Dr Michael Murray

Senior Teaching Fellow

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Personal statement

I joined Strathclyde in January 1998 (EPSRC Grant Research Assistant) and secured a lectureship post in 2000. I gained a PhD in 2003 and this brought to a close a 23 year educational journey of part-time and full-time studies. On leaving secondary school with no formal qualifications (1980) I embarked on a 4 year apprenticeship as a plumbing and heating engineer and subsequently worked for a further two years applying my craft in domestic and industrial settings. Thereupon, I lectured (plumbing and building studies) in three Further Education colleges (1986-1992) before embarking on full time studies in construction management (BSc (Hons) 1st Class, Napier University, 1992) and (MSc, Heriot Watt University, 1996). Between 1996 and starting at Strathclyde in 1998 I lectured at the Robert Gordon University and Fife College.

I am currently a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering).I completed a Certificate in Education (Cert-Ed) in 1992 and a PG Certificate Learning and Teaching in HE (PGCLTHE) in 2016. I have been a Senior Fellow of the HEA (PR234083) since 2021.

Since 2013 I have been an active in pedagogical research and have published in several journals (i.e. Teaching in Higher Education; European Journal of Engineering Education, Higher Education Pedagogies; Industry & Higher Education) and have disseminated my scholarship and research  through the Strathclyde  Sharing Practice in Effective Learning & teaching (SPELT) webpage (https://spelt.strath.ac.uk/display/SPELT/Faculty+of+Engineering) and at QAA Scotland; Advance HE, and Engineering Education conferences:

Murray, M. (2022). An Industry-Student Mentoring Scheme 2010-2022, Engineering Professors Council Crucible Project, 16th February, Session 1: Collaborating with industry for teaching and learning, Video3470518334, http://epc.ac.uk/recent-events/    & Toolkit available (Members Portal) @  http://epc.ac.uk/crucible-project-toolkit/

Murray, M., Hendry, G, & McQuade, R. (2019). Workplace Experience: Co-curricular Learning for Undergraduates 2012-2019. In, New approaches to engineering higher education in practice, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Engineering Professors’ Council (EPC). pp 36-39, http://epc.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/New-Approaches-Proceedings-Nov19.pdf

 

I am proposer and co-chair for an International Symposium of Engineering Education (ISEE), to be held 1-2nd September 2022 at Strathclyde, https://www.strath.ac.uk/engineering/iseeconference/

Expertise

Has expertise in:

    External Examiner

    University College of Estate Management: External Examiner, MSc Construction Management programme, October 2020- October 2024.

    Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland: External Examiner, BSc (Hons) Construction Project Management, Faculty of Engineering & Science, 2012-2016

    University of Central England, Birmingham: External Examiner MSc Construction Project Management, School of Property, Construction and Planning, 2006-2009

    Member of external Course Validation Panel: MSc Construction Project Management, School of the Built Environment, Napier University, Edinburgh, June 2004

    Peer Reviewer (Journals)

    • European Journal of Engineering Education, 2016 onward.
    • Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems, 2017 onward.
    • Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2017 onward.
    • International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education- 2018 onward.
    • Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning-2018 onward.

Prizes and awards

University of Strathclyde Teaching Awards-Nominated (Long Listed) Most Enthusiastic university Teacher
Recipient
15/5/2019
University of Strathclyde Teaching Awards-Winner-Most Innovative University Teacher & Shortlisted Best Teacher in Faculty of Engineering.
Recipient
11/5/2018
University of Strathclyde Teaching Awards-Shortlisted Best Teacher in Faculty of Engineering
Recipient
17/5/2017
University of Strathclyde Teaching Awards-Shortlisted (5 academics) Best Overall University Teacher
Recipient
14/5/2015
University of Strathclyde teaching Awards-Winner-Best Teacher in Faculty Engineering
Recipient
7/5/2014
University of Strathclyde Teaching Awards-Nominated In Recognition of Teaching Excellence
Recipient
15/5/2013

