Dr. Jamal A. Abdalla is a professor of Civil Engineering (Structural Engineering) and Riad Sadek Endowed Chair at the American University of Sharjah (AUS). Dr. Jamal Abdalla is a recipient of several excellences and research awards including the Arab Fund Distinguished Scholar Fellowship Award and the ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering Best Paper Award. Recently, he has been elected as Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Dr. Jamal Abdalla received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Khartoum, Sudan, earned his master's from Purdue University, USA and his Ph.D. degree from the University of California at Berkeley, USA, followed by Postdoctoral Research Affiliate at the Center for Integrated Facility Engineering of Stanford University, USA. He worked as senior software and structural engineer at PMB Engineering, a subsidiary of Bechtel Civil Inc., San Francisco, USA. Dr. Jamal Abdalla taught at the University of Khartoum and at Qatar University prior to joining the American University of Sharjah. His teaching interest spans a wide range of structural engineering topics including structural dynamics, structural analysis and steel and concrete design. His research interest covers computing and machine learning in structural engineering, seismic hazard assessment, earthquake engineering, strengthening/retrofitting of structures and sustainable building materials. Throughout his academic career, he has delivered keynote presentations, gave seminars, organized conferences and workshops and served on numerous conferences' technical committees. Dr. Jamal Abdalla served as an expert witness and as a consultant for many notable and landmark buildings and engineering projects in USA, Sudan, Qatar and UAE.

Author of over 200 publications, including refereed journal articles, conference proceedings, and technical reports, Dr. Jamal Abdalla served as an Associate Editor of the ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, Guest Editor of the Journal of The Franklin Institute and currently member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Computers & Concrete. A member of the Board of Directors of the International Society for Computing in Civil and Building Engineering (ISCCBE) since 2002, Dr. Jamal Abdalla is among the pioneers in data modeling in structural engineering, he recently spent a sabbatical leave at Stanford University working on Building Information Modeling (BIM).

As head of the civil engineering department for nine years at the AUS, Dr. Jamal Abdalla successfully led the department though its first and second ABET accreditation and through two UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (CAA) accreditations. As Director of Graduate Programs, Dr. Jamal Abdalla led the accreditation and licensing of five Masters of Science programs at the College of Engineering at AUS. Dr. Jamal Abdalla has been serving as civil engineering program evaluator (PEV) for ABET accreditation and had evaluated several civil engineering and technology programs in USA.

Most research interests for a scientist

His research interest includes Computing and Machine Learning in Structural Engineering, Seismic Hazard Assessment, Earthquake Engineering, Strengthening/Retrofitting of Structures and Sustainable Building Materials

Specialization

• Computing and machine learning in structural engineering
• Earthquake engineering
• Strengthening of structures and sustainable building materials