Paper and Presentation: The Path to Leadership for Women in Construction
Abstract: Statistics show that only 8.1% of the fortune 500 CEOs are women, which is equivalent to 41 women CEOs out of the 500 total CEOs. With construction being a male dominated field, women face many challenges, stereotypes, and misconceptions that can come in the way of them reaching executive roles in their industry. Consequently, young women witnessing their fellow women challenges need guidance on how to lead and how to crush stereotypes. In this presentation, two UMD women engineers will offer their insight on their experience in the male-dominated construction industry as well as provide key points on how to lead at a young age while being women. The speakers will also point out the unconscious biases they encounter or witness on the tough job sites. Additionally, they will discuss what their male counterparts in the construction industry can do to help empower women. The presenters will also discuss the soft skills required for young men and women to climb up the ladder and advance in their careers.
PMI Talent Triangle: Leadership (Power Skills)
Biography: Nour Alkhalouf is a civil and roadway engineer at STV, Inc. Starting as an intern, Nour has risen through the ranks to assist the regional manager in the region’s operations as well as manage a $200 million dollar task for a billion-dollar project. Graduating from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2018 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, she continued her education part-time, to graduate in 2021 with a Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a concentration on Project Management.
She is currently pursuing her Ph.D., also at the University of Maryland, College Park, in Civil Engineering with a focus on Project Management. A proud member of the Women in Transportation organization and an advocate for inclusion and diversity in the workforce.
Both Hala and Nour are sisters who arrived to the US together from the Middle East to pursue the American Dream. They both are active members in the Women in Construction (WIC) Organization. Both women have participated in the last annual WIC conference (which was attended by almost 600 women and men) in October of 2022 as speakers and moderators. Both women are advocates for mental health and have participated in campaigns focusing on the mental health challenges that women in construction come across. Being the immigrant women with the accents in the room, both women continuously advocate for diversity and inclusion in the construction workforce.
