Sherona Simpson, instructor in the Colorado State University Department of Construction Management, seeks to educate the next generation on the use of technological aids in the field. Simpson is eager to share her knowledge and collaborate with fellow staff members and students.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
I am from Jamaica the Land of Wood and Water. Our motto is “Out of many, One people” in celebration of our diversity as a nation. I completed my Bachelor of Science in quantity surveying at The University of Technology, Jamaica, and my Master of Science in construction management here at Colorado State University. Outside of academia, I enjoy watching good documentaries and I especially love the documentaries made by PBS, National Geographic, and Discovery. I also enjoy music and in 2016 I started learning to play the bass guitar and played for a few years in the church band back home. I also enjoy hiking, biking, skiing, and watching some sports.
What brought you to Construction Management at CSU?
In 2012 I was a Fulbright Scholar at CSU to pursue a master’s in Construction Management. I fell in love with the people and the city and when it was time to pursue a Ph.D., there was only one place for me and that was CSU. Go Rams!
What are your research and/or teaching interests, and how did you get interested in that topic?
I have always been concerned with how to best meet the needs of students pursuing a degree in construction management and how best to bring the field into the classroom. As such, I am interested in researching technological learning aids for construction management programs. I am also interested in researching the effects of infrastructure projects on the socio-economic resilience of communities. My teaching interests are construction estimating, plan reading and quantity survey, construction contracts and professional practice.
What impact do you hope to have at CSU?
I hope to serve the construction management and wider CSU community through knowledge sharing and knowledge development.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe all students can be successful if given the right tools to succeed and allowed to set their own targets and work towards those targets. Determining the right stimuli and targets, however, is an intuitive process and involves communication between the teacher and the student. This means that the student has to be allowed to communicate their capabilities in a safe atmosphere and that the educator has to be willing to respond to the needs of the student.
What is your favorite thing about CSU and the campus?
My favorite thing about CSU is the people I work with on a daily basis. The faculty are supportive, knowledgeable, invested in student success and departmental success. My favorite things about campus are the bike paths, sprawling green spaces, and promenades which encourage community building across campus.
The Department of Construction Management is a part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
