Feniosky Peña-Mora

Peña-Mora is the Edwin Howard Armstrong Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Columbia University.{{cite web|title=CV|url=http://civil.columbia.edu/feniosky-pe%C3%B1-mora-scd|website=Columbia Engineering|publisher=Columbia University|accessdate=October 24, 2014}} Previously, he was also the university's Dean of the Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science.{{cite web|last1=Sandoval|first1=Edgar|title=...dean of the American Dream...|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/columbia-engineering-school-dean-feniosky-pe-a-mora-dean-american-dream-article-1.409937|website=nydailynews.com|date=19 May 2009 |publisher=New York Daily News|accessdate=October 24, 2014}}

As dean, he focused on implementing a three-pronged strategic plan encompassing faculty excellence, student support, and space growth. During his deanship, the School of Engineering and Applied Science doubled its endowed chairs and raised $75 million.{{cite web|last1=Columbia|first1=University|title=Columbia University Campaign News|url=http://giving.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/newsletter/201011/index.html|publisher=Columbia University|accessdate=October 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129151708/http://giving.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/newsletter/201011/index.html|archive-date=November 29, 2013|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|last1=Masterson|first1=Kathryn|title=Off Campus Is Now the Place to Be for Deans|date=6 March 2011 |url=https://chronicle.com/article/For-Deans-Off-Campus-Is-Now/126607/|publisher=The Chronicle of Higher Education|accessdate=October 24, 2014}} Peña-Mora also led the reformulation of the online Master's program in engineering, which ranked number one in the 2013 U.S. News & World Report.{{cite web|last1=World Reports|first1=US News|title=Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs|url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering|publisher=U.S. News & World Report|accessdate=October 24, 2012|archive-date=April 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401090614/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering|url-status=dead}}

Peña-Mora's tenure was met with controversy. Several faculty members and department chairmen passed a "no-confidence" vote in his leadership.{{Cite web |url=http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2012/05/18/seas-tenured-faculty-vote-no-confidence-pe%C3%B1a-mora-prof-says |title="SEAS Tenured Faculty Vote No-Confidence Peña-Mora, Prof Says," Columbia Spectator, May 18, 2012. |access-date=August 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305065700/http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2012/05/18/seas-tenured-faculty-vote-no-confidence-pe%C3%B1a-mora-prof-says |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |url-status=dead }} They criticized his management style and the rapid expansion of the engineering school, which they claimed overloaded professors with too many students. They also asserted that he prioritized fundraising over research and did not honor his promises. One of Peña-Mora's most vocal critics, Van C. Mow, called him a "control freak" and stepped down as Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2011.{{cite news|last1= PÉrez-Peña|first1= Richard|title= Discord Over Dean Rocks Columbia Engineering School|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/08/nyregion/feniosky-pena-mora-columbia-engineering-school-dean-is-criticized.html|work=New York Times|date= 7 December 2011|accessdate=October 24, 2014}} Some challenged Mow’s critique as driven by his "resistance to change," especially when implemented by a dean 26 years his junior. After various attempts to bridge the differences, Peña-Mora resigned in July 2012.{{Cite news|title = Feniosky Peña-Mora, Columbia Engineering Dean, Steps Down|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/nyregion/feniosky-pena-mora-columbia-engineering-dean-steps-down.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2012-07-03|access-date = 2015-10-16|issn = 0362-4331|first = Ariel|last = Kaminer}}

After Peña-Mora resigned from his position as Dean in July 2012,{{cite news|last1= Kaminer|first1= Ariel |title= After Revolt, a Dean at Columbia Steps Down|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/nyregion/feniosky-pena-mora-columbia-engineering-dean-steps-down.html|work=New York Times|date= 4 July 2012 |accessdate=October 24, 2014}} some questioned Columbia's “ability to maintain diverse leadership at the top.”{{cite news|last1= Schwarz|first1=Alan|title= At Columbia, Faith of Some in President Is Shaken|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/02/nyregion/columbia-resignations-shake-faith-of-some-in-lee-bollinger.html?_r=0|work=New York Times|date=2 September 2011 |accessdate=October 24, 2014}} Faculty, students and community leaders complained about “racial bias in its ranks“.{{cite web |last1=Gonzalez|first1=Juan|title=Columbia University students and city and state politicians defend engineering dean over campaign of 'attacks'|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/uptown/columbia-university-students-city-state-politicans-defend-engineering-dean-campaign-attacks-article-1.1091865|work=New York Daily News|accessdate=October 24, 2014}} One Hispanic biology professorwho? complained to Columbia President Lee Bollinger about "ethnic bullying" and stated that "the shameful bullying of our engineering Dean Peña-Mora shows similar characteristics" to the challenges other minority faculty have faced at Columbia.” Another professor communicated how senior faculty in engineering even “complain about his [Peña-Mora] Spanish accent"; which was surprising, given that Zvi Galil, Dean of the Engineering School from 1995–2007 in Israel, had an accent that was "loved" by many.{{cite web|url=http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs20031205-01.2.11&srpos=4&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-Galil+accent-----#|title=Columbia Daily Spectator 5 December 2003 — Columbia Spectator|website=spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu|accessdate=21 June 2017}}

Peña-Mora continued supervising PhD and graduate research students and was listed as being on "public service leave" while serving at the DDC. He maintained a named professorship with a salary of more than $500,000 in 2015, in addition to his salary as Commissioner.{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2016/08/columbia-paid-ddc-head-104512#ixzz4GT7GoftY|title=Columbia paid city commissioner more than $500K in 2015|last = Skelding|first = Conor|date=5 August 2016 |publisher= DNAinfo}}

