Helen Giggins

Dr Helen Giggins is a Senior Lecturer in Construction Management at the University of Newcastle's School of Architecture and Built Environment. She holds a PhD in Statistical Database Security (2009) from the University of Newcastle's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, along with Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science and Honours in Computer Science from the same institution. Her research spans disaster management, construction technology, privacy-preserving data practices, and education innovation. She currently serves as Deputy Assistant Dean (Teaching & Learning) for the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, previously holding roles such as Program Convenor for the Bachelor of Construction Management (Building) and Academic Senate member.

Key research areas include disaster risk reduction, resilience education, and leveraging technology in construction management. Notable projects include DFAT-funded initiatives in the Pacific and ASEAN regions, focusing on disaster resilience capacity building. Awards include the 2018 Vice-Chancellor's Teaching Excellence Award and Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award.

Teaching roles include coordinating courses like ARBE3308 (BIM) and ARBE3301 (Construction Project Planning), emphasizing BIM integration and project management. Supervision includes PhD candidates researching disaster management strategies, NGO roles in Bangladesh, and Rohingya vulnerability. Grants total over $917K, including a 2024 $673K Heatwave Hub project addressing elderly vulnerability.

Collaborations span transdisciplinary projects like RES-SIM (disaster resilience simulations) and international networks (REACT, Australia-China-Taiwan). Research outputs include over 20 publications on disaster vulnerability, BIM applications, and privacy-preserving data techniques.