By Dave Schlenker
When University of Florida Professor Denise R. Simmons, Ph.D., learned she had been accepted recently as a fellow with the American Society of Civil Engineers, she immediately paused for a quiet moment of gratitude.
“I thought about the women in my family who taught me to lead with integrity, stay confident and really listen, and then I smiled at the arc from those childhood lessons to this professional recognition. Very quickly that gratitude turned into resolve: What new doors can this open for the next generation of engineers, especially those who still feel unseen?”
Denise R. Simmons, Ph.D.
Simmons is the associate dean for workforce development with UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and a professor in the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment. Her passion is workforce development.
Simmons is also a fellow with the American Society for Engineering Education.
“Denise is a model of what an excellent faculty member and colleague should be. She is collaborative and has creative ideas for research and curriculum grounded in a deep understanding of data-based research. She cares deeply about the well-being and success of all her students.”
Kyle Riding, professor and department head of Civil and Coastal Engineering, and interim director of the UF Transportation Institute
Here is more information on the College of Engineering’s latest ASCE fellow.
Q: What sparked your interest in sustainable construction engineering?
A: My career began in the energy and public utility sector—nuclear power, large revenue industrial clients, and municipal utilities. Working on projects where people’s safety and a community’s economic lifeblood depended on long-term performance forced me to think beyond schedules and budgets. Over time, that lens expanded from systems to people: How do we sustain the workforce that sustains the infrastructure?
Q: One of your National Science Foundation projects is on preparing a 21st-century STEM workforce. What is the best way to do that?
A: Two of my projects, Preparing a 21st Century STEM workforce and the Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier, pairs interactive robot assistants with construction crews to study trust, safety and productivity. We have learned that preparing tomorrow’s workforce requires three pillars:
- Inclusive innovation – Designing technology with workers, not for them, so that adoption readiness grows out of trust
- Flexible learning pathways – Certificates, stackable credentials and online graduate programs that meet workers where they are
- Intentional leadership development – Coaching engineers to lead diverse teams and navigate rapid tech change
UF is leaning into all three. I help drive nine new online Ph.D. programs and discussions to develop industry-aligned certificates and cross-college AI initiatives that give students and practicing professionals room to reskill and upskill at scale. It’s UF’s land-grant ethos in action for the AI era.
Q: What does it mean to you to be an ASCE Fellow?
A: Humbling and affirming. Only 3% of ASCE’s 160,000‑plus members attain this prestigious grade, so it signals to me — and to the communities I serve — that decades of work on workforce readiness and sustainability and human–technology integration in construction and infrastructure have truly advanced the profession. I see the ASCE credential not as a finish line but as a public charge: Keep mentoring, elevating under‑represented voices and translating research into practice for safer, smarter and more equitable civil infrastructure.
Q: What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A: My mother told me I could be anything, so instead of attaching to a job title I attached to an idea: make a significant impact. From an early age, I imagined myself leading—always with integrity, confidence and an ear tuned to understand others. Those seeds became the roots of my leadership style today.
Q: As a triple Clemson graduate, whom do you root for when Clemson is playing Florida?
A: Always Clemson!
Q: What are your favorite things about UF/Gainesville?
A: Professionally, I value UF’s culture of interdisciplinary teaming, the ease with which a civil engineer can co‑write with a computer scientist or public health scholar. Personally, Gainesville offers weekend farmers markets, miles of tree‑canopied trails for walks with my dog, Lucca, and year-round golf weather. Lucca is my constant companion, a spirited,10-pound toy poodle mix who joins me on early morning neighborhood walks and occasionally photobombs Zoom meetings.
Q: What pop culture are you consuming these days?
A: Podcasts: “Chasing Life” with Sanjay Gupta and “IMO” with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson
TV: HGTV for design ideas, Bloomberg for global finance, Investigation Discovery for crime dramas, plus assorted wellness, travel and how-stuff-works content
Music: Mary J. Blige when I need soulful motivation, Marvin Sapp for faith-centric inspiration and Boney James for smooth jazz-focused sessions
Faith media: Livestreams and archived sermons from Brookland Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina, keep me grounded.