Dr. Derek G. Williamson
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies | Associate Professor
Contact
- H.M. Comer 3011
- phone (205) 348-9931
- fax (205) 348-0783
Research Areas
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
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.
Affiliated Areas
Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Dean’s Office
Selected Publications
- Williamson, D. Fridley, K. and E. Back “Student Portfolios for Assessment and Self-Learning,” Proceedings of 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, (Paper ID #15390)
- Fridley, K., Back, E., and D. Williamson “The ASCE BOK, ABET Accreditation Criteria, and NCEES FE Exam – Are They Appropriately Aligned,” Proceedings of 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, (DOI: 10.18260/p.26089)
- Williamson, D. Fridley, K. and E. Back “Disciplinary to Multidisciplinary Programs: Educational Outcomes, BOK’s, and Accreditation,” Proceedings of 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, (Paper ID #11281)
- Gabriel M, Williamson, D.G, and Brooks, S., “Potential impact of rainfall on the air-surface exchange of total gaseous mercury from two common urban ground surfaces,” Atmospheric Environment, 45, pp. 1766-1774, (2011)
Awards and Honors
- 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.
Dr. Williamson's Impact
Faculty and Staff Accolades for Aug. 18, 2021
The UA Career Center’s Campus Career Influencer Program targets faculty and staff who have a compelling interest and commitment to the development of student career readiness, in addition to academic...
Virtual Reality
Two forward-thinking University of Alabama engineering faculty members have started a research project evaluating the quality of online engineering education in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Derek Williamson, civil,...
UA engineering adds two ABET accreditations to undergraduate programs
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – All University of Alabama College of Engineering undergraduate curricula are now fully accredited by ABET, the national accrediting agency for engineering and computing programs, with the two...