Hala AbouRizk-Newstead, MSc, BA, VMA, specializes in the areas of risk analysis, group motivation, and subjectivity in the construction industry. Her unique background in both psychology and civil engineering allows her to bridge the gap between the subjective nature of risk analysis and workshops (such as brainstorming, and the language utilized) and the quantifiable information (i.e., cost and schedule) required by the industry. She has a Master of Science in Construction Engineering and Management at the University of Alberta, specializing in this area. Hala’s research was influenced greatly by her work at SMA Consulting, specifically as risk manager for the North LRT project in Edmonton, linking the information required by the industry with the necessary research and academic background to solve the problem of translating qualitative information into quantitative input, resulting in the standardized tables that SMA now utilizes for risk analysis and range estimating.