I’m currently a professor teaching Construction Management in Western Carolina University’s College of Engineering, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunities I’m granted to make a small difference in the academic journeys of my students.
I LIVE to disrupt systems that require innovation, push boundaries, shatter stereotypes, and challenge norms that exclude.
I’m also a doctoral student pursuing my Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, where I am dedicated to my research and work toward increasing the long-term representation of women in the construction industry by boosting their enrollment and persistence in construction education programs.
I’m currently developing early outreach programming and cultivating identity formation opportunities within construction for young girls in Western North Carolina, and I hope to make a measurable impact within our region.
I’ve made quite a few pivots in the past two decades of my career...tried many paths, worn (and still wear) many hats, and held so many irons in so many fires. Being someone who is highly driven, overly motivated, and neurodivergent (diagnosed with both ADHD and cyclothymic disorder) makes for an eclectic combination! At this point in my life, I’ve made peace with the fact that I’ll always be a renaissance woman with WAY too many things on my plate.
However, through this experience…I do feel that I’ve found what I was meant to do in life.
I LOVE the purpose and impact I’ve discovered through teaching…far more than I even expected. When you have children of your own, you get to experience the magic of incredible teachers and how much they bring to your lives. I have loved and appreciated my children’s teachers since they were in preschool, and I’ve always considered teaching K-12 the noblest (and most crucial) profession.
While I’ve considered pursuing teaching K-12 many times, I felt I lacked the patience for it. Making the mindset adjustment and first trying it at the post-secondary level, I discovered it is indeed the right place for me. It’s where I feel I can make the most impact and be a true difference maker in students’ lives. I’ve found what I think I was meant to do all along, but I couldn’t have arrived here without all of those experiences and careers that I collected along the way.
I’ve learned countless lessons in my new adventure. As a perpetual student myself, I’m committed to always learning and embodying a growth mindset. I think it’s extremely important to never stop working on ourselves…to continue to evolve and progress. Life is a beautiful journey, and I’m extremely grateful that it has brought me here.
Learn more at www.gracemcintire.com
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