GRCCIVIL2025

A visionary leader and accomplished scholar, Dr. Vistasp M. Karbhari took office in June 2013 as the eighth president of The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). As president, he is committed to advancing UTA’s national and international profile while strengthening excellence in research and teaching and ensuring the success of UTA’s students in campus-based and online degree programs in Texas and around the world. In the 2017-18 academic year, UTA served almost 60,000 students through these programs. Under his leadership, UTA has achieved Carnegie R-1 status, was named a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and is ranked as the top educational institution in the State of Texas for Veterans and Adult Learners, in addition to having nationally ranked programs in each of UTA’s schools and colleges. Prior to joining UTA, President Karbhari served at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (2008-2013), the University of California San Diego (1995-2008), and the University of Delaware (1991-1995). A prolific researcher, President Karbhari is an expert in the processing and mechanics of composites, durability of materials, infrastructure rehabilitation, and multi-threat mitigation, and has authored or co-authored more than 460 papers in journals and conference proceedings and edited or co-edited six books. He is a fellow of several pre-eminent research organizations, including the National Academy of Inventors, the American Society of Civil Engineers, ASM International, the International Institute for Fiber-Reinforced Polymers in Construction, the International Society for Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure, and the ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute.

Graduated from HKU (global subject ranking 14 in QS), I now serve as an Associate Professor in Dept of Economics and Finance in Hong Kong Shue Yan University. I am the founder and director of Sustainable Real Estate Research Center. My major research interests lie in SDGs, construction safety and health, housing economics, real estate economics, applied AI, I am listed as Stanford University World’s Top 2% Scientist across 22 scientific fields and 176 sub-fields of all scientists (2020-2022 single year, 2022 career-long) with the highest rank in the fields of artificial intelligence, Information & Communication Technologies, Environmental Sciences (2021)/energy(2022). I act as a journal editorial board member and SI editor for SSCI/SCIE journals, an author of 9 books and over 200 articles over the past eight years. Apart from writing single-authored papers mostly in my early career, I have quite an extensive academic network with research collaborators from Australia, the UK, Italy, the US, Cyprus, France, Canada, Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and mainland China etc. I am also an invited keynote speaker for over 30 conferences.

Simai Yang is a third-year PhD candidate at the School of Management Science and Real Estate, Chongqing University, China. He has participated in several research projects, including the Key Project of National Social Science Foundation of China, the Major Project of Sichuan Philosophy and Society, and the Faceted Project of Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing Municipality. His research interests include project management, project risk management and transportation infrastructure management.

Xu Lan, an ambitious scholar, completed her undergraduate studies and earned a Bachelor's degree at Chengdu University in China in 2023. During her time there, she demonstrated exceptional academic abilities and a thirst for knowledge, laying a solid foundation for future graduate studies. Currently, She is pursuing a Master's degree in Management Science and Engineering at Chongqing University, a renowned institution of higher learning in China. Chongqing University boasts a strong faculty and advanced teaching facilities in the field of management science, providing Xu Lan with a vast learning platform and ample opportunities for in-depth research. In the future, She plans to either continue her academic pursuits or embark on a career in the management field, applying her acquired knowledge and skills to practical work, contributing to the development of enterprises and society.

Dr. Pat Rajeev joined the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering at Swinburne University of Technology (SUT) as a Senior Lecturer in November 2013. Prior to joining SUT, he worked as a research fellow at Monash University from 2009 to 2013. His work at Monash focused in the areas of failure management of pipeline (both onshore and offshore), numerical modelling of pipe-soil interaction, and sensor technology for pipeline monitoring. He earned his BSc degree with Honors in civil engineering from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka and MSc in Earthquake Engineering from ROSE School, University of Pavia in Italy. Prior to pursuing his PhD at ROSE School, he was a visiting researcher at TNO DIANA B.V in The Netherlands and working on dynamic soil-structure interaction (finite element) modelling of geo-systems. He received his PhD in Earthquake Engineering (Structural) in 2008 under the guidance of Professor Paolo. E. Pinto. His research interests include earthquake-resistant design and analysis of structures, pipeline engineering, soil-foundation-structure interaction (SFSI), advanced sensor technology and structural reliability and risk analysis. His research projects have been funded by the Australian Research Council, Department of State government Victoria, CRC for Low Carbon Living, Australian Building Codes Board, Italian Civil Protection Agency, European Union, non-profit institutions, and private industry.

An experienced Civil/Structural Engineer with over 10 years in structural design and construction management. Proficient in software like Staad Pro and AutoCAD, with a BEng, MEng, and extensively involved in civil and structural engineering research works. A research expert in the area of sustainable material performance in concrete, with a proven track record of academic excellence, with several publications in reputable journals and a role as a reviewer for journals and conferences