Susan Dawson

Susan Dawson is a Research Fellow at Northumbria University, leading the development and delivery of degree apprenticeships in surveying, architecture, engineering, and construction. She actively collaborates with industry through employer-led Trailblazer consortiums and professional bodies, emphasizing strategic partnerships between academia and industry. Her professional background includes 20+ years in architectural practice at firms like Ryder Architecture and WSP, where she pioneered Building Information Modelling (BIM) implementation. She co-founded the BIM Academy, a collaborative initiative strengthening BIM expertise in the North East of England.

Education: Holds a BSc (Hons) in Building Management, is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (ACIAT). Her research focuses on maximizing tripartite relationships between employers, students, and academia, with recent work on apprenticeship frameworks and BIM-enabled education.

Research Interests: Degree apprenticeships' impact on education, BIM technologies, strategic partnerships in higher education, and construction materials science. She advocates for collaborative research and knowledge transfer, reflected in her role as Co-Investigator on projects like the AI Integration in Built Environment initiative (2025).

Grants & Projects: Includes £1.5k AI Integration in Built Environment (2025) and £72k BRIDGE project (2017-2019), focusing on equitable degree access. Active in professional activities like Northumbrian Water Innovation Workshops and national apprenticeship standards review.