Dr. Cindy Orndoff

AI Watch

Dr. Orndoff received her J.D. in 2014 from Ave Maria Law School as well as a B.S. in 1984, an M.S. in 1997, and a Ph.D. in 2001, all in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. She has taught and conducted research in higher education for a land grant university, a state university, a state college, as well as private universities. She has a wealth of knowledge in strategic planning, resource acquisition, integration, and implementation, particularly as it relates to enhancing the effectiveness of complex organizations. She has earned national recognition with regard to communication, information sharing, organizational change, stakeholder interaction, asset management, and project management. She has been active in leadership and management practice issues throughout her career. She has served on many professional committees, including the American Society of Civil Engineers, the NSF Transportation Research Board, the American Society of Engineering Educators, and Community Economic Development Initiatives. She is also an entrepreneurial business owner.

Dr. Orndoff pioneered research on stakeholder consensus building among diverse groups relating to policy, legal issues, economics, decision-making, planning, and, importantly, conflict resolution. Being an attorney brings added value to her consulting services. She is experienced in mediation and arbitration. She has developed a methodology to assist organizations, including universities, in identifying areas where bias exists in the institution and developing an action plan to address issues of bias. Improving operational efficiency has always been her goal.  Currently, Dr. Orndoff has started a nonprofit focused on education to warn the public about the documented risks and issues with AI. The nonprofit, AI Watch, was founded on November 15, 2025, and received 501(3)(c) status on March 5, 2026. Her website, aiwatchnonprofit.org, is updated regularly, and educational presentations are available to be scheduled.