Executive Coaching & Training Expert Witnesses: 2

Prof. Makarand (Mark) Hastak, PhD, PE, CCP, CRIS, is the Professor and the Dernlan Family Head of Construction Engineering and Management as well as Professor of Civil Engineering at Purdue University. Dr. Hastak has been involved with the construction industry for the past 33 years providing his expertise through consulting, research, teaching, and service to the industry.  Dr. Hastak is a world renowned expert in the area of construction engineering and management including process improvement, disaster risk reduction, resilience and capacity building, infrastructure management, intelligent planning for the built environment, cost control, project management decision-making, risk management, and strategic planning.  Dr. Hastak is a Professional Engineer (PE), a Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS), and a Certified Cost Professional (CCP). He  has worked on numerous projects sponsored by the Construction Industry Institute (CII), NSF, State DOTs, and City Agencies.

Dr. Hastak  has authored over 200 publications on process improvement, project controls, capital rehabilitation planning, strategic planning, and decision-making. He has co-authored a widely used book on Infrastructure Planning, Engineering, and Economics (McGraw-Hill 2006 and 2015). Dr. Hastak served on the Education Board of the Association for Advancement of Cost Engineering (2004-2016). He was Editor for two AACE books, the Skills and Knowledge of Cost Engineering (6th Ed. 2015) and the CCP Certification Study Guide (2nd Ed. 2016). He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering (2009-2016). 

Dr. Hastak has given over 40 keynotes and invited lectures around the world. As a prominent educator and consultant, he also engages in developing training material and workshops as well as regularly teaching professional courses for the A/E/C industry. His services include consultation, on-site investigation, data collection, assessment, and reporting. He has completed the 30-Hour OSHA Hazard Recognition Training for the Construction Industry 

Dr. Hastak Lectures at the 2015 International Conference on Building Resilience

Litigation Support - Dr. Hastak offers expert witness services to attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant. He has served as an Expert Witness on six cases since 2017 and was deposed on two plus one evidence deposition. His services include case reviews, written reports, depositions, arbitrations, and trial testimony as needed. 

Areas of Expertise:

Construction Engineering Construction Management Cost Overruns Schedule Delays Construction Safety Modular Construction Patent Infringement

Factory Built Construction Infrastructure Planning Data Center Construction Project Risk Management Disaster Recovery / Disaster Mitigation Trade Secrets Misappropriation Contracts & Warranties

View Dr. Hastak's Consulting Profile.

John F. Steinfirst, LCSW, has over 40 years of experience in Clinical Social Work, Supervision, Program Development, and Management, and as CEO for 20 years of a $30 million mental health, child welfare, social services agency.

As principal of the well-respected residential and community based Fred Finch Youth Center in Oakland, with programs throughout California, Mr. Steinfirst has experience with an array of services for a variety of institutions, government and private agencies. Clients include but are not limited to abused and neglected children, developmentally disabled and mentally disabled, co-occurring disordered, children, youth, and families, adults, the elderly and those with substance abuse problems.

An innovator in his field, Mr. Steinfirst is responsible for developing and implementing the first residential and day treatment programs in California for developmentally disabled consumers with mental health problems, and one of the most comprehensive affordable housing, mental health, and vocational training programs for Transitional Age Youth, ages 17-28.

Litigation Support - As a licensed and experienced Mental Health Therapist, Mr. Steinfirst also offers expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. His cases involve standards of care, group homes / residential treatment and care, foster family agencies, a wide range of states' regulations and laws, mental health issues, social services, developmental disabilities, psychiatric institutions, and clinical services, for all ages.

Mr. Steinfirst's most recent case involved an insurance company that refused to settle for $2 million. The case resulted in a $5.3 million victory after he took the stand for 1 1/2 days.

Areas of Expertise:

Behavioral Science Child Abuse Child Custody Child Psychiatry Child Sexual Abuse

Community Mental Health Disability Drug Abuse Therapist Malpractice State Laws and Regulations

View John Steinfirst's Consulting Profile.