Dr. Dueñas-Osorio was born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1976. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Universidad de La Salle in Bogotá, Colombia in 1996.  He then obtained a Master’s degree in Structural Engineering from the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá in 1998, followed by a Professional Master’s degree in Engineering Project Management from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana also in Bogotá in 2000.  After arriving to the United States, he obtained a Master of Engineering degree in High Performance Structures from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2001, and a Ph.D. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in 2005.  He enjoys playing classical guitar and attending independent film festivals. He also enjoys playing board games, solving puzzles, experimenting with cuisine, reading science history, and volunteering for the Houston Humane Society.  He is also currently training to run a half marathon.