Dr. Bahia earned his PhD in 1991 at Pennsylvania State University during the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) and continued to work as Research Associate and Research Assistant Professor with Dr. Dave Anderson completing research that led to the development of the Superpave Performance-Graded (PG) Asphalt Binder Specification. He is a co-inventor of the Bending Beam Rheometer.
Hussain served as Director of Research and Engineering Services at the Asphalt Institute from 1995-1996. During his time with AI, he successfully secured a key post-SHRP implementation research project through the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) called “Superpave Protocols for Modified Asphalt Binders” (NCHRP Project 09-10), serving as the Principal Investigator.
Hussain returned to teaching in 1996 as an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Hussain has continued his academic career at the University of Wisconsin and was named as Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in 2014.
Dr. Bahia published more than 160 papers in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored more than 75 technical reports and working papers for sponsors to include the Federal Highway Administration, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, and the Wisconsin Highway Research Program. He established the Modified Asphalt Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, serving as its director since 2009. He received the Norman McLeod Award for Best Technical Presentation at the Canadian Technical Asphalt Association (CTAA) Annual Conference in 2001 and 2007 and received the Prix Elaine Thompson Award for Best Written Paper at the same conference in 2011.He then received the W.J. Emmons Award for best paper at the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists (AAPT) Annual Conference in 2013.
In addition to his personal accomplishments, the greatest impact Hussain may have made on the asphalt industry was in his mentoring of graduate students – many of whom remain active in the asphalt industry, including: Eric Lyngdal (Wisconsin DOT), Tirupan Mandal (WisDOT), Cheng Ling (CRH), Scot Schwandt (Kiewit), Hassan Tabatabaee (Cargill), Christian Clopotel (Marathon), Raquel Moraes (NCAT), Cassie Castorena (North Carolina State University), Andrew Hanz (Mathy), Amir Golalipour (FHWA-SES), Dan Swiertz (Asphalt Materials), Andrew Braham (University of Arkansas), Huachun Zhai (Idaho Asphalt Supply), John Christensen (Nalco Water), Codrin Daranga (Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions), and Haifang Wen (Washington State University).
Dr. Hussain Bahia has contributed greatly to the asphalt industry as a researcher and educator in his 30+ years of service.
