Dr Karen Blay

MCP BSc PgCert MSc PhD FHEA

  • Lecturer in Digital Construction and Quantity Surveying
  • CMQS Part A tutor

Research and expertise

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/Blockchain/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

  • Digital strategies for community resilience
  • Social Value in a Digitalised Built Environment
  • Building Information Modelling in Africa
  • Information Security in the Built Environment

Recently completed research projects 

Recent publications

  • 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.
All publications

Teaching

I contribute to learning and teaching activities across the Schools programmes including:

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

Enterprise

Short courses 

  • Inclusive Engineering for Project Management Institute (PMI)

Profile

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