Dr. Aparna Samaraweera is a teaching and research academic in the field of Construction Management attached to the UniSA STEM. She is a graduate in BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying and holds a PhD in Construction Management. Additionally, she holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Data Science, a passed finalist of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA-UK) and a Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education.
Her research interests lie in the field of sociology of the built environment, focusing on cultural dynamics within various construction contexts such as construction project management, technology adoption in construction, cross-cultural project team management, post-disaster reconstruction, and waste management to name a... Read more
About me
Dr. Aparna Samaraweera is a teaching and research academic in the field of Construction Management attached to the UniSA STEM. She is a graduate in BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying and holds a PhD in Construction Management. Additionally, she holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Data Science, a passed finalist of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA-UK) and a Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education.
Her research interests lie in the field of sociology of the built environment, focusing on cultural dynamics within various construction contexts such as construction project management, technology adoption in construction, cross-cultural project team management, post-disaster reconstruction, and waste management to name a few. Through this research, she aims to understand the behavioural patterns of construction industry participants across different scenarios to predict and enhance their professional habits.
Her recent research focuses on advancing gender equity and enhancing the well-being of female workers in the Australian construction industry. Her research delves into the cultural and structural barriers that hinder women's participation and progression within this traditionally male-dominated field. In 2023, Dr. Samaraweera was awarded the International Women's Day Scholarship of National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Australia to conduct research to identify and address workplace cultural barriers preventing females entering and thriving in the Australian construction industry. Further, she co-supervises the PhD project developing ‘a Strategic Framework for Early Intervention to Mitigate and Prevent Mental Distress and Suicide Among Female Construction Workers’ funded by UniSA and MATES in Construction, which is timely and important to the sector. Please refer the section: "Research Degree Supervision" below to have an overview of other ongoing PhD projects. Dr Samaraweera supervises PhD students in the construction management discipline and has several Australian construction industry collaborations with her research projects.
Before transitioning to academia, Dr. Samaraweera gained substantial experience in the Sri Lankan construction industry as a Quantity Surveyor. She worked with both construction and consultancy organizations, engaging in projects across the private and public sectors. Her most noticeable contribution to the Sri Lankan construction industry includes serving as a resource person to the validation of the curricula and competency standards for the quantity surveying profession in Sri Lanka, organized by the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority, Sri Lanka. This construction industry experience has massively shaped her research and teaching efforts in her career.
About me
Doctor of Philosophy University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Bachelor of Science in Quanity Surveying University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting Chartered Institute of Managment Accountants - UK
Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education Univeristy of Colombo, Sri Lanka
• Awarded National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), International Women’s Day Scholarship 2023 worth AUD 20,000, for the project titled “Improving Gender Parity in Construction through Increased Participation of Women in Professional and Support Roles: Breaking the Barriers to Gender Equity”
• Tennakoon, M., Samaraweera, A., Colangelo, T., Sharma, S., Tiller, T., Zeller, J., Gallage, S.D., Highly Commended Paper Award of the World Construction Symposium 2023 by Ceylon Institute of Builders for the conference paper titled ‘Comparative study of work-related factors affecting mental well-being of male and female construction workers in Australia’.
• A recipient of Early Career... Read more
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
Mates in Construction Scholarship, Mates in Construction, 09/10/2024 - 30/09/2027
Lifting barriers that keep women out of construction sites, National Association of Women in Construction, 12/07/2023 - 28/02/2024
Title: Community Culture in Municipal Waste Management
Project Period: 1st April 2019 to 31st March 2020
Funded by: Senate Research Committee Long Term Grant for the year 2019 of Universityof Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Funding: LKR 1.19 Million ($9,520)
Investigators: Nayanathara De Silva, Aparna Samaraweera, Piumi Dissanayake, Binashi Kumarasiri
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID, ResearcherID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2023 |
18
14
|
| 2021 |
Open access
21
20
|
| 2018 |
5
1
|
| 2018 |
6
5
|
| 2015 |
13
4
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2024 |
Open access
1
1
1
|
| 2024 |
|
| 2024 |
Open access
2
2
|
| 2024 |
Open access
|
| 2023 |
Open access
6
6
|
| 2023 |
18
14
|
| 2023 |
Open access
15
17
|
| 2023 |
Open access
6
4
|
| 2023 |
47
38
|
| 2023 |
Open access
7
6
|
| 2022 |
Open access
|
| 2021 |
Open access
7
4
|
| 2021 |
Open access
2
2
|
| 2021 |
Open access
21
20
|
| 2020 |
|
| 2018 |
5
1
|
| 2018 |
6
5
|
| 2017 |
|
| 2017 |
5
2
|
| 2015 |
13
4
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2023 |
Open access
2
|
| 2022 |
Open access
|
| 2022 |
Open access
|
| 2021 |
Open access
1
|
| 2020 |
Open access
|
| 2020 |
Open access
1
|
| 2019 |
Open access
1
|
| 2019 |
Open access
|
| 2019 |
Open access
1
|
| 2019 |
Open access
2
|
| 2018 |
Open access
|
| 2018 |
|
| 2018 |
Open access
|
| 2017 |
Open access
|
| 2017 |
|
| 2017 |
Open access
|
| 2016 |
Open access
|
| 2015 |
|
| 2015 |
|
| 2014 |
|
| 2012 |
|
| 2011 |
|
Research
• Awarded National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), International Women’s Day Scholarship 2023 worth AUD 20,000, for the project titled “Improving Gender Parity in Construction through Increased Participation of Women in Professional and Support Roles: Breaking the Barriers to Gender Equity”
• Tennakoon, M., Samaraweera, A., Colangelo, T., Sharma, S., Tiller, T., Zeller, J., Gallage, S.D., Highly Commended Paper Award of the World Construction Symposium 2023 by Ceylon Institute of Builders for the conference paper titled ‘Comparative study of work-related factors affecting mental well-being of male and female construction workers in Australia’.
