Simaan AbouRizk received his Ph.D. in 1990 from Purdue University for his work on input modeling for construction simulation. Later that year, he accepted a faculty position at the University of Alberta where he focused his research efforts on advancing simulation modeling and analysis of construction processes. He was appointed as an Alberta Construction Industry Professor in 1994, promoted to full professor in 1996, and held the position of Industrial Research Chair in Construction Engineering and Management from 1997 to 2016. Dr. AbouRizk is currently a Distinguished University Professor (2015) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta and is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Operations Simulation.

Dr. AbouRizk is a renowned expert in the development and application of computer simulation for construction planning, productivity improvement, constructability review, and risk analysis. His research focuses on developing innovative information technologies for modeling, analyzing, and optimizing operations in the construction and natural resource extraction industries. The high-quality and impact of his research work is evidenced by his extensive publication record of over 140 peer-reviewed journal publications and by his receipt of numerous awards and recognitions including the Peurifoy Construction Research Award (2008); a Steacie Memorial Fellowship (2001); the Thomas Fitch Rowland Prize (2003); a Killam Professorship (1998); a Walter Shanly Award (2001); the E. Whitman Wright Award (2002); and his induction into the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (2010), the National Academy of Construction (2012), and the Royal Society of Canada (2013). 

Dr. AbouRizk is also a dedicated student mentor, having supervised over 80 thesis-based Master’s and doctoral students. Many of his students have assumed prominent leadership roles throughout academic and industrial communities around the world. His leadership efforts have also been integral to the development of the Hole School of Construction Engineering at the University of Alberta into one of the most reputable and well-respected construction engineering and management programs in North America.

The success and distinctiveness of Dr. AbouRizk’s research and educational programs are a consequence of his development of strong industrial research partnerships focused on advancing research, student education, and overall practice. This collaborative approach has garnered widespread support from numerous funding agencies, policy makers, and industrial practitioners and remains a primary example of the achievements that can arise from effective partnerships with industry.