Dr. Derek G. Williamson

Education

• Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 1998
• M.S., Environmental Health Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 1993
• B.S., Engineering and Public Policy, Washington University in St. Louis, 1990

Biography

Dr. Derek G. Williamson is an associate professor and director of undergraduate programs in the civil, construction and environmental engineering department at The University of Alabama.

His research focus has moved from environmental engineering (fate and transport of substances in the environment and carbon cycle science) to engineering education, curricular and learning assessment, and the professional formation of engineering students. Williamson has nearly 30 years’ experience as an environmental researcher and over 20 as an engineering educator and now as an engineering education researcher. He has received over $1.5 million in research funding on environmental engineering topics.

Williamson has authored over 10 refereed journal articles and numerous conference proceedings, including several ASEE conference papers, and several book chapters. He has served on NSF and EPA review panels. Williamson serves as a reviewer for several journals and is an associate editor of ASCE’s Journal of Professional Issus in Engineering Education and Practice.

He served as department graduate director for four years and now serves as director of undergraduate programs of the department’s four bachelor’s degree programs as well as assessment coordinator for the department.

Williamson combines his research, teaching, and service interests through innovative instruction, assessment, engineering education research, student mentoring, and serving as the ASCE student chapter adviser.

Honors and Awards

• Stephen J. Ressler Best Paper Award by the Civil Engineering Division of the American Society for Engineering Education, presented at the 2016 ASEE Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. “The ASCE BOK, ABET Accreditation Criteria, and NCEES FE Exam – Are They Appropriately Aligned.” K. Fridley, E. Back, and D. Williamson.