More prizes and awards

Publications

Opportunities for the development of professional skills for undergraduate civil and environmental engineers
Murray Mike, Pytharouli Stella, Douglas John
European Journal of Engineering Education Vol 47, pp. 793-813 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2022.2031897
"I read and read, and glowered; then read and read again" (Thomas Telford) : Reading for a degree in civil engineering 2009-2022
Murray Mike
Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium for Engineering Education (2022) (2022)
An industry-student mentoring scheme, 2010-2022
Murray Mike
The Crucible Project (2022)
An Industry-Student Mentoring Scheme
Murray Mike
(2022)
Role requirements in academic recruitment for construction and engineering
Pilcher Nick, Galbrun Laurent, Craig Nigel, Murray Mike, Forster Alan M, Tennant Stuart
European Journal of Engineering Education Vol 46, pp. 247-265 (2021)
https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2020.1725451
Civil engineering 4 real (CE4R) : co-curricular learning for undergraduates
Murray Mike, Hendry Gillian, McQuade Robert
European Journal of Engineering Education Vol 45, pp. 128-150 (2020)
https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2019.1585762

More publications

Teaching

Teaching Philosophy

I seek to deliver a student learning experience that promotes intellectual curiosity. My epistemic beliefs reflect a dominant constructivist perspective and the pedagogy that I deploy supports student agency through innovative Assessment for Learning activities (i.e. Flipped Learning / Book Jigsaw / Rich Pictures/ Vlogging for reflection).

As a Senior Teaching Fellow I have directed my efforts to creating reciprocal knowledge exchange between students and employers. This has resulted in significant ‘time in kind’ and direct financial contributions by employers for undergraduate curriculum & co-curriculum activities:

Graduate Mentoring 3rd year Students 2010-2022. As of May 2022, 974 student mentees have participated, 73 employers have assisted and 239 industry mentors have providing guidance to the mentees.

Constructionarium (ConStructEd Scotland) 2010-2022. Co-curricular 5 day summer camp (experiential learning) since where student teams project manage and build replica structures. As of May 2022 this has resulted in 241 undergraduates participating and this has created circa 9640 hrs. of voluntary student CPD and circa £140,000 of industrial sponsor support through materials, construction plant and management costs.

Civil Engineering 4 Real (CE4R 2012-2022) co-curricular problem based workshops facilitate peer (voluntary attendance, N=516) learning across all five years of the undergraduate course. As of May 2022, 112 workshops have been delivered by 201 engineers representing 66 employers. 2342 student attendances has resulted in 4684 hrs. of student CPD.

My pedagogy has been commended by the Quinqennial Review Panel (2015 & 2021) and recognized by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) Accreditation panels 2010, 2015, 2020; External Examiners Report 2020, and is explicitly referenced in the annual National Student Survey (NSS) free-text positive responses.

 

Teaching Awards

08/06/2021: Winner- Faculty of Engineering Excellence in Teaching Awards.-Excellence in Supporting Students during the 2020-21 academic year.

30/04/2019: Nominated (Long Listed) Most Enthusiastic Teacher. “It was great to have you as my teacher Mike. You are definitely one of the most enthusiastic lecturers I have ever known or will ever know, probably”.

11/05/2018: Most Innovative University Teacher  & Shortlisted Best Teacher in Faculty of Engineering- “ The amount of different ways this man has found to engage students with the wider Civil Engineering community is too long to list and I hope he finally gets the recognition he deserves”.

17/05/2017: Shortlisted Best Teacher in Faculty of Engineering “He goes above and beyond his role as a lecturer. Mike encourages students to take part in further reading and broaden their education with site visits and workshops. His passion for the course and genuine interest in the industry really encourages students to have ambition whilst pursuing their career”.

14/05/2015: Shortlisted Best Overall University Teacher “I feel I owe an incredible amount to him. He has built relationships with companies, organises site visits and forwards job advertisement to us”…“He makes such an effort for his students, and I think he should be recognised for this”.

07/05/2014: Best Teacher in Faculty-Engineering “He has such enthusiasm and ensures his students know what working life is like”.

15/05/2013: In Recognition of Teaching Excellence “Not a week goes by when he doesn’t go beyond the call of duty as a lecturer to try to introduce something extra or new, not just to us students but to the department as a whole. He inspires us to set our goals high and engages with students as equals”.

 24/03/2010: Award in Recognition of Outstanding Teaching “Mike Murray is one of the best lecturers I have met so far, and has helped immensely in my learning in the department”.

