC Week was established to help break the misconception that construction is strictly a man’s field. By highlighting the achievements of women in the industry, WIC Week inspires young women to pursue their dreams and explore construction‑related careers.

Working in a construction materials testing lab has reinforced what my parents always taught me — that gender should not limit our goals or our ability to achieve anything we set our minds to. My work experience has strengthened my confidence and resilience.

Q: What advice would you offer young women interested in construction or materials testing?

See construction as a viable career option without limitations. It’s your interest, dedication and expertise that matter.

I would also remind young women that you can have a career and fulfill traditional female roles, including being a mother. I am a mother to a lovely son, and he is an important part of my life that brings me great joy.

Q: What do you hope to see for the future of women in construction, especially in technical or lab roles?

I hope to see more women managing CMT laboratories. Increasing female leadership in technical areas will continue to open doors for the next generation.

�鶹TV��վ’ Francis Mouafong, PE, MBA is a Senior Project Manager at �鶹TV��վ and currently works as a Construction Quality Assurance Manager on Georgia’s I-285/I-20 East Interchange project. He shares why he loves working as an engineer, helping oversee the various aspects of transportation systems that play such an important role in connecting people.

Engineers play a critical role in helping communities flourish by creating the systems that connect people. Nowhere is that impact more visible than in the transportation industry. Thoughtfully designed roads, bridges, transit systems, trails and other transportation networks form the backbone of a thriving community. ��

For �鶹TV��վ’ Francis Mouafong, engineering is about more than just building roads or seeing that specifications are met on paper. To him, engineering is an act of stewardship and a commitment to creating environments where people can flourish and communities can thrive. Throughout his career, Francis has contributed to several high‑impact transportation projects across Georgia, including:

• I‑285/I‑20 East Interchange project, a major mobility project being done for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) that involves reconstructing the I-285/I-20 East Interchange ramps with more direct alignments, constructing new lanes, adding auxiliary lanes, replacing bridges and constructing new noise barriers.
• Harbins Road Interchange project, an interchange project that involved bridges, box culvert extensions, retaining walls, ramps, storm drainage, grading, graded aggregate base (GAB) placement, asphalt paving, concrete flatwork, traffic signal installation and more.
• Northwest Corridor project, a transformative design-build regional mobility initiative that consisted of building 30 miles of reversible toll lanes and the construction of bridges and walls.
• Gwinnett County SPLOST Road Program, a program that is designed to support the county’s growing population and address its infrastructure needs.

These projects not only improve travel efficiency—they increase economic opportunity, enhance safety and reduce congestion for millions of commuters.

In his current role as Construction Quality Assurance Manager on Georgia’s I-285/I-20 East Interchange project, Francis is helping to see that one of the state’s busiest and most complex transportation upgrades is built to the highest standards. When completed, this transformative project aims to improve traffic flow and safety at what has long been considered one of the region’s most congested bottlenecks.

Safeguarding quality on such a project means that Francis sees that designs are implemented correctly, safety standards are met, future failures are avoided and the impacted infrastructure remains accessible to everyone.

A Commitment to Growth, Learning and Leadership

With more than 33 years of roadway and bridge construction experience, Francis has learned many lessons along the way and honed his leadership style. Today, he carries forward a key lesson on every project. Projects might look similar, but they are different. You cannot simply ‘copy and paste’ because a one size fits all solution does not always solve the problem. Rather, engineers must adapt to the specifics of each one.

This mindset reflects his dedication to thoughtful, context‑driven engineering. It also informs how he mentors others. Francis is grateful for the supervisors who have helped shape his career, and he truly understands the importance of paying it forward to engineers just starting out. Leadership, to Francis, is not about titles—it’s about integrity, ownership and a commitment to excellence for the sake of the communities served.

Through Francis’ technical expertise, principled leadership and a deep sense of responsibility, his work as an engineer is about bridging gaps:

• Between design and implementation.
• Between present needs and future resilience.
• Between infrastructure and the people it serves.

His work ensures that communities are not just connected—but empowered to flourish and thrive. For Francis, “Bridging the Gap” is not a metaphor—it is a daily responsibility. He describes it as the essential work of aligning plans, specifications and field conditions during construction to ensure that what is designed is what is faithfully and safely delivered.

This alignment matters because infrastructure is more than concrete and steel—it directly shapes the lived experience of communities. The integrity of a bridge, road or interchange impacts safety, mobility and access. Ensuring that designs translate accurately into reality is how Francis helps close the gap between vision and impact.

Leading with Quality, Inspiring Confidence

Aaron Hisel-Ritz
Quality Assurance Project Manager

Q: Can you recall a specific moment or project outcome that reminded you your work directly benefits the community?

One moment that clearly reminded me my work directly benefits the community was during the completion of the SR 99 bridge. It was the final structure I served on as the lead field inspector, and although it appeared to be a relatively modest piece of infrastructure, its purpose was significant. The bridge was built nearly at grade so that a future project could excavate beneath it to complete the SR 509 expressway connection from Interstate 5 to SeaTac Airport.