• A recipient of Early Career Academic Grant 2017 by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, United Kingdom in 2017
• Outstanding research performance award with a distinction for the year 2017 by the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
• Certificate of appreciation by National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority, Sri Lanka for the contribution towards; validation of revised National Competency Standard for the occupational sector of quantity surveying, development of assessment resource for the occupation of quantity surveying assistant and validation of curricular for occupational sector of quantity surveying in 2017
External engagement & recognition
| Organisation | Country |
|---|---|
| Birmingham City University | UNITED KINGDOM |
| Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) | AUSTRALIA |
| Hong Kong Polytechnic University | HONG KONG |
| Robert Gordon University | UNITED KINGDOM |
| Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology | SRI LANKA |
| University of Hong Kong | HONG KONG |
| University of Johannesburg | SOUTH AFRICA |
| University of Moratuwa | SRI LANKA |
| University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Sydney | AUSTRALIA |
| Western Sydney University | AUSTRALIA |
External engagement & recognition
| Engagement/recognition | Year |
|---|---|
Member, Panel of ReviewersThe 1st SLIIT International Conference on Engineering and Technology (SICET 2022), Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Sri Lanka |
2022 |
Member, Review CommitteeAnnual Technical Sessions, Institute of Quantity Surveyors Sri Lanka |
2022 |
Member, Scientific CommitteeCeylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) 10th World Construction Symposium 2022 on Sustainability and resilience in the built environment: Changed perspectives |
2022 |
Guest Editor of the Special Issue of ¿KPIs to Help Develop the Next Normal in Construction Practice, Teaching-Learning and Research¿Built Environment Project and Asset Management, an Emerald Journal |
2021 |
Member, Scientific CommitteeCeylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) 9th World Construction Symposium 2021 on Reshaping construction: Strategic, Structural & Cultural Transformations towards the `Next Normal¿ |
2021 |
Member, Scientific CommitteeCeylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) 8th World Construction Symposium 2019 on Towards a Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Built Environment |
2019 |
Member, Scientific CommitteeResearch Symposium 2018 of University of Vocational Technology in Sri Lanka |
2018 |
ReviewerInternational Journal of Construction Management |
2018 |
TreasurerSri Lanka Association for Improving Higher Education Effectiveness |
2018 |
Certificate of AppreciationNational Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority, Sri Lanka |
2017 |
Early Career Academic GrantAssociation of Commonwealth Universities, United Kingdom |
2017 |
Outstanding Research Performance AwardUniversity of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka |
2017 |
Resource Person to the Validation of Curricular for Occupational Sector of Quantity Surveying in Sri LankaNational Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority, Sri Lanka |
2016 |
Validation of Revised National Competency Standard for the Occupational Sector of Quantity Surveying in Sri LankaNational Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority, Sri Lanka |
2016 |
Development of assessment resource for the occupation of Quantity Surveying Assistant in Sri Lankan Construction IndustryNational Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority, Sri Lanka |
2015 |
Member, Conference SecretariatCeylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) World Construction Symposium 2014 on Sustainability and Development in Built Environment |
2014 |
Teaching & student supervision
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
| Thesis title | Student status |
|---|---|
| 110414 -Developing a Data Governance Framework for Critical Infrastructure Resilience | Current |
| A decision-making framework for initiation and planning phase of post-disaster temporary housing projects in Australia | Current |
| Development of a strategic framework to facilitate early interventions and support for industry drivers of mental distress and mitigate and prevent suicide among female construction workers | Current |
| Development of an Ambidextrous Governance Framework for Improving the Offsite Construction Supply Chain Resilience | Current |
| A framework for managing BIM-enabled construction organisations through innovative BIM culture | Completed |
