Employment & Experience

Dilanthi’s current achievements are part of a development process that started several years ago when she began her academic career as a lecturer at the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka in 1994, which she began immediately after the completion of BSc (Quantity Surveying) Degree with First Class Honours at the same University.

Subsequently, in October 1997, she was awarded the prestigious Overseas Research Scholarship Award, which enabled her to begin her doctoral studies at the University of Salford, UK. In 2001, she received her PhD and since then, she has continued to develop her research in a manner that demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence, to encouraging colleagues and students to fulfil their full potential, and to promoting the University as a leading institution within the subject discipline of the built environment. The key contributions Dilanthi has made have been in providing leadership within the international research community, within the University and peer respected research in issues relating to capability building within a construction context. The strengths she has brought to these activities are critical scholarship and leadership.

Dilanthi’s commitment to excellence and her leadership qualities have been recognised with promotion and additional management responsibilities. After five years at Salford as an Overseas Research Award scholar, Research Assistant/Part-Time Lecturer, and then a Research Fellow, she became a Lecturer at then the School of Construction and Property Management in 2002. Dilanthi was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2004 at the School of the Built Environment, University of Salford, UK. In 2007, Dilanthi was promoted to the post of Professor with a focus on disaster management that has influenced her work since then. She has moved to the University of Huddersfield in September 2014 and will continue her research and scholarship in disaster resilience whilst leading its Global Disaster Resilience centre.

Employment

Current appointment

  • Professor of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, The University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK. Appointed 1st September 2014-date
  • Head, Global Disaster Resilience Centre. September 2014-date. 

  • Submission Lead, UK Research Assessment Framework (REF2021) UoA13 on Architecture, Built Environment & Planning. 2015 – to date

  • Since 2019, Athena Awan Panel Member, School of Applied Sciences. Renewal of the Silver award status in 2023 with the recommendation that there is “potential to move on to the Gold Award”.
  • Since 2021, Member, The University of Huddersfield, Applied Sciences, Research Committee.
  • Since 2019, Member, The University of Huddersfield, Applied Sciences, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.
  • Since 2017, Member, Black, Asian, and Ethnic Minority Staff Network, University of Huddersfield.
Other responsibilities included:

Immediate previous appointment

  • Professor of Disaster Management, School of the Built Environment, University of Salford, UK. Responsible for promoting research and scholarly activity in disaster mitigation and reconstruction. 2006 – 31st August 2014
  • Associate Head of School (International), School of the Built Environment, University of Salford, UK. 2009 – 2014.
  • Head, Centre for Disaster Resilience, School of the Built Environment, University of Salford, UK. September 2009 to 2014.
Other roles performed during this period include:
  • 2009 – 2014: Member of the School Executive. School of the Built Environment, University of Salford, UK.
  • 2011-2014: Executive Member of the College International Board, College of Science and Technology, University of Salford, UK
  • 2011 – 2014: Member of the Marketing and Recruitment Group, Member of the College Research and Innovation Board, College of Science and Technology.
  • 2008 – 2009: Director, Centre for Education in the Built Environment, Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment. To promote research and development in learning and teaching in the subject areas of construction, real estate, and urban development
  • 2007 – 2010: Co-Programme Director of the MSc Disaster Mitigation and Reconstruction Programme, School of the Built Environment.
  • 2006 – 2010: Member of the Executive Board of the Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment. It was one of the leading research groups in the world in the field of Construction Processes, Construction Management, Facilities Management and IT.

