Hazel Ponton

Hazel Ponton is an Assistant Professor in the Architecture and Built Environment Department at Northumbria University. With a decade of industry experience as a Construction Manager at firms like Balfour Beatty and Laing O’Rourke, she transitioned to academia in 2011 as a Senior Lecturer in Construction Project Management. Her roles include UG Final Year Tutor and supervision of modules like Management of People, Health, Safety, and Wellbeing. She actively engages industry through events and mentors female students via the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).

Education: BSc in Building Management (1996).

Research focuses on team dynamics in construction design teams, women in construction, and mental health. Her part-time PhD (2016–2022) examines social interactions in design meetings, with studies on humor’s role in collaboration published in Construction Management and Economics. She presents at ARCOM conferences and co-developed a design science-based dashboard for construction managers.

Her work bridges academia and industry, emphasizing practical applications like digital leadership frameworks for Construction 4.0 and organizational learning challenges in project-based firms.