Devindi Geekiyanage

Known as

Devindi Geekiyanage

Contact Details

THINKlab
7th Floor Maxwell Building
University of Salford
Salford
M5 4WT

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D.Geekiyanage@salford.ac.uk

Current positions

Lecturer

Biography

Devindi Geekiyanage holds the position of Lecturer in Quantity Surveying at the School of Science, Engineering & Environment. Her teaching interests encompass Construction Economics, Value Management, and Research Methods. She holds a PhD in Disaster Management, affiliated with the ThinkLab, and her research focus lies in fostering community engagement to facilitate risk-sensitive and equitable urban development. Devindi has actively participated in numerous research projects. Currently, she is engaged in the ENSEMBLE project, titled 'Improving Resilience and Social-cohesion through Transformed Communities and Built Spaces,' funded by NFRF and SSHRC, the TRANSCEND project, 'Technology Enhanced Stakeholder Collaboration for Supporting Risk-Sensitive Sustainable Urban Development,' funded by GCRF and ESRC in the UK, and the Kalutara Living Lab project in collaboration with the ThinkLab. Her ongoing research interests revolve around Sustainable and risk-sensitive urban development, Civic Engagement 3.0: Inclusive-cities, Equitable resilience, Anticipatory actions, Energy retrofitting, and Circular economy. Devindi graduated in 2017 with a first-class BSc (Hons) Degree in Facilities Management and subsequently earned her MPhil Degree in Construction and Project Management in 2020. Before joining Salford, she worked as a Lecturer and a Research Assistant at the Department of Building Economics at the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka. She is dedicated to publishing high-quality journals through academic and industry collaborations, particularly employing grounded, participatory, and inclusive research approaches, and has received several Best Paper and Best Presentation Awards at reputable academic conferences. She is currently leading the SEE-PGR Development Group for 'Climate Resilience and Construction'.

Areas of Research

•Community engagement and participatory research for resilience-building
•Anticipatory action for climate change
•Risk-sensitive and inclusive urban planning
•Community-centred digital solutions for disaster risk management
•Knowledge co-production for equitable and healthier cities
•Regenerative city building

Research Profile Overview:

Devindi Geekiyanage is a researcher with expertise in community engagement and participatory research, creating impact by enabling sustainable and equitable community resilience and shaping healthier, more inclusive cities. She holds significant research responsibilities contributing to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) impact of the University of Salford (USAL) and is also a Researcher at ThinkLab (https://thinklab.salford.ac.uk/), where her work focuses on community-centred and digital solutions for disaster risk management and resilience across the UK and South Asia, particularly in regions vulnerable to floods and landslides.

Her doctoral research, fully funded through the GCRF/ESRC TRANSCEND project (https://transcend-project.org.uk), advanced the field of risk-sensitive urban planning by developing a theory of change for promoting community engagement in inclusive planning (Thesis: https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/output/2158070). Using grounded theory and participatory methods, she tested multiple engagement strategies and established local networks for data collection and framework validation. Building on this foundation, she continues to pioneer participatory methodologies that bridge academic knowledge, community voices, and policy-making.

As a co-investigator on the ENSEMBLE project (https://www.ensemble-photovoice.science/en/home), funded by NFRF/SSHRC, Devindi employs photovoice, community-based concept mapping, and participatory evaluation. This global initiative, conducted in six cities across Canada, Spain, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, and the UK, addresses the UN Research Roadmap for COVID-19 Recovery by exploring how community spaces can enhance social resilience and cohesion, while developing strategies for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities. In Manchester, ENSEMBLE has fostered collaborations with over 16 humanitarian organizations and local councils, creating lasting pathways for participatory research and a Digital Storytelling Platform (https://photovoice.ekisia.uk).

Currently, she leads the APRISE project, which develops a community-based anticipatory action framework for Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector, contributing to a national initiative for comprehensive anticipatory action strategies (Participatory Research Funds 2024/25). In parallel, she leads the anticipatory action framework development at the Kalutara Living Lab (https://kalutara.mobilise-srilanka.org/), that co-creates anticipatory actions with local stakeholders in disaster-prone districts. This work strengthens the capabilities of ThinkLab’s MOBILISE digital solutions, enabling communities to take proactive measures that reduce hazard impacts.

Previously, Devindi was the principal researcher for the community engagement work package of the TRANSCEND project, developing approaches for inclusive and resilient urban development in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Malaysia. Earlier in her career, she contributed to projects on BIM-enabled cost modelling, disaster-induced resettlement, and labour productivity management in construction, including collaborations with the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, and Deakin University, Australia.

She has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles and conference papers, authored a book chapter, and received nine research awards, including four Best Paper Awards and two Best Presentation Awards. At USAL, she leads a growing doctoral research group of over 30 PhD students focused on sustainable, climate-resilient built environments. Beyond her own projects, she contributes to shaping the global discourse on construction management and disaster risk reduction through active roles on scientific committees for conferences such as World Construction Symposium (https://ciobwcs.com), International Research Conference of Faculty of Architecture Research Unit (FARU - https://faru.uom.lk/FARU%202025/#scientific), University of Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference (SPARC), and University of Salford International Postgraduate Research Conference (IPGRC - https://hub.salford.ac.uk/ipgrc-conference/).

Areas of Supervision

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Improved Retrofit Planning and Project Management in the Construction Industry (Paria Nostrati)

Evolving Paradigms of Project Management in the Digital Era: A Comprehensive Study (Ahmed Sanusi)

Stakeholders Perceptions on Risk Management Practices in Public Infrastructure Projects in Nigerian Construction Industry (Maryam Bayawo)

Impact of Nigerian Building Code on Sustainability of Nigerian Construction Industry: A Case of Lagos State (Ernest Ekwunife)

Teaching Qualifications and Recognitions Publications

Teaching

- Construction Economics (Module Leader) (Level 5 - Quantity Surveying)
- Risk and Value Management (Level 6 - Quantity Surveying)
- Procurement and Administration (Level 5 - Quantity Surveying)
- Procurement (Module Lead) (Level 7 - MSc/PgDip/PgCert Construction Management; MSc/PgDip/PgCert Project Management in Construction; MSc/PgDip/PgCert Quantity Surveying; MSc/PgDip/Pg Cert Quantity Surveying (M&E))
- Contract Management and Practice (Level 7 - MSc/PgDip/PgCert Construction Management; MSc/PgDip/PgCert Project Management in Construction; MSc/PgDip/PgCert Quantity Surveying; MSc/PgDip/Pg Cert Quantity Surveying (M&E))
- Research Dissertation (Level 7 - PGT)

- UG and PGT research supervision
- PhD Supervision
- PGR Development Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Construction (Lead)

Qualifications and Recognitions

Qualifications

PGCAP
2025 - 2025
BSc (Hons)
(MPhil) Construction and Project Management
PhD in Disaster Management

Recognitions

Frontiers Award for Best Technical Paper
Built Environment Project and Asset Management (BEPAM) Best Paper Award
Built Environment Project and Asset Management (BEPAM) Highly Commended Paper Award
People’s choice award at the 3MT Thesis Competition

Publications

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Dr Devindi Geekiyanage