COMMUNICATION/LEADERSHIP/Services Highlights

    • Perform consulting services, including failure analysis of concrete to private and public sectors.
    • Introduced and organized a professional and development course in Jun. 2020 on Cold Weather Concreting to 40 engineers from public and private organizations in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
    • Introduced a professional and development course in Sep., 2017 on Durability of Concrete to 22 engineers from public and private organizations, SIMTrec, University of Manitoba.
    • Introduced four professional development seminars in May and Jun., 2014 on Concrete Materials to 18 engineers from Water Management and Structures, Manitoba Infrastructure.
    • Coordinated the establishment of the IKO Construction Materials Laboratories (one-million dollars) at the University of Manitoba (Nov. 2012-Jun. 2014). My responsibilities included facilitation with purchasing department, writing equipment specifications for public tenders, evaluation of tenders with other members in the IKO committee, and overseeing the installation and commissioning of equipment.
    • Re-established the ACI University of Manitoba Student Chapter (currently 60 student members) in 2013. As a chapter advisor (2013-present), I have helped the students in updating the by-laws, organizing the monthly dinner presentations and raising funds, and supervised the student teams participating in the ACI international competitions (Pervious concrete in Denver, Nov. 2015. Concrete bowling ball in Reno, NV, Mar. 2014, Flowable mortar in Washington, D.C., Oct. 2014). We earned the ACI Excellent University Award three times for the ACI University of Manitoba Student Chapter Activities during 2014, 2015 and 2016.
    • Attracted, coordinated and developed the terms of reference of the ACI Manitoba Chapter Scholarship in 2013. This new scholarship ($1,000), which is accumulated from $25,000 endowment fund, is annually given to a third year Civil Engineering student at the University of Manitoba, with high academic achievements and career potential in the area of concrete. The scholarship was approved by senate in Sept. 2013 to appear on the transcript of awardees, reflecting its merit. I am a member in the evaluation committee of this scholarship representing both the Department of Civil Engineering and ACI Manitoba Chapter.
    • Member and chair (2012-present) of the advisory/examination committees for many graduate students (see appendix A for details). 
    • Principal and co-supervisor for many undergraduate and graduate students conducting research in the area of cementitious materials, at the University of Manitoba, Canada (Jan. 2012-present), University of Nottingham, UK (2010-2011), University of Nevada, USA (2009-2013), Queen’s University Belfast, UK (2008-2010), and University of Western Ontario, Canada (2004-2006).
    • Actively contributing (2008-present) to a number of technical, standards and code (ACI, ASTM, CSA) committees by giving presentations, organizing technical sessions and participating in the preparation, revision and balloting of technical documents such as guidelines and standard tests for concrete, which directly link the construction industry to recent advancements in concrete technology and research. For example, I am the current Chair of Physical Salt Attack Task Group in ACI committee 201 since 2012, which aims at developing a document providing guidance to practitioners for mitigating this durability issue.
    • Faculty advisor of the Queen’s Civil Engineering Team for the 2010 American Concrete Institute (ACI) Student Pervious Concrete Competition, Chicago, USA.
    • Member of the internationalization committee (2009-2010) and coordinator of the Middle East subcommittee at Queen’s University Belfast, UK to establish research and educational links with various institutions in the Middle East.
    • School liaison person (2009-2010) at Queen’s University Belfast with the Institute of Structural Engineers, UK.
    • Concrete advisor of the Western Engineering Toboggan Team and Concrete Canoe Team for the 2008 contests in North America.
    • Supervised undergraduate students developing the concrete mixture design for the Western Engineering Toboggan Team (WETT), at the 2006 Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race (Montreal), which was awarded the prestigious "Best Concrete Mix Design" award.
    • Assisted Dr. M. Nehdi in upgrading the advanced concrete laboratory at UWO through a proposal to Canada Foundation for Innovation in 2006. Responsibilities included finding suitable vendors, reviewing technical specifications of equipment and negotiating price quotations with suppliers.