Nguyen receives teaching honor

Phuong Nguyen, an assistant professor in the construction and concrete industry management program at South Dakota State University, has been honored by his educational peers.

On April 16, he received the Associated Schools of Construction Region 4 Teaching Award at the 62^nd annual ASC International Conference in Shell Beach, California. 

This award is given annually to early- to mid-career faculty, who have two to six years of teaching experience at an ASC member school. This award recognizes the faculty member’s contribution to construction education, excellence in teaching, service to the ASC community and dedication to the construction profession.

Nguyen is in his third year at SDSU, coming here after a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta, Canada.

He teaches classes in Construction Surveying and Labs, Advanced Cost Estimating with Building Information Modeling, and Construction Planning and Scheduling.

Department head Julian Kang, who submitted a nomination letter on Nguyen’s behalf, wrote, “Students routinely describe him as the best professor they have encountered, noting his preparation, support, real-world examples and ability to make complex concepts understandable and exciting. Dr. Nguyen’s commitment to innovation is evident in the extensive supplemental resources he creates for his students.                

“He has developed a comprehensive archive of previous exams with fully worked solutions and rubrics, providing students with opportunities to practice, reduce anxiety, and prepare effectively. In the classroom, he employs a blended learning approach that emphasizes conceptual understanding, active engagement, collaborative problem-solving and real-world application.”

In addition to teaching, Nguyen conducts research that focuses on (1) artificial intelligence and digital transformation for project delivery and construction planning; (2) construction safety and occupational health; and (3) risk-based analysis for construction and infrastructure decision-making.