Marie Patterson is an Associate Professor and Chair at California State University, Chico in the Construction Management Department, and is advisor to the Chico State Women in Construction and Mechanical Contractors Association student clubs. Her current research focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion, and economic and workforce development to increase and support underrepresented populations and women in engineering and construction fields. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management, and a Master’s Degree in Geography with an Option in Environmental Policy and Planning, both from Chico State. She also loves working on energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment and published a Strategic Energy Master Plan for Chico State, which proposed projects and initiatives to help the campus achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Before academia, her twenty-year industry career included project management, preconstruction and business development roles for specialty piping contractors with a focus on laboratory, semiconductor and pharmaceutical markets, as well as working on the owners side overseeing facility renovations and energy management. She is still heavily involved with the construction industry; serving on MCAA’s Career Development Committee since 2019, and currently teaches at MCAA’s Preparatory Institute for Project Management (PIPM) and the Institute for Project Management (IPM). Marie is also a recipient of the MCAA Educator of the Year Award (2022-2023).