Work in Progress: Towards a Participatory Action Research Approach to Improve Representation of Black Ph.D.s in Engineering

Abstract

Her research answers national calls for construction and civil engineering professionals to develop new competencies to navigate the changes of evolving workforce demographics, technology, and organizational structures. As director of the Simmons Research Lab, she researches competency development via education and training; interactions between humans and technology; and conceptualization of leadership in engineering. Supported by more than $7.5M in federal funding and with results disseminated across more than 100 refereed publications, her research aims to develop and sustain an effective engineering workforce with specific emphasis on inclusion. She has over ten years of construction and civil engineering experience working for energy companies and as a project management consultant; nearly 20 years of experience in academia; and extensive experience leading and conducting multi-institutional, workforce-related research and outreach. She holds civil engineering degrees (BS, MS, PhD) from Clemson University and is a registered Professional Engineer (PE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED-AP).