Dr Karen Blay

My research interest falls under the following broad themes: Resilience in Projects, Building Information Modelling, Information Resilience and Inclusion in the Built Environment. I am currently supervising PhD students in the area of Building Information Modelling (BIM)/Geographic Information System/Digitalisation in the Built Environment. At the undergraduate levels, my supervised research areas include Information Security, Digitalisation and Inclusion in the Built Environment. 

Current research activity

• Building Information Modelling in Africa
• Information Security in the Built Environment

Recently completed research projects 

• Information Resilience in the Built Environment

• BLAY, K.B., TUULI, M.M. and FRANCE-MENSAH, J., 2019. Managing change in BIM-Level 2 projects: benefits, challenges, and opportunities. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, Vol. 9 No. 5, pp. 581-596.
• Amankwaa, E.F. and Blay, K.B., 2018. Cities at risk? Exploring the synergies between smartphones and everyday vulnerabilities. Cities, 83, pp.129-139.
• OPPONG BANAHENE, K., ANVUUR, A.M. and DAINTY, A.R.J., 2014. Conceptualising organisational resilience: an investigation into project organising. IN: Raiden, A.B. and Aboagye-Nimo, E. (eds). Proceedings of the 30th Annual ARCOM Conference, 1st-3rd September 2014, Portsmouth, UK, volume 2 pp. 795 - 804.

Undergraduate

• Building Information Modelling technologies
• Building Measurement
• Collaborative Design Management
• Human Resource Management
• Project Planning, Monitoring and Control
• Qualitative Research technologies
• Risk Management
• Simulations and Clash Detection

Postgraduate 

• Federated Building Information Modelling

Short courses 

• Inclusive Engineering for Project Management Institute (PMI)

Career 

I graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a First-Class Bachelor of Science degree in Building Technology. Prior to my degree, I completed a Hardware and Networking Professional (HNQP) and a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) certification program and studied various programming languages. I have a Master of Science degree (with Distinction) and a PhD in Construction Project Management from Loughborough University and I am a Fellow of The Higher Education Academy.

I have previously worked as a Quantity Surveyor on local and international projects and worked with diverse teams in managing Information Technology Systems and Construction Projects. I am currently researching in the areas of Socio-technical systems and Inclusion in the Built Environment. Within the school, I am the Part A tutor for the Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying Program, a member of the Wellbeing Committee and I assist on the Athena SWAN Charter.

Professional affiliations

• FHEA

External activities

• Reviewer for the BIM Dictionary Project
• External Examiner for the MSc BIM Management & Integrated Digital Delivery program- Middlesex University
• Scientific Committee Member of the Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM)
• Research Committee member of the BIM Africa initiative

Key collaborators

My research and enterprise activities are conducted with a range of academic and stakeholder partners, including:

• Association for Project Management
• Center for Digital Built Britain