Research interests

My PhD studies and early publications have focused on construction management topics. However, since 2010, I have found a comfortable home within what I would consider to be ‘active’ pedagogical studies, grounded through my immersion in teaching and learning activities. My personal ontological (reality is subjective) and epistemological (knowledge creation is socially constructed) beliefs shape my approach to learning, teaching and research activities. Recent Publications:

Murray, M., Pytharouli, S & Douglas, J. (2022).  Opportunities for the Development of Professional Skills for Undergraduate Civil and Environmental Engineers, European Journal of Engineering Education DOI/MS ID: 10.1080/03043797.2022.2031897 / 210690459

Murray, M. (2022). An Industry-Student Mentoring Scheme 2010-2022, Engineering Professors Council Crucible Project, 16th February, Session 1: Collaborating with industry for teaching and learning, Video3470518334, http://epc.ac.uk/recent-events/    & Toolkit available (Members Portal) @ http://epc.ac.uk/crucible-project-toolkit/

Pilcher, N., Galbrun, L., Craig, N., Murray, M., Forster, A., Tennant, S. (2021).'Role requirements in Academic Recruitment for Construction & Engineering’ European Journal of Engineering Education, 46(2):247-265.https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2020.1725451.

Professional activities

International Symposium of Engineering Education (ISEE) 2022
Participant
1/9/2022
Centre for Engineering Education, UCL, Engineering Round table session on the priorities for Engineering Education Research in the UK.
Participant
28/6/2022
Crucible Project
Speaker
16/2/2022
External Examiner, MSc Construction Management programme,University College of Estate Management
Examiner
20/10/2020
8th International Symposium of Engineering Education (ISEE)2020
Chair
9/7/2020
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Engineering Professors’ Council (EPC) joint conference on New Approaches to Engineering Higher Education,
Participant
30/11/2019

More professional activities

Projects

Student Transitions through and/or beyond Strathclyde (to progress the QAA Student Transitions Enhancement Theme within Strathclyde). Transition to employment-Alumni stories about dyslexia from the Civil Engineering and Law disciplines.
Murray, Michael (Principal Investigator) Murray, Frances (Principal Investigator) Paton, Steven (Principal Investigator)
The proposed pilot project seeks to establish a benchmark for examining student transition to graduate (Alumni) employment with a particular focus on graduates with disabilities. For the pilot project we will focus exclusively on recent Alumni (up to 7 years post-graduation) in the civil engineering and law disciplines, who have dyslexia. Five graduates from each discipline will be targeted for interview and the primary data will be captured using a critical incident storytelling methodology. These life stories will chart the landscape through the student transition from university to (and through) employment and will seek to uncover rich personal testimonies that document the opportunities and barriers faced by Alumni with dyslexia. The output will inform academia and employers about the relationship between graduate attributes and equality and diversity issues.
03-Jan-2017 - 01-Jan-2017
Student Transitions through and/or beyond Strathclyde (to progress the QAA Student Transitions Enhancement Theme within Strathclyde). Communities of Practice: A Case of civil engineering students in post-summer placement transition through university.
Murray, Michael (Principal Investigator)
To progress the QAA Student Transitions Enhancement Theme within Strathclyde. Applying the concept of legitimate peripheral participation (Lave and Wenger 1991) to the study of student summer placement learning and transition (return to university) within industrial and academic community of practices.
30-Jan-2016 - 30-Jan-2017
ENTICE - ENhancing Transitions In Civil Engineering (HEA Student Transitions)
Ferguson, Neil (Principal Investigator) Bertram, Doug (Co-investigator) Kenny, Michael (Co-investigator) Murray, Michael (Co-investigator) Switzer, Christine (Co-investigator)
11-Jan-2015 - 30-Jan-2015
Scottish Enterprise & Applecross Developments
Murray, Michael (Principal Investigator) Langford, David (Research Co-investigator)
A Lean Design and Construction Methodology for Applecross Developments
10-Jan-2005 - 19-Jan-2007
Tempus Project: CD_JEP-30047-2002 (SY) Developing an MSc Curriculum in Construction Management for the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Aleppo, Syria
Murray, Michael (Principal Investigator) Langford, David (Principal Investigator)
15-Jan-2004 - 15-Jan-2006
ESRC Transdiciplinary Seminars Award: People & Culture
Murray, Michael (Principal Investigator)
Establishing a network of academics and construction industry practitioners with an interest in work-life balance issues. Seven workshops held under the headings of Work & Quality of Life; Flexible Working Practices; Child Care Issues; Discrimination & Promoting Inclusive Employment Practices; Risk, Safety & the Working Environment and The Impact of Information Technology.
19-Jan-2004 - 15-Jan-2005

More projects

Address

Civil and Environmental Engineering
James Weir

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