Rate My Professor Alan Bugg

Alan Bugg serves as Associate Professor and Service Learning Chair in the McWhorter School of Building Science within Auburn University's College of Architecture, Design and Construction. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering, a Master of Business Administration, and a Master of Building Construction from Auburn University. Bugg's career spans military service in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel Engineer Officer from 1980 to 2007, including two years on active duty and a six-month tour in Iraq. Concurrently, he worked as a civilian engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, serving as Area Engineer at Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning), Georgia, in 2008. In this role, he established a construction office for a new hospital project and initiated the Executive Graduate Certificate and Master of Building Construction programs in partnership with Auburn's Building Science faculty to provide formal education for USACE personnel while maintaining full-time employment.

Transitioning to full-time faculty after completing his Master of Building Construction in 2009, Bugg has significantly expanded the program's reach nationwide, graduating over 400 students and formalizing a 10-year collaboration agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2019. Promoted to Associate Professor in Fall 2022 and appointed Service Learning Chair in August 2022, he teaches Construction Safety, Structures I and II, and the senior-required Construction Field Lab. His research focuses on safety and safety management, construction quality management, sediment and erosion control, design-build processes, and project management. Notable publications include 'Performance Evaluations of Three Silt Fence Practices Using a Full-Scale Testing Apparatus' (Water, 2017), 'Safety Training for Students Engaged in Service Learning Projects' (ASEE, 2020), and 'Evolution of Short-term International Service-learning Class in Quito, Ecuador' (ASEE, 2017). Bugg leads annual service learning trips to Quito, Ecuador, study abroad programs to Europe and the UK, and competition teams that have secured first-place victories in Associated Schools of Construction regional and international events. Holding certifications as Professional Engineer (P.E.), Project Management Professional (PMP), and DBIA Design-Build Professional, he emphasizes leadership, communication, and safety to prepare students for impactful careers in the construction industry.