CPI Foundation
National Park Military Training Program
Tanya Wattenburg Komas, Ph.D.
Dr. Tanya Wattenburg Komas holds a Ph.D., Architecture from Texas A&M University; a Master of Science, Historic Preservation from Columbia University, New York; and a Bachelor of Science, Landscape Architecture from the University of California, Davis. Dr. Komas is an Associate Professor in the Concrete Industry Management program at California State University, Chico, and the Founding Director/CEO of the Concrete Preservation Institute, a non-profit educational foundation that advances the industry and partners with the US National Park Service at Alcatraz Island to preserve landmark structures. Dr. Komas’ research and projects have included evaluation of the German bunkers at the WWII D-Day landing site at Pointe du Hoc, Normandy, France with Texas A&M University, Co2 reduction research with NASA, and concrete roadway/bridge durability with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). She serves on the Board of Directors for the International Concrete Repair Institute and is a member of the American Concrete Institute and the Association for Preservation Technology. She was honored as one of the “Five Most Influential People in the Concrete Industry” by Concrete Construction Magazine in 2013, and has appeared on multiple episodes of the History Channel’s "Life After People" series, the Discovery Channel’s "Big History" series, and the Military Channel's "Secret Guide" series; she served as technical advisor for concrete and construction for production studios. Dr. Komas is a frequent invited presenter and consult for national and international audiences with technical presentations on concrete repair and sustainability and motivational presentations focusing accountability and personal responsibility seen through the lens of her teaching and work at significant military historical sites.