Bob Prieto, senior vice president, Fluor Corporation, will present the 2013 Vecellio Distinguished Lecture, titled "Black Holes, Black Swans, Black Magic: the Emerging Arts of Project Execution," on Friday, Oct. 11, at 4 p.m. in 2150 Torgersen Hall.

His talk will provide a whirlwind tour of some of the growing challenges in construction project execution and some of the emerging "arts" that might come to the rescue, Prieto said. "The lecture will look at three broad challenges represented by black holes, black swans, and black magic, and suggest how our perceptions and tools must change to meet these challenges head on."

Prieto is responsible for Fluor's strategy for the firm's industrial and infrastructure group. This group encompasses three major business lines: infrastructure with an emphasis on public -- private partnerships; mining; and industrial.

He consults with owners of large engineering and capital construction programs across all of the firm's market sectors in the development of programmatic delivery strategies.

Prior to joining Fluor, he served as chair of Parson Brinckerhoff. He is the author of Strategic Program Management, The Giga Factor, and Topics in Strategic Program Management, as well as more than 450 other papers and presentations.

He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers' Industry Leaders Council, National Academy of Construction, and a Fellow of the Construction Management Association of America. Until 2006 he served as one of three U.S. presidential appointees to the Asia pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council.

A $1 million endowment was provided to the Construction Engineering and Management Program in Virginia Tech's Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering by the Vecellio Family Foundation and individual family members: the late Leo (Evelyn) Vecellio, Sr.; Leo and Kathryn Vecellio Jr. and their sons, Christopher and Michael; and Patricia Vecellio.

The Vecellio Lecture is sponsored by the endowment.

Torgersen Hall is located at 620 Drillfield Drive on the Blacksburg campus of Virginia Tech. With a visitor's pass, parking is available in the Perry Street Lots and the Perry Street Parking Garage. There is additional parking available in the Lower Stanger Lot located across Stanger Street from the ICTAS building. A visitor's pass may be obtained Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Visitor Information Center, located at 965 Prices Fork Road, near the intersection of Prices Fork and University City Boulevard next to the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. A visitor's pass may also be obtained from the Virginia Tech Police Station, located on Sterrett Drive, outside of the Visitor Information Center hours. Call 540-231-3200 for more information.

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