Faculty
Sheryl Staub-French
, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Sheryl Staub-French, PhD, PEng, is a Professor of Civil Engineering and Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She is Director of the BIM TOPiCS Lab where she leads research to support the digital delivery of sustainable building projects through the collaborative use of building information modeling (BIM). She has contributed more than 100 papers in leading journals and conferences on BIM and topics related to the technological and organizational issues associated with its implementation. As Associate Dean, she helps to lead the engineering outreach program Geering Up!, which promotes engineering and STEM skills to kids and youth, parents and teachers. She also leads EDI initiatives in the Faculty to enhance the diverse representation of students in engineering, and to cultivate inclusive spaces and experiences that support all members of the community.
Collaborators
| Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
 | Puyan Zadeh, Dr.-Ing. | Puyan A. Zadeh is a Building Innovation Specialist and an adjunct professor at the Project and Construction Management (PCM) group since fall 2017. He joined UBC as a postdoctoral fellow in late 2013. Before joining UBC, he obtained his B.Sc. (2001) in Civil Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran and earned both his M.Sc. (2007) and Dr.-Ing. (2012) in Informatics in Civil Engineering from Technische Universität Darmstadt (TUDa), Darmstadt, Germany. His current research at UBC covers topics related to innovation in construction including BIM-based design and coordination, application of IPD and Lean Construction, Digital Fabrication and Modular Construction, as well as XR (AR/VR/MR) for Construction. |
 | Rachel Pottinger, Ph.D. | Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia |
Current Students
| Name | Program | Research Interests | Advisor(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Samaneh Torabifar | MASc. | Samaneh joined the BIM TOPiCS Lab as a MASc student in 2023. She earned her first master's degree in Architectural Engineering from Tarbiat Modares University in Iran. Samaneh’s research interests lie at the intersection of emerging technologies in the AEC industry (including BIM, Digital Twin, and ML/AI), Construction Project Management, and Smart and High-performance Buildings. Currently, her research explores the application of BIM and Digital Twin technologies during the operations phase of the asset lifecycle, in collaboration with the BC Government. In her free time, she enjoys wandering in nature, hiking, camping, and doing various sports. | Sheryl Staub-French |
 | Devarsh Bhonde | Postdoctoral Fellow | Devarsh's research primarily focuses on improving collaboration and communication among stakeholders in the construction industry using new technologies. His recent projects include analyzing the performance benefits of using Virtual Reality (VR) to incorporate design inputs, improve the design coordination process using cloud-BIM tools, and apply visual analytics tools to ease the document control and progress management processes. He investigated the barriers faced by owner organizations to adopt the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) procurement model on an industry-sponsored project and is currently studying the innovative methods, tools, and processes implemented on BC Housing's first IPD project. | Sheryl Staub-French, Rachel Pottinger, and Puyan Zadeh |
 | Danilo Caron | Ph.D. | Danilo Caron is a PhD student of mixed Italian and Anishinaabe heritage who holds an Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology (IBET) Fellowship. Danilo completed a Bachelor of Science in physics at Thompson Rivers University in 1999, worked as a contractor and Red Seal tradesperson, and returned to complete a Bachelor of Applied Science and Master of Applied Science in civil engineering at UBC in 2020 and 2022. Danilo’s research focuses on how the architecture, engineering, and construction industry can incorporate Indigenous knowledge in project design and delivery, which involves understanding the influence of project delivery methods, the resurgence of Indigenous governance and legal orders, intercultural collaboration, and systems change. A significant aspect of Danilo’s research are the partnerships between industry, Indigenous communities, and UBC. Co-developing research objectives, methodologies, and creating deliverables that serve each party is critical to building relationships through research. | Sheryl Staub-French |
 | Najme Hashempour | Ph.D. | Najme joined BIM TOPiCS Lab as a PhD student in 2021. She received her Master's and Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the Imam Khomeini International University, Iran. Her major is construction management and engineering. Najme is interested in improving the energy performance of new and existing buildings. Her current focus is on closing the gap between actual and designed energy performance. She is currently involved in the Vienna House Project by BC Housing, which is a social housing development pursuing Passive House certification. Najme is interested in improving the energy performance of new and existing buildings. Her current focus is on closing the gap between actual and designed energy performance. She is currently involved in the Vienna House Project by BC Housing, which is a social housing development pursuing Passive House certification. | Sheryl Staub-French, Puyan Zadeh |
 | Onyekachukwu Odenigbo | Ph.D. | Onyekachukwu received his Bachelor of Science degree in Building at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (Nigeria) in 2014 and his Master of Science degree in Construction Management at the University of Lagos (Nigeria) in 2017. He joined the BIM TOPiCS lab in fall of 2021, and he is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in project and construction management. His research interest includes Integrated Project Delivery, Innovative process in construction, Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) and Procurement and collaboration. When Onyekachukwu isn't studying or researching design and collaboration, he also loves going to the movies and travelling. | Sheryl Staub-French, Puyan Zadeh |
Past Postdoctoral Fellows
| Name | Program | Research Interests | Advisor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jianing Luo | Visiting Postdoctoral fellow (2023) | Construction-Oriented Architectural Design in Off-Site Construction Towards Lean Construction and Management | Sheryl Staub-French, Puyan Zadeh |
| Puyan Zadeh | Postdoctoral fellow (2013) | Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) for Mass Timber Construction | Sheryl Staub-French |