Rayan H. Assaad, Ph.D.
Rayan H. Assaad is the founding director of the SCIIS lab at NJIT. Dr. Assaad is an Assistant Professor at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at NJIT. Dr. Assaad's research interests span over different multi-disciplinary areas, including infrastructure asset management of above and underground systems; sustainability, resilience, and environmental impacts of infrastructure facilities; computational methods and applied machine learning; and modeling, simulation, and optimization of infrastructure and construction operations. Dr. Assaad's research activities focus on intelligent infrastructure systems; efficient system performance and innovative facility maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation; and next-generation technologies such as internet of things, construction robots, sensing technologies, and virtualization. Dr. Assaad previously worked as a project manager responsible for the rehabilitation and maintenance of large commercial and residential projects. Dr. Assaad has authored and co-authored more than 105 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers as well as four book chapters. Dr. Assaad has received numerous awards for his research, service, innovation, and leadership. Dr. Assaad is actively involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Associated General Contractors of America, among other professional organizations.
207 Colton Hall, NJIT
rayan.hassane.assaad@njit.edu
Dr. Assaad's webpage on the NJIT website could be accessed Here
Dr. Assaad's Linkedin webpage could be accessed Here
Dr. Assaad's Google Scholar webpage could be accessed Here
Oscar Poudel
Oscar Poudel is currently a PhD student at the SCIIS lab in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at NJIT. Oscar's research lies in the interface of mapping technologies and remote sensing systems. Oscar's dissertation focuses on developing state-of-the-art technologies for infrastructure asset management related applications.
Ghadi Charbel
Ghadi Charbel is currently a PhD student at the SCIIS lab in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at NJIT. Ghadi's research lies in the interface of statistical modeling and project delivery methods. Ghadi's dissertation focuses on developing novel models for improving the understanding and selection of proper project delivery methods.
Ishan Banjara
Ishan Banjara is currently a PhD student at the SCIIS lab in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at NJIT. Ishan's research lies in the interface of human-robot interaction and construction automation.
Niraj Adhikari
Niraj Adhikari is currently a PhD student at the SCIIS lab in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at NJIT. Niraj's research lies at the intersection of human-centered LLM interfaces and construction operations.
Cyril Mendelek
Cyril Mendelek is currently a PhD student at the SCIIS lab in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at NJIT. Cyril's research lies in the interface of construction management, scheduling, and claim analysis
Shameem Ashraf Syed
Shameem Syed is currently a PhD student at the SCIIS Lab in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at NJIT. Shameem’s research focuses on the interface of Machine Learning/AI and Construction Management, with an emphasis on Project/Program Controls, PMIS, Process Improvement, Schedule, Earned Value, Cost, and Risk management. His dissertation aims to develop data-driven machine learning models to enhance construction project management and control practices, optimizing efficiency and decision-making in complex projects and programs.
Xi Hu
Xi Hu graduated from the SCIIS lab in Spring 2025. Xi's research was at the interface of construction automation, robotics, and smart sensing. Xi's dissertation focused on developing innovative mapping and sensing solutions to digitize the construction and infrastructure industry.
Current position: Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track), Illinois State University.
Yasser Jezzini
Yasser Jezzini graduated from the SCIIS lab in Spring 2025. Yasser's research was at the interface of machine learning and modeling & simulation. Yasser's dissertation focused on developing novel models to address various uncertainities impacting the performance of construction projects.
Current position: TBD.
Ghiwa Assaf
Ghiwa Assaf graduated from the SCIIS lab in Spring 2024. Ghiwa's research was the interface of infrastructure asset management and alternative project delivery approaches. Ghiwa's dissertation focused on developing advanced machine learning frameworks to innovatively deliver infrastructure transporation projects.
Current position: Jr. Project Manager, Geodeon GRC Consulting.
Mohsen Mohammadi
Mohsen Mohammadi graduated from the SCIIS lab in Spring 2024. Mohsen's research was at the interface of smart IoT-enabled sensing technologies and sensor fusion systems. Mohsen's dissertation focused on developing intelligent solutions to improve the facility management practices.
