Rate My Professor Stephen Urquhart

Dr Stephen Urquhart serves as a Lecturer in Construction Management in the School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at Curtin University, within the Faculty of Science and Engineering. He possesses over 40 years of professional experience in the engineering and construction industry, complemented by his academic qualifications including a PhD in Civil Engineering from Curtin University and a First Class Honours degree in Civil Engineering. Transitioning from extensive industry roles to academia, Urquhart now applies his practical knowledge to teaching and research, instructing courses such as Civil Engineering Project and Cost Management (CSEN3000) and Engineering Foundations: Design and Communication Strategies (INDE1001). These courses cover essential topics in project management, cost control, design principles, and communication strategies for engineering students.

Urquhart's academic interests center on contractor tendering procedures, governance obligations in construction contracts, internal tender review processes, and contractor selection criteria. His research investigates how governance structures impact tender win-rates and proposes methodologies to improve efficiency in construction procurement. Notable publications include 'Implications of Governance Obligations Being Embedded Within Construction Contracts' (2020, Australian Journal of Civil Engineering, co-authored with Andrew Whyte), 'Rethinking the Tendering Frameworks of Construction Contractors in the Context of a Soft Systems Methodology Approach' (2018, Frontiers of Engineering Management, with Andrew Whyte), 'Contractor Tendering Research: Going Beyond Bid/No-Bid and Markup Decisions' (2018, Journal of Management in Engineering), 'Impact of Contractor Internal Tendering Procedure Governance on Tender Win-Rates' (conference paper), and 'The Development of a More Efficient Internal Tender Review Procedure for Construction Contractors' (ARCOM 2018, with Andrew Whyte and Jeremy Lloyd). Additionally, he has contributed to 'Quality as a Contractor Selection Criterion – Moving Beyond a Qualitative Art' (conference contribution). As a research supervisor, Urquhart mentors higher degree students in civil engineering and construction-related disciplines until at least September 2025.