Previous appointments

1997 to 2006 – University of Salford, UK

  • 2004 – 2006: Senior Lecturer (full-time), School of Construction and Property Management
  • 2002 – 2004: Lecturer (full-time), School of Construction and Property Management
  • 2002 – 2007: Director of Postgraduate Research Studies tasked with providing academic leadership to, and taking overall responsibility for, postgraduate research studies within the Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment (BuHu). BuHu received the highest possible rating (6*) for its research quality in previous Research Assessment Exercises of 1992 and 1996 and 2001
  • 2002 – 2006: Postgraduate Research Training Director. Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment. Responsible for overall coordination of Research Institute’s Doctoral Research Training Programme. Organiser and principal input to frequently research methodology workshops associated with the Research Institute’s Postgraduate Programme of Research
  • 2002 – 2004: Programme Director and Level Tutor Hons. Quantity Surveying Degree Programme (RICS Accredited)
  • 2002 – Sep. 2002: Research Fellow (full-time), Salford Centre for Research and Innovation (EPSRC IMI), School of Construction and Property Management
  • 2001 – Dec. 2001: Centre for Facilities Management Fellow (full-time). I was leading the team of then newly established Centre for Facilities Management at the School of Construction and Property Management.
  • 1998 – Sep.2002: Lecturer (part-time) in Quantity Surveying. School of Construction and Property Management
  • 1997 – 2000: Overseas Research Students Awards Scholar. Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment
  • 1999 – Jan. 2001: Research Assistant (part -time). School of Construction and Property Management
Other responsibilities I’ve held from 1997 – 2006 include:
  • Member, Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) Management Board (2002 – 2006)
  • Member, Strategic Review of Teaching Committee, and Member, Quality Improvement Working Group. School of Construction and Property Management (2003 – 2005)
  • Co-ordinator (and mentor) for Research Institute’s and School’s Graduate Teaching Assistantship Scheme (2003 – 2007)
  • Executive Committee Member of the University’s postgraduate research studies sub-committee. University of Salford, UK (2003-2007)
  • Member of the University’s Postgraduate Research Studies Regulations working group (2003 – 2007)
  • Member. Faculty Research Committee. Faculty of Business, Law and Built Environment (formally Faculty of Business and Informatics) (2004 – 2007)
  • Member of University’s “ReKnowiT Working Group” (To develop proposals for establishing a synergetic relationship between research and teaching and implementing processes for enhancing student learning engendered by research) (2007); Leader of the Quantity Surveying Degree review process of the School of Construction and Property Management Strategic Review Steering Committee responsible for the direction and co-ordination of a two-year initiative to review taught programme provision and developing new industry-focused, commercially viable programmes (2002-2003)
  • Research Admissions Co-ordinator. Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment. Responsible for all PhD admissions to the Research Institute (2003 – 2007)
  • Personal Tutor, Research Institute’s PhD Research Programme (2003 – 2007)
  • Academic Adviser. CIB Student chapter. The University of Salford (2003 -2007)
  • Leader, Periodic Programme Review of the school’s Quantity Surveying Degree Programme Director (highly commended by the Audit Chair) (2003)
  • School Spokesperson. Business Process Improvement Theme, School of Construction and Property Management (2002 – 2005)

Jan. 1994 – Sep. 1997 University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

  • Jan. 1994 – Sept.  1997 , Lecturer (full-time). Department of Building Economics, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. 

Responsibilities I’ve held from 1994 – 1997, associated with this post included:
  • Commonwealth teaching counterpart. Commonwealth Fund for Technical Corporation (CFTC) Expert. Department of Building Economics (1996 – 1997)
  • Undergraduate Co-ordinator. The work included organising staff development programmes, staff appraisals, planning and implementing student counselling programmes, scheduling course work viva, time tabling, coordination of visiting and internal lectures (1995 – 1996).
  • RICS Teaching Review Panel (1997)
  • Faculty Board. Faculty of Architecture. University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka (1995 – 1997)
  • Industrial Training Co-ordinator of the Department of Building Economics, for overall co-ordination of Industrial Training Program for undergraduates of the Department. (1995 – 1996)
  • Building Economics Research Unit (1995 – 1997)

Other appointments

  • Visiting Lecturer. Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. 1996 – 1997.
  • Joint Consultant – Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka – Norway Industrial Co-operation Programme; “A Study on the Building Products and Infrastructure Technology”. 1996 – 1997.
  • Visiting Lecturer. Centre for Housing, Planning and Building, Ministry of Local Government, Housing and Construction, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Oct. 1995 – Sep. 1997.
  • Visiting Lecturer. Sri Lanka Institute of Architects. Colombo School of Architecture. 1995 – 1997.
  • Consultant Quantity Surveyor/Project Manager. (Part-time). Design Consortium Limited. Chartered Architects, Structural engineering and Quantity Surveyors, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Jan. 1994 – Oct. 1996.
  • Research Assistant (Part-time). Institute for Construction, Training and Development, Ministry of Local Government, Housing and Construction, Colombo Sri Lanka. July 1992 – June 1993.
  • Trainee Quantity Surveyor (Full time, as part of the Industrial Training Programme of the B.Sc. Honours in Quantity Surveying Degree Programme). R.Susil Weddikkara & Associates, Chartered Architects, Engineers and Quantity Surveyors, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka. April – September 1992.
  • Marketing Executive, Gabo Travels Group – September 1987 to December 1990. (since 1987to 1990, country’s all the universities were closed due to civil disturbances)  

