Sofia Underwood

Background

Sofia Underwood is on the faculty of the Department of Construction Management and holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Before Porter, Sofia was a project manager for a general contractor.

Sofia's work centers on teaching and curriculum in sustainable construction and lean construction, including course redesign and mentoring newer instructors.

Areas of expertise

• Sustainable construction
• Lean construction
• Undergraduate research and project mentoring

Teaching

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

Sofia designs courses around clear, visible learning outcomes, frequent retrieval practice, and prompt feedback, and revises the sequence each year based on where students actually get stuck.

Advising and office hours

Sofia 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

Sofia's recent activity centers on teaching scholarship and curriculum work in sustainable construction and lean construction. Representative items:

• A redesigned course sequence in sustainable construction, with open or low-cost materials.
• A conference presentation on teaching lean construction at the undergraduate level.
• Mentoring of new instructors and teaching assistants in the department.

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

Get in touch

The fastest way to reach Sofia is email (sunderwood@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.