Green Infrastructure and Construction for Sustainable Future

Professor Ghassan Fouad Aouad is the Chancellor of Abu Dhabi University. Before joining ADU in late January 2023, Professor Aouad served as President of Applied Science University in Bahrain for over eight years. He spent five years in the Department of Civil and Building Engineering of Loughborough University in the UK, where he obtained his MSc in Construction (1987) and his PhD entitled Integrated Planning Systems for the Construction Industry (1991). In 1992, Professor Aouad joined the University of Salford as a Research Fellow and progressed through to the role of Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Dean of the College of Science & Technology before he left in December 2011. During that time, he successfully supervised 24 PhD students, externally examined 52 PhD students, authored 3 major research books and co-authored one book, generated more than £10M in research funding as Principal Investigator and £8M as Co-Investigator, published 92 papers in top rated refereed journals, delivered more than 50 keynote speeches and invited lectures, and presented his work in more than 42 countries.

Prof Aouad moved on to broaden the geographical reach of his academic leadership by serving as the President of the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Gulf University for Science & Technology (GUST) based in Kuwait. Furthermore, Prof Aouad served as President and Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

In July 2016, Professor Aouad received an Honorary Doctor of Technology from Loughborough University in the UK. Professor Aouad is also a member of the Advance HE Leadership and Management Strategic Advisory Group. In addition, he is a Fellow of Advance HE and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building.

Dr. Mahmoud Yousef Ghoneem is an Associate Professor with over 25 years of academic and professional experience in architecture, urban design, and landscape planning. Currently, he is working in the Department of Architecture and Building Science at King Saud University, KSA. He earned his Ph.D. in Architecture from Helwan University in 2011, specializing in environmental equilibrium in urban settings. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Urban Management for Climate Change from IHS, Erasmus University (2014), a Postgraduate Diploma in Disaster Management from the National Institute of Rural Development, India (2016), and an MBA (2016). In 2017, he was a Visiting Professor at the School of Art and Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. Dr. Ghoneem has supervised over 15 master's and Ph.D. students, examined numerous theses, and contributed to curriculum development and accreditation processes. He has authored over 30 research papers in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences and has served as an editor for more than five conference proceedings with Springer, Elsevier, and Taylor & Francis. He has delivered over 20 keynote speeches, participated in more than 40 academic conferences and workshops, and contributed to quality assurance in architecture programs at leading universities. His expertise spans sustainable urbanism, disaster resilience, and environmental architecture, with extensive consulting experience on major projects across the Middle East.

Dr. Evan K. Paleologos is Professor and Director of the graduate programs in engineering management and project management, College of Engineering, Abu Dhabi University (ADU), United Arab Emirates (UAE). He holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. from New York University (NYU), NY, and a Ph.D. in groundwater hydrology from the University of Arizona, Tucson, Az. His expertise lies in geo-environmental engineering, risk analysis, and water resources and waste management. He is Author of 5 books on geo-environmental engineering and environmental risk analysis published by Elsevier, McGraw-Hill, and the Geological Society of America (GSA) and of over 140 scientific papers. Recently, one of his papers received the “Environmental Geotechnics Prize 2023” by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). He has founded two research centers, the USC Center for Water Research and Policy and the ADU Center of Excellence on Sustainable Built Environment. He is Recipient of numerous awards and honors in USA.

Dr. Hamdi M. Sheibani is Prominent Figure in the field of engineering and higher education with over three decades of distinguished service. He is Dean of the College of Engineering at Abu Dhabi University and has served as Acting Dean of the College of Health and Sciences since 2022. Dr. Sheibani's prior roles include founding and chairing the Mechanical Engineering and Aviation Department at Abu Dhabi University, serving as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and co-founding ALHOSN University, where he held positions such as Provost and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. Dr. Sheibani earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Victoria, Canada, and holds both a master's and bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Clarkson University, USA, as well as a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Saint Michael's College, USA. Dr. Sheibani's research interests include thermofluids, crystal growth, and transport phenomena.