Standing on that completed structure, I realized that our work on this single bridge would support not only the new rail line, but also a future regional highway connection that will reduce congestion, improve safety and shorten travel times for thousands of people every day. Seeing how this one element would unlock two major transportation improvements made the contribution feel very real and reminded me of the lasting value our work delivers to the community.

Leading with Purpose

Aaron’s leadership is hands-on and built around efficiency. On the Federal Way project, he streamlined reporting and documentation workflows, accelerating response times and enabling more agile decision-making, helping keep the team on schedule while maintaining quality standards.

Q: Can you estimate how your process improvement helped improve coordination between three contractor teams?

Although our systems evolved throughout the project, we were able to estimate meaningful improvements from the scheduling process overhaul. When we assumed responsibility for the daily inspection schedule, the existing method of capturing updates wasn’t as effective as it could be.

I worked with the prime contractor to implement a formal inspection request system that required production teams to submit next-day needs. This enabled us to generate a consolidated, accurate schedule that was distributed to the owner, contractors and all jurisdictions with inspection authority.

As a result, we reduced schedule conflicts by an estimated 60 to 70 percent, cut daily schedule preparation time by more than half and significantly improved transparency for all parties. The new system ultimately became the governing daily schedule for the entire project and materially improved coordination between the owner, contractors and the quality team.

This focus on improving processes has been a constant throughout his career. Earlier on a major airport runway replacement, Aaron developed clearer sampling and testing methods that made results easier to apply in the field, changes that still inform project quality processes today.

His technical expertise spans specialized areas like post-tensioned concrete, masonry and shotcrete inspection — skills he’s built through continuous professional development and industry certifications that keep him at the forefront of quality assurance practices.

Investing in Others

Aaron’s greatest professional achievement isn’t a project milestone or a technical innovation. It’s watching the people he mentored step into leadership roles of their own. Many of the inspectors he’s coached have advanced into project management and supervisory positions, carrying forward the same approach to quality and collaboration he modeled for them.

On every project, Aaron promotes cross-training and teamwork to ensure that quality isn’t just managed but shared.

Q: What advice do you give to new inspectors starting their first major assignment?

My advice to new inspectors starting their first major assignment centers on three principles.

1. Do not be afraid to say you do not know.
   No one arrives with all the answers, especially on a large and complex project. The strongest inspectors are the ones who ask questions, seek clarification and use the knowledge of others to make sound decisions. Admitting uncertainty and requesting support is a sign of professionalism, not weaknes2.

1. Protect your integrity at all times.
   Our work relies on trust, transparency and accountability. Mistakes will occur, but what matters is how you respond. Be honest about what happened, communicate early and take corrective action. Consistent integrity will earn the respect of contractors, engineers and owners

1. Stay curious and continually expand your understanding.
   Pay attention to how the work is built, not just to the portion you are inspecting. Ask why something is done a certain way. Look for opportunities to improve processes or communication. When you try something new and it does not work perfectly, treat it as progress toward a better solution. Persistence and curiosity are what drive meaningful improvements in our field.

The best part of my job is seeing people gain confidence in what they do. When someone you’ve coached starts leading others, that’s a great feeling.

Grounded in Community

Outside of work, Aaron serves as a volunteer leader with his son’s Boy Scout troop, guiding young people through outdoor challenges, skill development and community service projects. The parallels to his professional life are unmistakable: setting clear expectations, building confidence through hands-on experience and teaching others to take ownership of their work.

Q: What about scouting resonates most with you? Any moment with the Scouts that feels similar to leading inspection teams?

What resonates most with me about scouting is how effectively it teaches foundational life skills. The Scout Law contains twelve simple words, but they represent a complete framework for how to conduct yourself. I rely on those principles every day in my professional work, especially when leading inspection teams.

Another element that stands out is the merit badge program. It introduces scouts to a wide range of subjects and requires them to develop a working understanding of each topic before they can advance. This structure reinforces curiosity, self-discipline and goal setting. It also shows young people the value of learning something new, even if it feels unfamiliar at first.

I see a strong parallel between guiding scouts through challenges and supporting new inspectors in the field. In both situations, you help others build confidence, develop practical skills and learn how to take responsibility for their decisions. Watching people grow into capable, reliable contributors is one of the most rewarding parts of both experiences.

Whether guiding scouts or inspection teams, Aaron leads by example: steady, supportive and driven by purpose. His work with the troop mirrors his professional focus on developing leadership and accountability, values he hopes to model for his son.

A Legacy of Quality and Leadership

Throughout his career on light rail, highway and airport projects across the Seattle region, Aaron has demonstrated that quality isn’t just about compliance. It’s about care, communication and continuous improvement. His work strengthens infrastructure and the teams and communities that depend on it.

Q: What motivates you to keep raising the bar for quality and team performance?

