President of Addison Homes Todd Usher completes PhD in Planning, Design and the Built Environment from Clemson University

Todd Usher has completed his PhD in Planning, Design and the Built Environment from Clemson University, successfully defending a dissertation titled “Likeliness to Recommend: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Consumer Perception of Homebuilders.” Usher is the President and founder of Addison Homes, a local custom home builder which specializes in building healthy, high-performance homes that emphasize increased comfort and durability, better indoor air quality, greater energy efficiency, and the use of sustainable materials. His dissertation analyzed survey data from more than 350 recent purchasers of new homes and explored the factors that influenced their willingness to recommend a home builder. During the process of working towards his doctorate, Usher also completed a Masters degree in Construction Science and Management.

“We are so proud of Dr. Usher,” said Mike Jackson, PhD and Department Chair of Construction, Development, and Planning at Clemson University. “Todd joined our PhD program as a successful business man, with a true thirst for continuing his knowledge and contributing to the growth of the Construction Science and Management (CSM) world. He is a shining example to others of the potential for academic excellence while continuing to operate a successful construction business. Todd has blazed a trail for others and we hope that he will continue to teach for us in the CSM and Real Estate Development (RED) programs going forward.”

“It may have seemed unusual to pursue a PhD while continuing to lead a growing home building company,” Usher said. “But my whole life, including my business, has been about a love of learning. I first became interested in building homes because I wanted to learn more about the process of constructing beautiful, sustainable homes. Building homes is the ultimate in applied science.”

“The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn, and that led to my interest in continuing my education at the University level in Construction Science and the Built Environment at Clemson. Pursuing knowledge and becoming an expert at my craft is one of my highest values, and I feel fortunate to have been able to continue to work and study over the past four years. I could not have done it without the support of my family and the dedicated team at Addison.”

The first builder in the United States to earn the National Association of Home Builders’ Master Certified Green Professional designation, Usher serves on the Industry Advisory Board for Clemson University’s Department of Construction Science and Management and the Advisory Board for the department of Environmental, Occupational Health & Safety at Greenville Technical College.

He received an MBA from Clemson University and continues to serve as an Adjunct faculty member in the Department of Construction, Development and Planning at Clemson.

Addison Homes builds healthy, high-performance homes which feature increased comfort and durability, better indoor air quality, greater energy efficiency, resilience to natural disasters, and sustainable materials. Headquartered in Greenville, SC, Addison homes are constructed to meet stringent national standards that exceed current building codes and emphasize thoughtful design and sustainability features that deliver lower operating costs, reduced maintenance, and natural daylight in open, integrated spaces. Each home is built to US Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home standards. Learn more about Addison Homes at https://www.addison-homes.com. Connect with Todd Usher at https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddusher/.