The People


Dr Zulfikar Adamu

photo-adamuZulfikar holds BTech and MTech degrees in Architecture from Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna, Nigeria; an MSc in Architectural Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) Saudi Arabia; as well as a PhD in Civil and Building Engineering from Loughborough University, United Kingdom. He worked briefly in a professional architectural practice in Nigeria and was formerly a lecturer (Architectural Engineering Department) in KFUPM, Saudi Arabia. He joined Loughborough University as a lecturer through the Architectural Engineering and Design Management (AEDM) Group in early 2013. For teaching, he is interested in pedagogical aspects and acquisition of practical skills in building information modelling (BIM) including collaborative working and role-playing. Zulfikar’s research interests lie primarily in computer applications (especially modelling) in the design and construction of buildings. Specifically, he is passionate about modelling natural ventilation for indoor air quality, building information modelling (BIM); artificial intelligence (AI) as well as in virtual/augmented reality applications in design and construction.

Mr Stephen Austin

photo-austinMr Stephen Austin is currently Associate Head for Civil Engineering, Architecture and Building at Coventry University. He is interested in the development of student professional attributes including communication, leadership and teamwork through integrated project work. He has been an investigator in a number of projects sponsored by Higher Education Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering, Hewlett-Packard and EU.

Dr Mark Childs

photo-childsDr Mark Childs is a Senior Researcher at the School of Civil Engineering and Building at Loughborough University. His other posts are Senior Research Fellow at Coventry University and Visiting Fellow at Leicester University. His research interests are in particular in the use of synchronous online platforms such as videoconferencing and virtual worlds for education, virtual teamworking, collaboration and development of digital identity. He also has an interest in the use of augmented reality and games-based learning. However, his experience in learning innovation stretches beyond this, and he has worked on digital repository projects, podcasting projects, analysed students’ use of learning commons spaces and many more; a total of 44 learning innovation projects over the past 15 years.

In addition to the BIM-Hub project his current research is looking at the use of web 2.0 and videoconferencing to link children across Europe so that they can share their culture and literature with each other. This will look at how they communicate, their experience of collaboration and how effective getting children to teach others about culture and language is at improving their own learning.

Mark’s academic background is mixed, his first degree being in astrophysics and his masters’ degrees consisting of one in media studies and one in practitioner research. His PhD from the University of Warwick was in Learners’ Experience of Presence in Virtual Worlds, looking at links between the development of identity and embodiment in virtual worlds and the effectiveness of learning within them. Before working in higher education, Mark worked as a journalist and publisher, and then taught in further education.

Professor Jacqueline Glass

photo-glassProfessor Jacqueline Glass is Director of Undergraduate Studies and Deputy Director of the Centre for Innovative and Collaborative Construction Engineering (CICE) at Loughborough University. She teaches on undergraduate programmes in Architectural Engineering and Design Management, Construction Engineering Management and post-graduate construction management courses. Her research has focused on design and specification issues, with sustainability management being a particular area of expertise. Jacqui leads one of only four Royal Academy of Engineering Centres of Excellence for Sustainable Building Design. She has co-supervised 15 PhD and EngD students to completion, published over 40 journal papers and over 80 refereed conference papers, many of which are sustainability and design related. Jacqueline and her colleague Simon Austin have recently completed another HEA-funded project on E-mentoring. For the BIM-Hub project, Jacqui leads the two Loughborough-based student modules that will contribute to the design teams. She will be involved in briefing, assessment design and the learning legacy from the project.

Dr Chinwe Isiadinso

Dr Chinwe IsiadinsoChinwe holds a PhD in Civil and Building Engineering from Loughborough University and worked as a Research Fellow in Construction Management at Nottingham Trent University. Chinwe is currently a business and strategic manager within Ace Development Consulting (ADC) Ltd. She is responsible for the design and implementation of all contracts, including on the field supervision and liaison with key beneficiaries to ensure timely, effective and relevant delivery of project goals. She plays an active lead role in research, conceptualisation, development and the writing of proposals and data collection. Her research interest relate to sustainable construction practice which enhance the performance of green buildings and building design projects related to green technologies in the ECOWAS region and the Caribbean. For the BIM-Hub project, Chinwe will be involved in the teaching and co-ordination of the two Loughborough-based student modules that will contribute to the design teams.

Dr Paul S.H. Poh

photo-pohDr Paul Poh is an Associate Professor of Construction Project Management in the Department of Architectural Science, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada. Dr Poh has an avid interest in Built Environment education. For a 5-year period from 1992 to 1997, he was the Programme Co-ordinator and Instructor for a World Bank funded “China Construction Industry Development Programme” which took place in Singapore. He was then a Senior Lecturer in the School of Civil & Structural Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Dr Poh has authored and co-authored a number of journal and conference papers relating to Built Environment education.

Dr Robby Soetanto (BIM-Hub project leader)

photo-soetantoRobby is currently a Lecturer in Construction Management at Loughborough University (UK). Prior to this, he held post-doctoral research posts at Wolverhampton and Loughborough Universities and lectured at Coventry University (UK). His research has been funded by governments (UK Research Council, European Union, Higher Education Academy) and private companies (Lloyds TSB and Hewlett Packard). He was a Visiting Professor at Ryerson University, Canada, and lectured at the Universities of Reading and Salford (UK). He was the Chair of the Third International World of Construction Project Management Conference in 2010, and Sustainable Building and Construction Conference in July 2013. His current research focuses on virtual collaborative learning of building design team. He has published over 80 works, including 2 books and 30 referred journal papers.

Robby has led a Hewlett Packard Catalyst-funded project entitled “Learning to create a better built environment” (2011-2012), which is the predecessor of BIM-Hub.

Professor Harry Tolley

photo-tolleyHarry Tolley, the project’s External Evaluator, is Honorary Professor in the School of Education at the University of Nottingham. He was the External Evaluator to EngSC and engCETL based at Loughborough University, the Higher Education Academy’s HE in FE initiative and the JISC funded ‘Hello Project’ at Leicester College. He is co-author of ‘Investigating Longer-term Curriculum Change and Institutional Impact within Higher Education’ (2013; STEM Education Centre University of Birmingham). He now works as an independent research consultant and can be contacted by email at: harry.tolley@nottingham.ac.uk or by telephone at 0115 8372733 (mobile 07947 661723).