What motivates me to keep raising the bar for quality and team performance is the pride I take in the culture we have built. Our team has worked hard to establish trust, transparency and collaboration with one another, with the contractors in the field and with the owner’s representatives. That level of trust is not automatic. It is earned through consistent follow-through, clear communication and a shared commitment to doing the job the right way.

I also believe that continuous improvement is part of our responsibility. The work will never be perfect, but if we see an opportunity to strengthen our processes, reduce risk or support the project more effectively, we should pursue it. Knowing that our efforts directly influence project success and reflect on the integrity of the team is what pushes me to keep raising the standard.

Our job is to make sure what we build lasts. That takes consistency, trust and a genuine respect for the work and for the people doing it.

Inside the A-Team: The People of Atlas

Leadership is more than a title. It’s dedication to making a meaningful impact. Inside the A-Team spotlights the professionals at �鶹TV��վ who drive progress, inspire others and embody our core values. Their commitment to Life enhances the world around us by prioritizing quality and safety. With Heart, they uplift those around them. With Trust, they build strong teams and lasting partnerships and their Mastery fuels innovation and excellence. These are the people shaping the future, and we are proud to share their stories.

Elevating Construction Quality with Technology and Process Innovation

With experience leading quality acceptance programs on billion-dollar infrastructure projects like the TxDOT and FlatironDragados New Harbor Bridge, Barry Burks, P.E., is shaping how advanced technology integrates into quality workflows — helping clients reduce risk and accelerate the acceptance inspection and testing processes in the field.

Tell us about your role at �鶹TV��վ and how it connects to shaping solutions for transportation infrastructure.����

As Construction Quality Acceptance Manager, my role begins with developing project-specific Quality Acceptance procedures within the Construction Quality Management Plan. These procedures establish how inspection and testing will be performed across a project’s construction lifecycle. By embedding technology, such as digital inspection forms or automated error checking, directly into those processes, we create efficiencies that save time and cost while maintaining the quality standards clients expect.��

Looking back, what pivotal experience most shaped your career in quality management?��

Working with Dr. Garold Oberlender during my master’s program at Oklahoma State University was transformative. He taught me how reducing the duration of repetitive critical path activities can dramatically impact an entire project’s construction timeline.����

That insight has driven my focus for the past twenty years: finding the smartest application of technology to reduce the duration and cost of hold point activities by speeding up inspection and materials testing. It’s about identifying bottlenecks that slow everything down and systematically eliminating them through better tools and processes.����

You’ll be speaking at on integrating technology into workflows. What’s the biggest challenge and opportunity you see in automation and technology adoption?��

The biggest hurdle is economic timing. Often, adopting new technologies requires upfront investments in equipment, software and training that may take several months to show offsetting efficiencies and cost savings.����

The key is to present stakeholders with a clear, early picture of both the costs and long-term benefits. When people understand the full value proposition, the likelihood of acceptance and successful implementation is improved. You need to build the business case alongside the technical case.����

When clients are rolling out new technologies in QA/QC, how do you help ensure processes deliver results?��

Technology is only as good as the people using it and the processes supporting it. We ensure that every technology rollout includes comprehensive initial training, then reinforce those processes during Pre-Activity meetings before each new work type begins.����

You need to embed the technology into daily workflows and provide ongoing support. The best technology won’t help if your team doesn’t understand how to use it effectively or why it matters.��

Can you share a project that highlights how �鶹TV��վ delivers quality through both process and innovation?��

The new Harbor Bridge Project is a perfect example of technology and process working together. At 3,200+ feet long and 538 feet tall, it’s the longest concrete segmental cable-stayed bridge in North America. Coordinating quality across 15+ fabrication facilities presented unique challenges.����

We equipped each of our inspection staff with tablet computers and electronic forms, enabling them to complete daily inspection reports and related testing forms directly in the field. These tools reduced documentation time for inspectors while significantly reducing risks through automated error checking of test results.����

When you’re managing the quality acceptance of a $1.3 billion project with components coming from facilities across the U.S. and abroad, every efficiency matters. The technology helped us maintain consistent quality standards while keeping the project moving forward. ��

What motivates you in your work every day?��

For me, it’s seeing a well-thought-through procedure put into action in the field or lab and knowing it leads to timely acceptance of the work. It shows that the effort spent planning and preparing pays off, and it helps our projects move forward without unnecessary delays.��

Every day, we’re contributing to infrastructure that communities will rely on for decades. Knowing that our quality processes contribute to safer, more durable bridges, roads and facilities drives me.����

Outside of work, where do you find inspiration?��

I’m constantly reading journal articles and watching videos and documentaries about emerging technologies across various fields of science and engineering. Seeing how others achieve success through innovation in their work motivates me to explore new approaches in mine.����

Innovation comes from connecting ideas across disciplines and applying them in new contexts. Whether it’s materials science, automation or data analytics, there’s always something that can be adapted to improve construction quality processes.����

Barry Burks will join the panel discussion at Advancing Construction Quality 2025, October 6-8 in Nashville, TN. Discover how �鶹TV��վ delivers quality at scale on infrastructure projects. Learn more