I am passionate about applied research - working on academic research that has a strong connection to industry practice. 

Social Value Research Facilitator, KTP with University of Reading and Stantec – Manchester(Sept 2020 – Sept 2023)

▪ Knowledge Transfer Partnership Associate, working as the link between University of Reading and Stantec and leading on desk research and stakeholder engagement to scoping a data-focused social value approach to facilitate better design choices for large-scale and complex community development projects. 

▪Overarching aim is to promote utilising digital methodologies for robust data-based decision making that can let to more sustainable project management.

Social Value Management in Infrastructure Megaprojects PhD Researcher, University of Manchester, Arup and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (Jan 2016 – May 2020)

▪I was awarded an industrial CASE award from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, investigating the “social value of nuclear decommissioning and remediation”.

▪Outputs included delivering audience relevant solutions; industry knowledge sharing through client facing seminars and reports, conference papers, and academic publications.

▪The qualitative research process involved ethnographic influenced comparative case studies (through site visits, observations and interviews) of nuclear and coal mining stakeholders, investigating social sustainability challenges in the long-term planning for remediation and regeneration for estate and land management within the wider policy landscape.

I am interested in getting involved with more PhD supervision and am open to talk. 

I teach on a variety of programmes in the university related to project management and technology management. 

I deliver lectured and tutorials for the Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Degree Apprenticeship UG programme, with a focus on Technology Management. This relates closely to my organisational digitalisation research. 

I teach across the Project Management Masters programmes in both the Business and Engineering Schools - focused on my specific research areas of sustainability, social value, systems thinking and energy project management. 

I achieved Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA) status in 2024. 

I supervise UG and PG research projects on Business Technology and Technology Management. 

I am interested in getting involved with more PhD supervision and am open to talk. 

My research interests lie in the intersection of multidisciplinary topics that explore triple bottom line sustainability in technical projects and organisations. These include:

Intersectional thinking for sustainable and regenerative built environment systems

Benefits, impacts and value of built environment (infrastructure) systems

Sociotechnical decision making in engineering projects (and design)

Human centred engineering (technology/ design)

Peer-reviewed Journals

Social value for whom, by whom and when? Managing stakeholder dynamics in a megaproject, Mulholland, C., Chan, P. W., Canning, K., and Ejohwomu, O., (2020), Journal of Management, Procurement and Law, Institute of Civil Engineers. LINK

Spatial-temporal dynamics of social value: Lessons learnt from two UK nuclear decommissioning case studies, Mulholland, C., Ejohwomu, O., Chan, P.W., (2019), Journal of Cleaner Production. LINK

Book Chapters

Planning for climate justice: digital mapping as an interdisciplinary tool for alleviating inequalities, in ‘Architectural Thinking in a Climate Emergency’, Cara Mulholland, Jenny Hughes, and Flora Samuel, (pending).

Deconstructing social value in decommissioning: A case study of industrial heritage at Dounreay, in ‘Social Value in Construction’, Mulholland, C., Chan, P. W. and Canning, K., (2018), edited by Raiden, A, et. al. LINK

Conference Proceedings

Project Decommissioning For Whom And By Whom? Stakeholder Shaping Of Social Value In A Decommissioning Case Study, (full paper presentation), Mulholland, C., Chan, P. W., (2018), Association of Researchers in Construction Management Conference ARCOM, Belfast UK. LINK

For Good Measure? A Discourse Analysis of Social Value in the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Sector (full paper presentation), Mulholland, C., Chan, P. W., (2017), Engineering Project Organisation Conference EPOC, Lake Tahoe, USA. LINK

Industry Reports

Delivering Better Place Outcomes Through Use Of Data: Building On The Emerging Digital Planning System, Stantec and University Of Reading, (July 2022). LINK

Better Places (Social Value) Toolkit: Scoping review of existing tools, processes, practices, and frameworks - Stage 1 Report, Stantec and University of Reading (December 2020). LINK

Conference Presentations

The Better Places Toolkit Knowledge Transfer Partnership, (2021) Cara Mulholland, Jenny Hughes, and Flora Samuel Healthy Cities Design International, UK. LINK

Remediation, Regeneration, and Regional Restructuring, (abstract presentation) Mulholland, C. and Chan, P.W., (2019) Healthy Cities Conference, Manchester UK.

Comparing the Social Value and Sustainable Development Goals Agendas – an application in large scale infrastructure case studies (short paper presentation) Mulholland, C., Chan, P.W., and Fitton, S., ARCOM Doctoral Workshop Feb (2019), UCL, London UK.

PhD Thesis

Social Value Management In Megaprojects: A Study Of Uk Nuclear Decommissioning And Remediation, Mulholland, C., 1 Aug 2020, Student Thesis: Phd. LINK

Podcast

Technically Speaking: a science and engineering discussion, collaborator on 8 episodes from 4^th March 2021 to 16^th September 2021. LINK