Kristen Parrish

Kristen Parrish is Associate Professor and Graduate Program Chair for the Construction Management and Technology degrees in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, one of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.

Prior to joining ASU in 2012, she was a Scientific Engineering Associate in Building Technologies at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).

Parrish’s expertise is in energy efficient building design and construction. In particular, she explores how non-technological barriers to energy efficiency influence design and construction processes and develops novel approaches to address these barriers. Notable projects in this space include working with the US Department of Energy to develop a case study library of energy-efficient small commercial buildings, working with the Salt River Project to develop energy management strategies for residential and commercial buildings, and working with LBNL to develop ISO 50001 (Energy Management Standard) implementation and documentation for commercial buildings. In recognition of her contributions in this area, she was asked to serve as a leader for the Architectural Engineering Institute's Sustain Technical Group, a position she has held since 2020. 

Parrish's work also explores the planning and delivery processes for capital projects. She has co-developed three tools that assist capital project teams in planning their projects, and has supported efforts to integrate energy efficiency into design standards and guidelines at ASU and other institutions. 

Finally, her work explores how to create more inclusive classrooms and cultures for engineering and science at ASU and beyond. She has completed multiple projects for the National Science Foundation on these topics, each of which confirm the importance of an inclusive environment for increasing the retention of women and under-represented groups in engineering. Parrish has tken on leadership roles in this space as well; she serves as the Chair of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering Inclusion Faculty Advisory Council (IFAC) and as Associate Director of the RISE (Research in Inclusive STEM Education) Center at ASU.  

Parrish is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Society of Women Engineers and the American Society for Engineering Education.

Read a faculty profile of Kristen Parrish written in conjunction with the grand opening of the College Avenue Commons in 2014.