Current external responsibilities

  • Steering committee member of the UK Alliance for Disaster Research (UKADR). UKADR seeks to foster innovative interdisciplinary research, as well as professional applied research structures to be able to predict or respond to slow and rapid onset hazards with relevant scientific advice.
  • Appointed member of the MCR2030 Regional Coordination Committee for Europe, UNDRR Regional Office for Europe would like to invite you to join. Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) is an initiative led by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and its partners to support cities in taking action to reduce disaster risk in alignment with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Launched in October 2020 and operational in January 2021, MCR2030 emerges from a decade long of advocacy and capacity building work that reached more than 4,000 cities across the globe within the network of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign. Through its Regional Coordination Committee (RCC-Europe), MCR2030 brings together key regional partners and selected city representatives, responsible for coordinating and ensuring synergies among regional partners in providing technical support to cities to empower them to progress along with the resilience roadmap.
  • Invited member of the UNDRR GRAF working group (Global Risk Assessment Framework Working Group on Risk Communication). 2020 –
  • Expert member, ICG/IOTWMS WG-1 on Tsunami Risk, Community Awareness & Preparedness. IOC-UNESCO, Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS). The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), established in 1960 as a body with functional autonomy within UNESCO, is the only competent organization for marine science within the UN system. Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) Member List including all Indian Ocean surrounding 28 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, British Indian Ocean Territory, Comoros, Djibouti, France – Reunion, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. 2018-
  • Formally appointed international expert of IOC UNESCO ICG/IOTWMS inter-sessional Task Team on “Tsunami Preparedness for a Near-Field Tsunami Hazard”. The Task Team will work towards enhancing Tsunami preparedness for near-field tsunami hazard including improving end-to-end national warning chains learning from the recent tsunami events. The Task Team will report to the Steering Group and be composed of representatives from WG-1, WG-2, WG-NWIO, IOTIC, interested Member States and international experts with a Chair and Vice-Chair. 2018 –
  • An international expert on “A Regional Assessment of DRM Institutions in the South Asia Region” with Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, a partnership with Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC). We will engage with key stakeholders in each country as well as regional stakeholders such as UN agencies, civil society organisations, and bilateral and multilateral development partners. This is a World Bank initiative. 2019 –to date
  • Appointed as a Steering Committee Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering with specific input to the frontiers of Development programme, from April 2019, which is a programme across the Royal Academy of Engineering, The Academy of Medical Sciences, The British Academy and The Royal Society. It is funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund that supports cutting-edge research to address the challenges faced by developing countries.
  • Member of the European Commission’s European Science & Technology Advisory Group (E-STAG), Joint Research Center (JRC) and UNISDR. The principal goal of the European Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (E-STAG) is to provide scientific and technical support to the 56 European and Central Asian countries for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR, and other DRR related relevant frameworks or policies in the EU.
  • A member of the Advisory Board of the Federation of Local Governments Authorities Sri Lanka (FSLGA) for the period 2018-2022 new term of the local council, to ensure strategic direction and guidance needed ahead. The Federation of Sri Lankan Local Government Authorities (FSLGA) is the umbrella organisation for all 346 local government associations in Sri Lanka.
  • Member of the Advisory Committee of the Association of Disaster Risk Management Professionals (ADRiMP) of Sri Lanka. The ADRiMP will work towards nurturing a culture of safety in Sri Lanka from the impact of disasters and climate change and will provide policy advice and facilitate capacity building services including strategic learning, research, training, system development, expertise promotion and exchange of information for effective DRR
  • Joint Editor in Chief, International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment. Published by Emerald Publishing, UK. The journal, indexed in SCOPUS and ISI Web of Science™Core Collection, Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and published by Emerald Publishing, UK, is the only journal in the field to promote research and scholarly activity that examines the role of building and construction to anticipate and respond to disasters that damage or destroy the built environment (http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/ijdrbe.htm)
  • Global Working Group Co-Leader. Words into action – leading UNISDR (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) Words into Action Guidelines on Accountability within the context of disaster risk governance
  • Global Working Group Leader, Words into action – leading UNISDR (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) Words into Action Guidelines on Construction Practice and Policy.
  • Board of Advisors, Article 25.  Article 25 is an architecture charity based in London.
  • Visiting Professor, UTM Razak School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia.
  • International Expert, Ministry of Disaster Management, Sri Lanka

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