Islam H. El-adaway

Islam H. El-adaway obtained his PhD in civil engineering (construction engineering) from Iowa State University after earning both his master’s and bachelor’s in construction engineering from the American University in Cairo. He is an accomplished researcher, educator and engineer, currently serving as Associate Dean for Academic Partnerships, Hurst-McCarthy Endowed Professor, Founding Director of the Missouri Consortium for Construction Innovation (MO-CCI), and Director of the Civil Infrastructure System-of-Systems Interdisciplinary Laboratory at the Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T). Before joining Missouri S&T, he held tenured positions at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville and Mississippi State University.

As the time of this release, his collaborative efforts have resulted in 234 peer-reviewed papers, including 127 journal papers and 107 conference papers, published in prestigious journals and conferences. Additionally, he co-authored a book, two book chapters and contributed to two other chapters under review. His work has secured 32 funded research projects totaling around $10 million, garnering recognition from esteemed funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation, Departments of Transportation, Department of Education, Construction Industry Institute, and Sloan Foundation.

At Missouri S&T, MO-CCI started from an idea, and El-adaway was quick to take steps to bring his vision to reality. Before officially starting his current appointment in 2018, El-adaway was meeting with firms about his program idea, and in just six months the MO-CCI was established and has grown since then to have 10 member companies, comprised of top-ranked diverse stakeholders nationwide. With four research projects already completed and two underway, the activities of the MO-CCI have helped Missouri S&T introduce new opportunities and courses to better prepare students for the industry. Under El-adaway’s leadership, the MO-CCI has fostered robust ties between academia and industry organizations, such as McCarthy Building Companies, Clayco, Brinkmann Constructors, Alberici, Arco Construction, and other leading corporations in the construction domain.

El-adaway is an innovator, integrating new technology into research processes and embracing artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool for understanding complex systems. His approach as a scholar is matched by his passion as an educator. El-adaway is an active mentor, having guided 11 doctorate students, six master’s students and two undergraduate NSF scholars in obtaining their degrees, with approximately 85% of his students receiving commendations. He has also led over 60 undergraduate students in in-class research activities leading to 17 peer-reviewed journal publications. Additionally, he serves as an associate editor and guest editor for various prestigious journals and is an active participant in committees and forums dedicated to construction engineering and management.

El-adaway’s contributions have garnered international, national, regional and institutional accolades, including fellowships, multiple best and editor’s choice papers, awards and recognition for his teaching and leadership abilities.