Amara Halvorsen

Background

Amara Halvorsen is on the faculty of the Department of Construction Management and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Sheffield. Before Porter, Amara worked as a project engineer on health-care projects.

Amara's research focuses on BIM and virtual construction, with related work in mechanical and electrical systems; undergraduates are involved in the lab most terms.

Areas of expertise

• BIM and virtual construction
• Mechanical and electrical systems
• Undergraduate research and project mentoring

Teaching

Amara regularly teaches courses in Construction Management, Architectural Technology. Specific sections and syllabi are listed in the class schedule each term.

Courses lean on current problems from the field: students read recent work, reproduce a result or method, and then extend it. Amara builds in low-stakes practice before graded work and gives written feedback on drafts.

Advising and office hours

Amara advises students in the Construction Management programs and holds weekly office hours during the fall and spring terms, posted on the office door and in the course pages. Prospective students are welcome to email to arrange a visit or a call.

Advising conversations usually cover course sequencing, whether to add a minor or a concentration, and how classroom work connects to internships, research, or graduate study. Students who are undecided are welcome; part of the job is helping them narrow things down.

Recent and representative work

Amara's recent activity is a mix of peer-reviewed work, conference talks, and student-involved projects in BIM and virtual construction and mechanical and electrical systems. Representative items:

• A peer-reviewed article on BIM and virtual construction in a disciplinary journal.
• A conference paper on mechanical and electrical systems, co-authored with an undergraduate researcher.
• An internally funded project applying BIM and virtual construction to a regional partner's problem.

Titles and venues here are illustrative. UW–Porter Falls is fictional; Amara has no real publication record.

Get in touch

The fastest way to reach Amara is email (ahalvorsen@uwporterfalls.edu); messages during the fall and spring terms are usually answered within two business days. Prospective students and families can ask the Construction Management department office to set up a call, a class visit, or a meeting during an admitted-student day.