Biography

Dr Graham J Brewer is an Associate Professor in Construction Management at the University of Newcastle, Australia, where he was first appointed at the end of 1999. He is currently Deputy Head of the School of Architecture and Built Environment, and was previously Head of Discipline, Building. During this time he has undertaken various administrative roles at School, Faculty, and University level, and is currently a member of Academic Senate.

Graham Brewer graduated with his Doctorate in 2008. This work embodied the characteristics of his research, which fall broadly into three categories:

Innovation by individual firms. This work has taken three forms: firstly, enabling the individual firm to benchmark itself against sector-leading enterprises in terms of technology and capability; secondly, identifying strengths and weaknesses in its capability profile, and lastly; performance testing of project portal applications for fit with enterprise objectives. The first two were commercialised by the Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation (CRC-CI) and the third was undertaken as commissioned consultancy work.

Innovation across project teams. The key output in this regard was a series of four Best Practice guides and a fifth companion volume published as e-books by the CRC-CI. This work attracted the attention of "Constructing Excellence" in the UK, who negotiated with the CRC-CI for inclusion of its metrics in their own benchmarking mechanism.

Sociological influences on Innovation. In the wake of completing the previous two bodies of research it was apparent that there was a gulf between the stated preferences and intentions of enterprise leaders in relation to ICT and their subsequent actions. This spawned Dr Brewer's doctoral research, which looked at the attitudes and behaviours of ICT decision-makers in the AEC sector, revealing a raft of boundedly rational influences on decision-making, resulting in the first comprehensive map of the ICT decision domain. his dissertation subsequently received three research awards: Australian Institute of Building NSW President’s Award for Excellence in Research; The Chartered Institute of Building Australasia Excellent Building Postgraduate (Research) Award (PhD), and; Post Graduate Research Award: School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle.

The previous three areas of excellence in research have led him to be sought out by industry leaders in order to advise on issues related to the advent of disruptive technologies such as building information modelling. Over the last two years he has undertaken commissioned research for the Tasmanian Building and Construction Industry Training Board and others in relation to disruptive innovation.

As an educator the quality of Graham Brewer's teaching has been recognised with multiple nominations and awards, culminating in an Australian Learning and Teaching Council citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning in 2008.

Dr Brewer's ongoing community-based commitments include: Fellow of the Australian Institute of Building, its Professional Excellence and University Accreditation Panels;external examiner for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors: Oceania; New South Wales Board of Studies Curriculum Review Panel for the Built Environment (University Sector representative). He has participated in external reviews for multiple university departments and research centres, as well as Cooperative Research Centres.

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Newcastle, 2008
• Master of Science (Engineering, Design of Build), University of Paisley - Scotland
• Certificate in Further Education, Jordanhill College of Education, Scotland

Research

Research keywords

• Building Information Modelling
• Innovation
• Project Procurement & Governance

Research expertise

Professional Education:

Supporting the transition to PBL

Integrating and assessing the development of metacognitive skills

Learning contracts

Developing and assessing teamwork skills

On-line delivery of undergraduate programmes

ICT in the Construction Industry

Benchmarking the use of IT in the construction industry

Measuring the Critical Success Factors for the implementation of ICT across project teams

Sustainability in the Built Environment:

Design for Disassembly

Urban Sustainability: ageing in place

Innovative funding mechanisms for infrastructure

Collaboration

Dr Graham Brewer's research is largely characterised by leadership of, or participation in collaborative research teams. During the life of the Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation (CRC-CI) he led two projects worth nearly $300,000, investigating issues associated with the uptake of ICT in the construction sector, and a further four projects worth over $160,000 also connected with the sociology of ICT uptake and knowledge management. Concurrently he led two taskforces funded by the Construction Industry Institute of Australia (CIIA), yet again investigating the softer issues associated with new technology in the sector.

Graham Brewer was a Chief Investigator in a multidisciplinary team on a successful ARC Linkage Grant ($220,000) that utilised his sociological methodology expertise to investigate attitudes and behaviours in consumer spaces, with a view to quantifying the benefits of sustainable retail environments. He has also received upwards of $50,000 to develop a multimedia teaching module in collaboration with the members of his Discipline group.

Fields of Research

Centres and Groups

Centre

• Centre for Interdisciplinary Built Environment Research

Memberships

Body relevant to professional practice.

• Member - Chartered Institute of Building

Awards

Recognition.

Administrative

Administrative expertise

Faculty IT Committee 1999-2001

Faculty Marketing Committee 1999-2001

Discipline Marketing Coordinator 2001-2005

• 3 x marketing campaigns(8 Ball, Mass mail out, and Tasmania mail out)

Discipline Scholarship Coordinator 2000-2003

• 2 x UNISS sponsors (Lahey, JML)
• WT Partnership 3rd year scholarship

Faculty Marketing Committee 2005-2007

Blackboard User Group Member 2002-2004

Faculty Appeals Committee 2005-2007

Faculty Curriculum Teaching and Learning Committee 2005-2006

Deputy Director, Centre for Infrastructure and Property 2003-2005

Convenor AUBEA2004 Conference

Newcastle Conference Ambassador

Student Academic Conduct Officer 2007 --

Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Construction Management and Planning
• Construction Technology

Teaching expertise

Subjects including:

• Construction Technology
• Construction Business Management
• Strategic management
• Construction Project Planning
• Industrial relations
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Public-Private Partnerships
• Design for the environment
• Life Cycle Assessment

Problem-Based Learning

• Learning design
• Teamwork
• Peer assessment
• Self-assessment

Reflective Practice

• Learning design
• Reflective self-assessment
• Reflective writing

Blended Delivery

• Learning design
• Blackboard

Innovative Assessment

• Learning contracts