Rate My Professor Helen Giggins

Dr Helen Giggins is a Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Construction Management within the School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Newcastle, Australia, where she currently serves as Deputy Head of School and Deputy Assistant Dean (Teaching & Learning) for the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment. She obtained her PhD in 2009 from the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Newcastle, with a focus on statistical database security. Giggins also holds a Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) and a Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of Newcastle. Her professional career encompasses various roles, including Program Convenor for the Bachelor of Construction Management (Building), Elected Member of the Academic Senate in the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Project Officer in the School of Engineering and Built Environments at the University of Newcastle, and Research Assistant in the School of Computing and Mathematics at Charles Sturt University.

Giggins specializes in disaster risk reduction, disaster management and recovery, building construction management and project planning, as well as the integration of automation and technology in construction. Her key publications include 'The role of social media in community natural hazards communication: a scoping review' (2026, Journal of Public Health), 'Are We Adequately Promoting Climate Change Adaptation to Address the Increasing Heatwaves Affecting the Elderly?' (2025, International Journal of Disaster Risk Science), 'A Critical Analysis of Risk Factors and Strategies to Improve Mental Health Issues of Construction Workers' (2022, Sustainability), 'Impact of Non-DRR NGOs’ interventions for community-based DRR mainstreaming in Bangladesh' (2022, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction), 'Non-DRR NGOs strategies for livelihood development in the coastal communities of Bangladesh: a case study' (2022, Natural Hazards), and 'International principles of disaster risk reduction informing NGOs strategies for community based DRR mainstreaming: The Bangladesh context' (2020, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction). She has contributed to 14 research grants totaling $918,743, notably as an investigator on 'The Heatwave Hub' ($674,377, NSW Reconstruction Authority, 2024-2026), and has supervised five PhD completions. Giggins has been recognized with the 2018 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence and Contribution to Student Learning and the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Her teaching portfolio includes coordination and lecturing in Building Information Modelling, Construction Project Planning, Construction Management Fundamentals, and Communication in the Built Environment.