Professor Valerie Francis
Chair in Construction
- Room: 342
- Level: 3
- Building: Glyn Davis Building (133)
Biography
Valerie Francis is a Professor in Construction Management within the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Construction. She is a civil engineer with over ten years’ experience in commercial, industrial, institutional and domestic construction as a senior structural engineer and project manager. Valerie also has a Master’s degree in Project Management and a PhD which focused on gender in construction and engineering. She worked as a Research Fellow for five years on two large ARC projects investigating construction efficiency prior to joining the University in 2000.
While she maintains an interest in issues involving construction procurement her current research explores factors affecting organisational effectiveness and employee satisfaction and well-being. Valerie is a recognised expert in the field of work-life balance in the construction industry and to date she has been the sole and joint (with Lingard) recipient almost half a million dollars for research in the area. She is the joint author of "Managing Work-Life Balance in Construction" published by Spon Press in the UK in 2009 and was the Chief Investigator on an ARC grant investigating the effect of different work-life strategies on several "live" construction project.
Valerie research has also investigated issues affecting women's attraction, retention and progression in construction. Her study on professional women’s career progression was the largest study of its nature worldwide and it resulted in the development of a career typology for professional women. Her research work has resulted in the publication of a wide number of industry reports and papers in top tier international journals as well as local Australian journals. In 2010 she won the NAWIC Bovis Lend Lease Crystal Vision Award (Victoria) for her thirty years of service to women in engineering and construction. She subsequently awarded the National Crystal Vision Award in 2012. This is awarded every two years by the National Association of Women.
Valerie is also the co-ordinator of the Master of Construction Management and Assistant Dean (Research Facilities).