Dr. Jhony Habbouche serves as the Western Regional Engineer for the Asphalt Institute, supporting member companies, State Departments of Transportation, and the paving industry across Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. He joined the Asphalt Institute in June 2024 and brings a diverse and well-rounded background that spans academia, the public sector, and private industry, allowing him to offer a comprehensive perspective on materials research, specification development, field implementation, and stakeholder engagement.
Before joining the Asphalt Institute, Dr. Habbouche spent nearly six years as a Senior Research Scientist at the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC) (research division of the Virginia Department of Transportation [VDOT]) and previously held academic research roles at the University of Nevada, Reno. His technical expertise includes advanced design, testing, and modeling of engineered paving materials; asphalt binder modification using high polymers, recycling agents, hybrid rubber, and recycled plastics; mechanistic-empirical pavement analysis; sustainability and resilience assessment; and data-driven evaluation of pavement performance and preservation treatments.
Dr. Habbouche holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Lebanese University and both a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno.
He is an active contributor to the broader transportation materials community and currently serves as a Director-at-Large for the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists (AAPT). He holds memberships in American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Academy of Pavement Science and Engineering (APSE), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and Transportation Research Board (TRB), and serves on the ASCE Highway Pavement Committee (HPC). He is also a panel member for NCHRP Project 09-71: Framework for Design, Production, and Placement of Balanced Asphalt Mixtures.
Dr. Habbouche contributes to advancing asphalt materials knowledge through his editorial and scholarly work. He serves as an Associate Editor for the Transportation Research Record (TRR), AAPT’s Journal, and ASCE’s Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering (JMCE).
He has authored and co-authored over 85 peer-reviewed journal papers and technical reports, which have been cited more than 1,000 times by peers in the field. Over the course of his career, Dr. Habbouche has received more than 10 awards from organizations and institutions in the paving industry, recognizing his dedication, enthusiasm, and contributions to advancing the quality and performance of asphalt pavements. His work continues to bridge research, practice, and innovation, promoting high-quality, long-lasting asphalt pavements across North America.
