Biography
Dr Suha Jaradat is an Associate Professor of Architectural Technology Education at the School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment and Principal Fellow of Advance Higher Education (PFHEA) which is the highest level of strategic leadership in academic practice. She has held a number of strategic positions at the School including Head of Construction and Surveying, Research Lead for Built Environment, and Lead for Research Integrity and Ethics. She was appointed Advisory Group Member for QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Architectural Technology and brings in globally recognised expertise in Architectural Technology practice and education. In recognition of her achievements to the workplace and society, she was recognised among the Top 50 Influential Muslim Awards鈥 Europe 2023 www.equalityX.co.uk. This recognition is awarded to professionals with solid track record of making a positive difference, and clear evidence of impact both in the workplace and in society. She was also shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Most Innovative Teacher of the Year 2024 Awards for her outstanding work to internationalise the curriculum, develop the first work-based learning programme in architectural technology, and improve diversity in construction. THE Awards are recognised as the 'Oscars of higher education', which attract hundreds of entries from the UK and Ireland, that exemplify the talent, innovation and commitment of individuals and teams across all aspects of university life. She has led the organisation of international conferences focusing on architectural practice and education as well as learning and teaching spaces such as the architectural design studio.
Dr Jaradat has led the strategic development and delivery of a suite of postgraduate and undergraduate programmes in a wide range of design and built environment disciplines including the UK's first work-based Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) Architectural Technology programme which was also the first programme of its kind to be accredited by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT). She is a Chartered Architectural Technologist and Fellow of the Institute (FCIAT), which is a globally recognised status based on demonstrating significant contribution to and excellence in architectural technology. In recognition of her exceptional contribution and expertise in architectural technology education, Dr Jaradat was invited to be part of the first FCIAT group. She is also a Chartered Building Engineer and Fellow of the Institute (C. Build E FCABE) which is the highest level of CABE membership and reflects the knowledge and expertise of the industry鈥檚 most experienced professionals and a commitment to furthering the education and profession of Building Engineering. She is a fully qualified Member (Registered Architectural Engineer) of the Jordanian Engineers Association.
Dr Jaradat is actively involved in teaching, professional practice and research. She has led internal and external validation and review events a Panel Expert and Curriculum Adviser in over 25 national and international events to scrutinise a wide range of programmes (in subjects related to design, architecture, engineering, construction and surveying) at different levels including foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate and apprenticeships. She was appointed External Examiner and Curriculum Advisor in 6 national and international institutions to support the development of various programmes.
Dr Jaradat's practice is interdisciplinary in nature and focuses on applied learning and research-informed teaching. Her research is informed by industrial challenges and focuses on architectural education and construction management using various data-driven management processes, such as Building Information Management (BIM) and digital innovations, designed to increase efficiency and improve performance across the life cycle of building and infrastructure projects. She is also interested in architectural education and design practices focusing on the interactions between people and the built environment. She co-Leads an interdisciplinary research centre CEDAR: Centre for Mind, Creativity, and Environment Research, in collaboration with the Psychology Group at the School of Applied Sciences. She is also a Member of Centre for Higher Education Research. She leads a research theme focusing on how environments can adapt to change in a fast changing world with human cognition at the core of the design process. She was successful in funding applications from prestigious organisations such as Innovate UK, Gulf Strategy Fund and the British Council which resulted in generating over 拢449,000 external funding in the last five years to support her teaching and research activities in addition to recruiting self-funded PhD students. The outcome of her peer-reviewed research is published in reputable international Q1 journals. Her Research Interest Score is higher than 70% of ResearchGate members, higher than 79% of researchers with work related to Higher Education: and higher than 84% of researchers with work related to Architectural Engineering (source: ResearchGate).
Dr Jaradat focuses on work-based learning and has developed strong links with the construction industry within and outside the UK to prepare the next generation of built environment professionals, and successfully secured national and international work placements to students. She has been successful in a Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) application for a funding competition from Innovate UK, to help businesses in the UK innovate and grow by linking them with an academic or research organisation and a graduate. She was awarded a total of 拢173,647 to work as a Principal Investigator in collaboration with CSY Architects, an architectural firm operating from four offices across South East Scotland and North East England. The aim of the KTP is to develop and implement an innovative and bespoke framework and recommendations to enable a more effective integrated systems approach to underpin growth of an SME in key strategic areas. This integrated interdisciplinary approach is commonly referred to as BIM (Building Information Management) and comprises tools, processes and technologies that are facilitated by digital documentation about a building, its performance, planning, construction and operation. The findings of this project have informed teaching in the Architectural Technology programmes.
Dr Jaradat鈥檚 interdisciplinary approach is also reflected in her collaboration with academics from engineering, computer science, physics and industry partners. Dr Jaradat has developed various international partnerships and collaborated with colleagues in projects to support architectural education in various countries including the USA, UAE, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and China. She holds an 'International Visiting Faculty' position at Manipal Academy of Higher Education Dubai to support teaching, programme development and research activities. She has also been judging the globally recognised Architectural Technology students awards organised by the CIAT since 2020. Dr Jaradat has been leading an exceptional annual international study trip to Dubai since 2020. The trip provides students with a world-class experience, including opportunities to connect with global industry leaders and key professional bodies in the construction industry.
Dr Jaradat's research interests span across a wide range of architectural topics covering three main areas:
1. Architectural Education, Practice, and Management
2. The Digitisation of the Built Environment
3. Design and the Interactions of People within the Built Environment
She is an experienced PhD Supervisor/Examiner and a Reviewer for reputable funding bodies including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Peer Review College, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), UKRI Interdisciplinary Assessment College, and Royal Academy of Engineering. She is also a Member of the Editorial Review Board of a peer-reviewed research journal: Open House International (OHI) and Guest Editor on Special Issues for publishers including Emerald. She is a reviewer for over 15 international refereed journals in the built environment published by esteemed publishers including Routledge, Taylor & Francis, SAGE Publishing, Elsevier and more. In recognition of Dr Jaradat's expertise, she has been involved in supervising 8 PhD students (5 as a Director of Studies) and appointed a Postgraduate Research Degree Examiner for 9 PhD thesis (4 external and 5 internal) and 1 Master by Research thesis.
Dr Jaradat completed her MSc in Design and Digital Media at the Department of Architecture, The University of Edinburgh and worked as a Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Reading, School of Construction Management and Engineering after completing her PhD at the Design Innovation Research Centre (DIRC), University of Reading. Her PhD and Post-Doctoral research were funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and investigated the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in interdisciplinary practices in the UK and USA. She was appointed a 'Visiting Researcher' at Texas A&M University and collected data from leading architectural practices in Houston, Dallas, San Francisco and London. She was involved in large EPSRC funded research projects including the London 2012 Olympics Games Construction Project. She was then appointed a Course Director of BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying Consultancy at the School of Engineering, Kingston University London before joining 麻豆社区.