Jude P. Laspa '65, deputy chief operating officer, executive vice president and director of Bechtel Group, Inc., has had a great deal of experience working on infrastructure "megaprojects," those that cost more than $1 billion and take far longer than one year to complete. His talk will consider the challenges these projects present. "Not only are there significant needs for innovation in the design and construction process, there are also major challenges in the areas of evolving scope, differing site conditions, material logistics, dealing with an operating environment, fast-track construction, changing regulatory requirements, and a multiplicity of various stakeholder issues," he said. Laspa will illustrate these challenges by using examples from the many megaprojects that he has been involved with around the world, including the largest urban infrastructure project in the United State-the Boston Central Artery/Tunnel project, otherwise known as the "Big Dig."

Laspa has been with Bechtel for 37 years in numerous positions, and currently is a member of the company's Operating Committee, sponsors the company's Six Sigma quality control program and operations in the Asia/Pacific region, and is chair of the BGI Finance and Trust & Thrift Committees. Previously, he served as president of Bechtel Systems and Infrastructure, Inc. (BSII), the engineering, construction, operations, R&D and environmental subsidiary of the Bechtel Group, Inc., a position he assumed in late 1999. BSII includes Bechtel National, Inc., which provides services to federal government agencies such as the Dept. of Energy, and Bechtel Infrastructure Corp., which performs major civil infrastructure projects, largely for state and local governments in the United States, such as the Boston Central Artery, and at the Miami and Las Vegas airports.

Laspa graduated from Harvey Mudd College in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in engineering. He earned his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Laspa is a member of the Harvey Mudd College board of trustees, the Rain Bird Corporation board of directors, and the Exploratorium board of directors, amongst other civic activities.