Rate My Professor Thayaparan Gajendran

Professor Thayaparan Gajendran serves as Head of School and Dean of the School of Architecture and Built Environment (Construction Management) at the University of Newcastle, Australia, part of the College of Engineering, Science and Environment. He earned his PhD from the University of Newcastle, where his research examined ICT integration in construction culture. Additional qualifications include a Master of Science in Building from the National University of Singapore in 1998, a Bachelor of Science in Quantity Surveying from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka in 1995, a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, and a Graduate Certificate of Tertiary Teaching from the University of Newcastle. Beginning his career in the Sri Lankan construction industry as a Quantity Surveyor in 1995, he advanced to Project Manager roles until 2002. Since joining the University of Newcastle in 2002 as an Associate Lecturer, he has held progressive academic positions including Lecturer (2005-2010), Senior Lecturer (2011-2014), Assistant Dean for Work Integrated Learning (2021), and Assistant Dean for Education (2021-2023), culminating in his current leadership role from January 2024.

Thayaparan Gajendran's research employs a sociological lens to explore the built environment in construction, project management, and disaster contexts, focusing on cultural influences, ICT adoption, innovation, governance, and resilience. He has produced over 60 scholarly outputs, including the edited volumes 'Sustainable Built Environment: Select Proceedings of ICSBE 2023' (2024) with D. Bajaj and S. Patil, and 'Disaster Resilience in South Asia' (2020) with I. Ahmed and K. Maund; the paper 'Power in Megaproject Decision-making: A Governmentality Approach' (2024) with J.P.S. Siva; and early works like 'Picturing Success: Critical Success Factors for ICT Integration in the Australian Construction Industry' (2006) with G.J. Brewer. His accolades encompass the 2023 University of Newcastle Inspiring Excellence Academic Award, 2023 College awards for Leadership, Industry Engagement, and Equity Diversity and Inclusion Excellence, and prior recognitions such as the 2019 Best Paper Award at the World Construction Symposium and multiple Vice-Chancellor's Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2008, 2012). As Research Director since 2015, he has supervised 26 PhD completions, attracted $2,352,900 in grants across 34 projects, and contributed to program development in Construction Management and Disaster Preparedness. He teaches courses in Building Economics, Construction Management, Facilities Management, and Disaster Management.