With a vast and vibrant academic background, Professor Dr. A.S.M. Abdul Awal joined the Department of Civil Engineering in January 2019. Earlier, Professor Abdul Awal completed his recent contract with the University of Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) after serving more than seven years in the faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), which is the largest and oldest engineering university in Malaysia. Prior to joining UTM, he was a Professor in the Department of Farm Structure and Environmental Engineering of Bangladesh Agricultural University where he started his academic career as lecturer after graduation in 1977.With an M.Eng. degree from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) Thailand, he moved to the University of Melbourne Australia where he conducted full time research in Structural Engineering for the degree of M.Eng.Sc in 1985. Later in 1998, he obtained PhD degree in Civil Engineering from UTM. As a JSPS research fellow, Professor Abdul Awal also enjoyed his post-doctoral study program at Mie University Japan in 2004.
Over forty years of teaching and research experience in the field of structure and materials with specialization in cement and concrete technology, Prof Abdul Awal has taught a good number of civil engineering courses, and supervised innovative research projects at home and abroad. He is the pioneer researcher on the utilization of palm oil fuel ash (POFA) as cement substitute in concrete, and recently introduced the concept of high volume POFA in green concrete construction. This is to note that in appreciation of his academic contribution, the government of Malaysia granted him Residence Pass under Talent category in the year 2013.
Prof Awal is credited with hundred over research papers in various peer reviewed indexed journals and conference proceedings. Other than active role as editorial board member of five journals, he has been engaged in the scientific and technical advisory committees of several international bodies. Prof Abdul Awal is a life fellow of the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB) and member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Concrete Institute of Australia (CIA) and Malaysian Society for Engineering and Technology (MySET).