Current Position: Senior Engineering, Schnabel Engineering.
Tulio Rodriguez Tejada
Dr. Tulio Rodriguez Tejada graduated from the SCIIS lab in Fall 2023. Tulio's research was at the interface of risk assessment and project management, control, & monitoring. Tulio's dissertation focused on understanding the occurence and causality of delays in residential and building projects.
Current Position: Coordinator of International Engineering Programs, The Technological Institute of Santo Domingo.
Mohab Hussein
Dr. Mohab Hussein graduated from the SCIIS lab in Spring 2023. Mohab's research was at the interface of geotechnical engineering and machine learning. Mohab's dissertation focused on developing machine learning solutions to predict the capacity of piles.
Current Position: Project Engineer, New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).
Charles Forman
Charles Forman graduated from the SCIIS lab in Spring 2023. Charles's research was at the interface of business model innovation and business reorganizations. Charles's thesis focused on investigating the causes of business failures of civil engineering firms.
Current Position: Senior Member, Forman Holt-Attorneys at Law.
Gulsah Olgun
Gulsah Olgun attended the SCIIS lab in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at NJIT as a visiting scholar in Fall 2023 and worked on the integration of structural analysis with BIM workflow. Gulsah is a PhD candidate at Dokuz Eylul University in Turkey. Her Ph.D. thesis introduces a framework to evaluate the resilience of an urban hospital network to a violent earthquake and provides insights into each hospital’s emergency mitigation plans to cope with an earthquake-induced high volume of demand. In her Master’s thesis, she studied a probabilistic methodology to calculate the financial losses due to earthquake-induced damage in buildings. She has practical experience in structural design projects and has worked as a teaching assistant during her Ph.D. studies.
Malek Marhaba
Malek Marhaba is an incoming undergraduate freshman coming from Bridgewater Raritan High School. He is passionate about sports, fitness, and the power of artificial intelligence. Outside the classroom, he enjoys playing soccer, basketball, and working out at the gym. Currently, he is engaged in AI research focused on optimizing structural integrity and predictive maintenance for bridges. Malek is particularly interested in using AI to enhance safety and sustainability in civil infrastructure.
Meglena Mileva
Meglena Mileva is an undergraduate working at the SCIIS lab. Meglena is an aspiring civil engineer whose research is in green infrastructure systems. She is interested in sustainable infrastructure that works in harmony with the environment, rather than against it.
Shania Villalobos
Shania Villalobos is currently an undergraduate intern at the SCIIS lab. Shania is interested in exploring green infrastructures and their environmental, societal, and cultural impacts.
Wilmer Solano
Wilmer Solano was an undergraduate intern at the SCIIS lab in Fall 2023. Wilmer is interested in Seismic Structural Engineering. Wilmer’s objective is to learn about current methodologies and approaches to modern engineering in hopes to build upon and innovate structural engineering in the future.
Joel Florim
Joel Florim was an undergraduate intern at the SCIIS lab in Summer 2022. Joel is interested in the management of sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy.
Anjali Kapilavai
Anjali Kapilavai is passionate about the fields of robotics, computer vision, and machine learning. She loves creating projects in every step of the robot design process, from building mechanisms to coding neural networks for autonomous navigation. She is especially interested in the intersection of the sustainable infrastructure and machine learning fields. Anjali is a junior at Edison Academy Magnet Schoo, NJ.
Akshat Santhana Gopalan
Akshat is a high school researcher driven by a passion for artificial intelligence and machine learning. He is particularly interested in leveraging AI to tackle real-world challenges in healthcare, infrastructure, and biotechnology, with a focus on advancing AI for Good. Akshat is currently a junior at John P. Stevens High School in Edison, NJ.
Srishti Hazra
Srishti has a strong interest in the application of AI/ML and deep learning to enhance the sustainability, resilience, and efficiency of infrastructure systems. She is particularly interested in the potential of AI and deep learning techniques to predict and assess the condition of infrastructure assets in real-time and how this can contribute to the development of infrastructure systems that are able to self-optimize in response to changing conditions. Srishti is currently a junior at Edison Academy Magnet School in Edison, NJ.
