Biography

Dr. Ashutosh Dhar is a Professor in the Civil Engineering Department at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He has over 20 years of academic and consulting experience in Bangladesh, USA, and Canada, with expertise in geotechnical engineering and soil-structure interaction. His current research focuses on developing tools for risk-informed decision-making for the integrity of urban water and energy transmission and distribution systems using laboratory testing and numerical modeling. Major research topics include the remaining strength of corroded pipelines, pipelines subjected to ground movements, leak detection using the acoustic emission method, and the development of municipal pipe integrity assessment tools.

Education

2002        Ph.D., Soil-structure interaction, The University of Western Ontario, Canada
1996         M.Sc., Geotechnical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Bangladesh
1994         B.Sc., Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Bangladesh

Work Experience

Academic Positions

2014 – Present        Assistant/Associate/Full Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada
2013 – 2014             Assistant Professor, New Mexico State University, USA
2011 – 2011              Lecturer, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, USA
2002 – 2010            Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor, BUET, Bangladesh
2004 – 2004            Visiting Assistant Professor, Louisiana Tech University, USA
1994 – 1997              Lecturer, BUET, Bangladesh

Industry/Consulting Experience

2013 – 2014            Senior Geotechnical Engineer (full-time/part-time), Levelton Consultant Ltd. (currently WSP), Canada
2012 – 2013            Geotechnical Engineer (infrastructure division), Golder Associates Ltd., Canada
2008 – 2011            Geotechnical Engineer (full-time/part-time), Soil and Materials Engineering Inc., Canada
2002 – 2009           Geotechnical Engineering Consultant, Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultation, Bangladesh

Postgraduate Training

1999 – 2002           Research Assistant/Teaching Assistant/Research Associate, The University of Western Ontario, Canada
1997 – 1998            Research Student, Yokohama National University, Japan

Professional Services

Editorial Board Member of journal Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology (at present)
Chair of Geomechanics and Materials Subcommittee of the Engineering Mechanics and Material Division of Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (at present)
Member of the Executive Committee, Soil Mechanics and Foundation Division, Canadian Geotechnical Society (at present)
Served as a Co-Chair of Technical Committee for an annual conference of Canadian Geotechnical Society (2019)
Editor-in-Chief of Proceeding of Bangladesh Geotechnical Conference (2009)
Chair, Technical Committee for Bangladesh Geotechnical Conference (2009)
Treasurer of Bangladesh Society for Geotechnical Engineers (2005 - 2007)

Honours & Awards

AG Stermac Award, Outstanding service to the Canadian Geotechnical Society (2020)
Invited article in the Newsletter of the International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics, Vol. 23 (2018)
First runner-up in DFI’s 2006 Young Professor Paper Competition, 31st Annual Conference on Deep Foundations, Washington D.C. (2006)
Milos Novak Memorial Award, Outstanding contribution in soil-structure Interaction, The University of Western Ontario, Canada (2001)
Japanese Ministry of Education and Culture (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship, The Yokohama National University, Japan (1997 - 1998)
University Merit Scholarship, BUET (1988 - 1993)