Neil Cochrane

Neil Cochrane is a Teaching Fellow and Programme Leader for undergraduate Civil and Civil & Environmental Engineering programs at the University of Strathclyde's Faculty of Engineering. With the largest engineering faculty in Scotland, Strathclyde provides a unique platform for his interdisciplinary work bridging environmental assessment and engineering design.

His educational background includes a Master of Engineering in Structural and Architectural Engineering (2012) and a Master of Science in Environmental Entrepreneurship (2014), both from the University of Strathclyde. His research centers on collaborative decision-making in the built environment, focusing on how stakeholders in environmental assessment and engineering design interact to achieve sustainable outcomes. This work directly informs his teaching practice and pedagogic scholarship.

Analysis of his publications reveals consistent focus on environmental impact assessment integration, sustainable infrastructure, and circular economy applications. His work demonstrates strong alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in sustainable cities and climate action. Key themes include biodiversity net gain implementation, flood defense innovation, and curriculum development for net zero construction.

Scientific Awards:

• Teaching Excellence Award (2018)
• Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (AdvanceHE)

As Programme Leader for BEng/MEng Civil Engineering programs, Cochrane leads curriculum transformation toward sustainable development goals and apprenticeship degree models. His current research includes the £1.2M 'Evaluating eDNA for Biodiversity Net Gain' project (2025-2026) and the 'Building Resilience into Curricula' initiative (2024-2026), securing significant internal funding. He actively collaborates with the Institution of Civil Engineers and Scotland's EIA Community.

Cochrane directs interdisciplinary teaching across six core courses including Environmental Impact Assessment (EV939) and Civil Engineering Design Projects (CL114), while developing blended learning methods for diverse student cohorts. His industry partnerships focus on implementing sustainable practices in infrastructure projects through early-stage collaboration frameworks.