Finding Solutions of the 21st Century Transportation Problems Through Research and Innovations (Sustainable Civil Infrastructures)

​Dr. Zahid Hossain serves as Associate Professor and Co-Director of Civil Engineering at Arkansas State University (A-State). He also serves as an Associate Director of the Transportation Consortium of the South-Central States (TranSET). Dr. Hossain has over20yearsof diversified experience in teaching, leadership, scholarship, and professional development activities with an emphasis on analyzing and developing sustainable geotechnical and transportation materials and technologies through fundamental science and applied approaches. Dr. Hossain has taught about 25different graduate and undergraduate level coursesat multiple institutions in the US and overseas. Dr. Hossain has received and managed about $3.0M of research fundsfrom various sources that include the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Departments of Transportation. Dr. Hossain has authored/co-authored over150 peer-reviewed book chapters,journal articles, and conference papers. He has delivered over 100 technical presentations at local, regional, national, and international conferences and symposia. Dr. Hossain received multiple prestigious awards including the 2019A-State Faculty Award for Advising, the 2014 Ralph E. Powe Jr. Faculty Enhancement Award from Oak Ridge Associated Universities, the 2014 A-State Faculty Award for Scholarship, and the 2012 University Transportation Center Award from the US Department of Transportation for his outstanding contribution in transportation research, professional service, and academic excellence.Dr. Hossain has served the professional societies in various capacities such as Editors and Reviewers of professional journals and conferences, and Members of several scientific boards that include the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Hossain is a Professional Engineer (PE) in Arkansas. 

Dr. Musharraf Zaman holds the Aaron Alexander Professorship in Civil Engineering and Alumni Chair Professorship in Petroleum and Geological Engineering at the University of Oklahoma (OU), Norman. He has been serving as the Director of the Southern Plains Transportation Center (SPTC) – a consortium of eight universities in U.S. DOT Region 6 – for more than six years. He served as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs in OU Gallogly College of Engineering for more than eight years. He is a prolific teacher and a highly accomplished researcher. During his tenure at OU, he has received several prestigious national-level teaching awards from the American Society of Engineering Education. He also received the David Ross Boyd Professorship, the highest life-long teaching award given by OU. During his tenure at OU, he has received more than $30 million in external funding from various state and federal agencies and the industry. He has published over 350 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers. Several of his papers have won prestigious awards from international societies and organizations. He has supervised more than 80 master theses and doctoral dissertations to completion. In 2011, he won the prestigious Outstanding Contribution Award, given by IACMAG, for life-long contributions in geomechanics.

Dr.Jiupeng Zhang is a professor of TransportationInfrastructure Engineering andthevicedean of School of Highwayat Chang’an University, China. He is a professionally registered pavement engineer with a research interest in pavement mechanics, pavement materials, constructionandmaintenance.He completed both his undergraduate and graduate studies at the SoutheastUniversity, China.He has authored andco-authoredmore than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, and about 30 referred conference papers,and served as theeditorboardmember of the International JournalofTransportationScienceandTechnology, theChina Journal of Highway and Transport, and the journal of Advances in CivilEngineering. Recently, Dr. Zhang received 8 S&T Awardsfrom Jiangsuprovince,Henan provinceandChina Highway and Transportation Society (CHTS) for his outstanding contributions to paving materials and construction. He won the FokYingTung Youth Teacher Award, the Wufu-Zhenhua Excellent Teacher Award, andthe ShaanxiYouth S&T Nova Awardfor his contributions in transportation infrastructures research, professional service and academic excellence.