Newswise — Magdy Abdelrahman, Ph.D., assistant professor of civil engineering at North Dakota State University, Fargo, has been named a recipient of the Faculty Early Career Development award (CAREER) by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Abdelrahman will receive a five-year, $400,000 award from the NSF to conduct research outlined in his proposal titled "A Program of Research Focused on Understanding of Interaction of Recycled Materials with Asphalt, Outreach, Academic and Engineering Development."
Dr. Abdelrahman's research program will focus on using recycled materials, like tire rubber, to enhance the performance of pavement as an aspect of the civil infrastructure sustainability. The broad goal of the research program is to fundamentally characterize the materials and process variables responsible for property development in asphalt-rubber interaction. "Asphalt applications have the potential to contribute to the solution of the growing solid waste problem, provided that engineering and environmental concerns are addressed," said Abdelrahman.
Recycled tires, also known as crumb rubber modifier (CRM), and recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), for example, can be engineered and used successfully in asphalt pavement applications. Asphalt binders represent an area that can improve pavement performance, according to Abdelrahman. The proposed research will synthesize asphalt-CRM binders through interactions, will characterize the physical and chemical properties of asphalt-CRM binders, and will model the impact of chemical releases from recycled asphalt materials containing additives and polymers on soil and groundwater.
"This CAREER project will have a broad impact because solid waste is problematic throughout the world," said Abdelrahman. The plan includes development of a graduate/senior course on recycled material applications and faculty-professional focus meetings to exchange experiences in the area of recycled materials. Activities will be used to recruit, train and mentor students while preparing them for careers in recycled materials. Community outreach activities will raise awareness to K-12 students to the environmental issues facing the global community regarding solid waste management.
Dr. Abdelrahman joined the NDSU faculty in the Department of Civil Engineering in 2004. He received a bachelor's of science degree and a master's degree in civil engineering from Zagazig University in Zagazig, Egypt. He received his Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. Abdelrahman has authored or co-authored 22 peer-reviewed publications and co-holds a patent on asphalt-rubber interaction. He is a member of two National Academies committees and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management.
Since 1996, fourteen faculty members at NDSU have received prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER awards. "National Science Foundation CAREER awards to NDSU faculty reflect the institution's ability to attract the best and the brightest among researchers," said Philip Boudjouk, vice president for research, creative activities and technology transfer.
National Science Foundation CAREER awardees at NDSU have nearly $5 million in grants to conduct research in chemistry, civil and electrical engineering, coatings and polymeric materials. The National Science Foundation CAREER program recognizes and supports the early career-development activities of scholars who are likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century. Recipients are chosen on the basis of creative career development plans that integrate research and education within the context of their university's mission.
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