01
Project thinking
Connect safety, cost, schedule, quality, sustainability, and workforce needs rather than treating construction decisions as isolated exercises.
TEACHING & LEARNING
Teaching construction for the real world.
Students should leave a course able to make sound professional decisions, explain why those decisions matter, and apply technical knowledge under realistic project constraints.
INSTRUCTOR-DEVELOPED TEACHING RESOURCES · TCM 2430
Construction Safety:
Course Materials
Explore Dr. Tommy Tafazzoli’s lecture materials, from OSHA and hazard analysis to safety across construction operations. A structured weekly pathway connects classroom discussion with decisions made on a jobsite.
Explore the course materials ↗
INSTRUCTOR-DEVELOPED TEACHING RESOURCES · TCM 5330
Green and Sustainable Construction:
Course Materials
Explore Dr. Tommy Tafazzoli’s lectures on sustainable design, certification, resource efficiency, healthy indoor environments, and the communities buildings serve.
Explore Green Construction materials ↗
27Documented course sections
1,181Course enrollments
3.66 / 4.00Mean section evaluation
Georgia Southern, Fall 2023–Summer 2026. Ratings are the unweighted mean of the 27 section averages in the supplied core narrative; enrollments are course registrations.
LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
A team, a project, and professional expectations.
ASC competition coaching gives students a setting to connect planning, estimating, teamwork, and presentation under realistic project constraints.
Students & mentoring ↗Four connected elements of teaching and mentoring
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Knowledge becomes useful through judgment.
02
Workforce readiness
Use realistic assignments, professional tools, standards, and project scenarios to build confidence for internships and employment.
03
Experiential learning
Work with real cases, jobsite examples, project safety plans, scheduling exercises, and industry-informed competition problems.
04
Ethics & professionalism
Treat safety, environmental responsibility, ethical conduct, and communication as integral parts of technical competence.
05
Sustainability & innovation
Connect LEED and building-performance concepts with emerging construction technologies and current research.
06
Continuous learning
Use recurring assessments, instructional videos, clear weekly course organization, and student feedback to support steady engagement.
COURSES & CURRICULUM
Breadth connected by practice.
Georgia Southern
Construction Safety
Accident cases, OSHA requirements, job-hazard analysis, and project safety planning.
Georgia Southern
Green Building & Sustainable Construction
LEED concepts, building performance, sustainability decisions, and realistic project constraints.
Georgia Southern
Building Codes
Code requirements and their relationship to construction practice.
Georgia Southern
Graduate Special Problems
Literature, research methods, analysis, and scholarly dissemination.
Washington State
Planning & Scheduling; Earthwork & Equipment
Project controls, construction operations, equipment, and schedule-driven decision-making.
Washington State · Course development
Delivery Systems; Construction Administration & Documentation
Two developed courses connecting project delivery, documentation, contracts, and professional coordination.
EVIDENCE & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Clear structure. Repeated application. Useful feedback.
Across the supplied evaluations, recurring strengths include course organization, detailed lecture materials, instructional videos, alignment between teaching and assessment, and practical assignments.
Feedback guides improvements to demonstrations, interaction, and applied learning. Inclusive teaching emphasizes clear expectations, accessible materials, varied ways to engage, and responsiveness to cultural and language differences.
Teaching and Student Success were rated “Exceeds Expectations” in both the 2024 and 2025 Georgia Southern annual evaluations.
INDUSTRY TO CLASSROOM
Construction experience informs the lesson.
Kiewit: planning under real constraints.
Heavy-civil scheduling and competitive-bid development bring practical context to project planning, estimating, coordination, and constructability discussions.
Nevada DOT: learning from field delivery.
Highway and tunnel field engineering connects classroom decisions with project execution, safety, documentation, and infrastructure performance.
LEARNING BEYOND THE COURSE
Research, competition, and career development.
Graduate publication, undergraduate research, ASC competition preparation, and career mentoring extend learning beyond the classroom. The next teaching agenda builds on these practices through more demonstrations, emerging technologies, applied exercises, and carefully supported research opportunities.