On April 8, 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Peña-Mora the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC). As Commissioner, Peña-Mora visited many of the DDC's projects, including the rehabilitation of the High Bridge; the new New York City Police Academy in College Point, Queens; the Ocean Breeze Athletic Centre; and, the transformation of Times Square into a permanent pedestrian plaza.{{citation needed|reason=Source?|date=April 2015}}

Controversy followed Peña-Mora to the public sector in 2016 when a supposed quid pro quo scheme was uncovered. Peña-Mora allegedly directed DDC funds and City contracts to Renee Sacks and organizations she works with, while Sacks' firm, Sacks Communications, made its entire Spring 2016 issue of Diversity/Agenda magazine about Peña-Mora.{{cite web|url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160614/long-island-city/city-paid-magazine-publisher-devote-entire-issue-ddc-commissioner|title=City Paid Magazine Publisher to Devote Entire Issue to DDC Commissioner|website=DNAinfo New York|accessdate=21 June 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711140914/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160614/long-island-city/city-paid-magazine-publisher-devote-entire-issue-ddc-commissioner|archivedate=11 July 2017}}

On June 21, 2017, Peña-Mora announced his plans to depart the DDC.{{cite web|url=http://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/423-17/statement-mayor-de-blasio-the-departure-department-design-construction|title=Statement from Mayor de Blasio on the Departure of DDC Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora|date=21 June 2017|publisher=|accessdate=16 September 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20170621/long-island-city/feniosky-pea-mora-resigns-department-of-design-and-consturction|title=City's Embattled 'Build it Back' Head to Resign, Sources Say|website=DNAinfo New York|accessdate=21 June 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621143140/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20170621/long-island-city/feniosky-pea-mora-resigns-department-of-design-and-consturction|archivedate=21 June 2017}} News reports attributed his departure to "Hurricane Sandy rebuilding failures."{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/city-official-step-hurricane-sandy-rebuilding-woes-article-1.3263784|title=Department of Design and Construction chief to step down amid Hurricane Sandy rebuilding failures - NY Daily News|first=James Fanelli, Erin|last=Durkin|website=New York Daily News |date=20 June 2017 |publisher=|accessdate=16 September 2018}}

• Hussein, K. and Peña-Mora, F., “Collaborative Agent Interaction Control and Synchronization System,” MIT Case No. 8376S, Daly, Crowley & Mofford, LLP file MIT-057AUS, US Patent Application No. 09/540,947, Issued February 28, 2006.
• Peña-Mora, F. and Kuang, C., “Mechanisms and Artifacts to Manage Heterogeneous Platform Interfaces in a Collaboration,” MIT Case No. 9249S Daly, Crowley & Mofford, LLP file MIT-057BUS, US Patent Application No. 10/069,885, Issued January 9, 2007.
• Peña-Mora, F., Vadhavkar, S., Dwivedi, G., Kuang, C., and Wang, W., “Software Service Handoff Mechanism with A Performance Reliability Improvement Mechanism (PRIM) for a Collaborative Client-Server System,” MIT Case No. 9250S, Daly, Crowley & Mofford, LLP file MIT-092AUS, US Patent Application No. 10/069,797, Issued May 15, 2007.
• Peña-Mora, F., Park, M., Lee, S., Fulenwider, M., and Li, M. “Dynamic Planning Method and System,” MIT Case No. 9185S, Daly, Crowley & Mofford, LLP file MIT-086AUS, US Patent Application No. 10/068,119, US Patent No. 7,349,863, Issued March 25, 2008.
• Peña-Mora, F., Park, M., Lee, S., Fulenwider, M., and Li, M. “Reliability Buffering Technique Applied to a Project Planning Model,” MIT Case No. 9186S, Daly, Crowley & Mofford, LLP file MIT-087PUSP, US Patent No. 7,415,393, Issued August 19, 2008.
• Golparvar-Fard M., Peña-Mora, F., and Savarese, S. (2010). “D4AR- 4 Dimensional Augmented Reality Models for Automation and Visualization of Construction Progress Monitoring.” United States Provisional Patent Application No. 61/570,491, filed December 14, 2011.
• Thomas J., Peña-Mora, F., and Golparvar-Fard, M. (2009). “Mobile Workstation Chariot.” Provisional Patent, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (Docket Number: TF08208-PRO).

{{reflist}}

• [http://engineering.columbia.edu/new-dean-feniosky-pen-mora New Dean is Feniosky Pena-Mora]
• [http://engineering.columbia.edu/files/engineering/CurriculumVitae-1.pdf Curriculum Vitae]
• [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/nyregion/18dean.html?_r=1 New York Times: An Immigrant’s Journey to a Top Post at Columbia]
• [http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2009/09/01/who-runs-columbia-find-out-who-large-and-charge Columbia Spectator: Who runs Columbia: Find out who is large and in charge]
• [https://www.mit.edu/~feniosky/research/ResearchGroup.html Research Group]

{{s-start}}

{{s-gov}}

{{s-bef|before=David J. Burney}}

{{s-ttl|title=Commissioner of the New York City Department of Design and Construction|years=2014–2017}}

{{s-aft|after=Ana Barrio (interim)}}

{{s-end}}

{{Bill de Blasio cabinet}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pena-Mora, Feniosky}}

Category:People from Washington Heights, Manhattan

Category:Teachers College, Columbia University alumni

Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni

Category:Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science faculty

Category:Living people

Category:1966 births

Category:Dominican Republic scientists

Category:Dominican Republic engineers

Category:Bronx Community College alumni

Category:Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers