She holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering and a graduate certificate in engineering education-all from Clemson University. Until 2012, she was the director of the Savannah River Environmental Sciences Field Station. Dr. Simmons has nearly fourteen years of engineering and project management experience working with public utility companies, a project management consulting company, and a software company. She is a registered professional engineer, project management professional and LEED accredited professional.. Her research interests are in investigating students' development of leadership skills and other professional competencies and in student involvement in co-curricular activities. Dr. Simmons is a NSF CAREER award winner for her research entitled, "Investigating Co-Curricular Participation of Students Underrepresented in Engineering."
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