Ananya Choubey
Ananya Choubey is heavily interested in the space sciences, particularly physics and mathematical applications. She also fosters a love for the intricacies in topics like projectile motions, plasma usage, and electromagnetism. She enjoys doing model rocketry and occasionally code projects to solve problems she notices around her house and in her community! Ananya is a rising Senior at John P. Stevens High School in Edison, NJ.
Martin Zhang
Martin Zhang is an active high school researcher at the SCIIS lab. Martin is passionate in science and research and is applying his engineering knowledge to create helpful tools and technology. Martin likes to pursue new fields of study, and applies his math and critical thinking skills to work on new projects. Martin is a senior at Edison Academy Magnet School in Edison, NJ.
Saniya Grover
Saniya Grover is currently a high school researcher at the SCIIS lab. Saniya has a profound interest in mechanical engineering and software development and is passionate about leveraging next-generation technologies to solve contemporary challenges. Her current goals focus on integrating advanced robotics and AI algorithms to optimize manufacturing processes and improve operational efficiency. Saniya aims to harness her skills in coding and engineering to drive innovation and create smarter, more sustainable industrial systems. Saniya is a senior at the Edison Academy Magnet School in NJ.
Ayman Baba
Ayman Baba is an ambitious and innovative student with a deep interest in finance and a dedication to fostering the growth of groundbreaking technological innovations in Decentralized Finance (DeFi). His primary objective is to bridge the gap between traditional and decentralized finance systems. As a part of the Smart Construction and Intelligent Infrastructure Systems (SCIIS) Lab team, Ayman aims to apply blockchain technology to enhance construction processes and overall infrastructure efficiency, promoting a more robust, transparent, and sustainable framework within the construction industry. Ayman is a senior in Ridgefield Memorial High School in NJ.
Jayden Lin
Jayden Lin is currently a high school researcher at the SCIIS lab. Jayden has been fascinated by STEM and is particularly interested in engineering research. Jayden specifically enjoys conducting research related to transportation, intelligent systems, and data science as well as working with technology and its applications. Jayden is a sophomore at Bronx High School of Science in New York City.
Saadhika Prakash
Saadhika Prakash is currently a high school researcher at the SCIIS lab. Saadhika has a keen interest in STEM and a passion for coding. She wants to use her knowledge of computer science to improve current technology and is currently working on a denoising system for electronic signals to improve the accuracy in localization. Saadhika is a senior at Edison Academy Magnet School in NJ.
Sanjay Ravishankar
Sanjay Ravishankar is currently a high school researcher at the SCIIS lab. Sanjay has an interest in pursuing STEM for sustainable infrastructure, human rights development, and accessibility. He has worked on improving the design of redox flow batteries using ML techniques as well as designing embedded systems to be used in education. Sanjay is a sophomore at the Edison Academy Magnet High School in NJ.
Thomas Catuosco
Thomas Catuosco is a high-school researcher at the SCIIS lab. Thomas is interested in engineering research related to structural integrity and transportation. He wants to use his knowledge of engineering to make efficient and innovative infrastructure that people can enjoy in their daily lives. Thomas is a junior at the Edison Academy Magnet School in Edison, NJ.
Harshit Singh
Harshit Singh is currently a high school researcher at the SCIIS lab. Harshit has a passion for STEM and is interested in engineering research. He aspires to apply his knowledge of mathematics and computer science to innovative projects solving complex real-world problems. Harshit is a sophomore at the Edison Academy Magnet School in Edison, NJ.
Joshua Jung
Joshua Jung is a rising senior at Regis High School, located in Manhattan, NY. Joshua has always been fascinated by science, technology, and mathematics and especially the overlap and synergy between the various fields, ultimately prompting his interest in engineering research. With his knowledge of coding and engineering, he hopes to explore either green technologies or urban sustainability. In his free time, he enjoys running, reading, watching sports, and listening to music (Tyler, the Creator is one of his favorite artists at the moment).