July 11, 2008

The NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Construction Engineering and Management is pleased to announce that Dr. Simaan M. AbouRizk is the recipient of the 2008 Peurifoy Construction Research Award presented by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for "his contribution in construction simulation theory and practice."

The Peurifoy Construction Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of construction engineering through research and development of new technology, principles, or practices. Dr. AbouRizk has been selected as one of the few civil engineering academics whose research has been noted for its theoretical contributions as well as for its unprecedented acceptance and support from industry.

Congratulations to Dr. AbouRizk on this honour, which comes as the culmination of his progressive recognition within the field of construction engineering.

January 1, 2007

It is with great pleasure that we announce the successful third term renewal of Dr. Simaan AbouRizk's NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Construction Engineering and Management, as well as the implementation of a new Associate Industrial Research Chair, held by Dr. Aminah Robinson Fayek.

This term of the chair builds upon the research of the previous two terms through the development of a major expansion in construction simulation technology: construction synthetic environments. Already renowned for its work in the convergence of simulation technologies with the construction practices, the chair’s research program for 2007 to 2011 involves an unprecedented level of theoretical and practical exploration. For this reason, NSERC has facilitated a secondary research project in the form of a collaborative research and development (CRD) grant, which will support the theoretical developments of the industrial research chair by implementing the chair’s findings in practical, industry-focused capacities.

December 1, 2004

Dr. Simaan AbouRizk and Dany Hajjar have been selected as recipients of the 2003 Thomas Fitch Rowland Prize. This award is the highest honour given by the Construction Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers for a published work in construction. The paper, "Unified Modeling Methodology for Construction Simulation", was published in the March/April 2002 issue of the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management.

The award represents a reaffirmation of the importance of simulation technology to construction engineering and management research and a vote of confidence regarding the benefits of industry-driven research.