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Ziyad is an Associate Professor and the Head of the College of Project Management, Built Environment, and Asset & Maintenance Management at the School of Engineering & Technology. He earned his Ph.D. in engineering for sustainable development from the University of Cambridge- UK, where his doctoral work was part of the largest collaborative research project between academia and industry in the UK. Dr. Abunada accumulated a wealth of professional experience, having worked in various senior roles such as Program Manager, Procurement Manager, and Team Lead at international firms, including Human Appeal-UK and The World Bank. Additionally, Ziyad has served as an Environmental Specialist and Principal Environmental Consultant on numerous consultancy projects with international organizations like UNICEF and UNEP. Currently, Ziyad leads a research group comprising research higher degree (RHD) students who undertake diverse research projects. Their current research areas encompass a sustainable circular economy for a waste-free future, coupled human-environment interaction, and complex management of climate change, life cycle assessment, and engineering for sustainable development. His research also extends to include the application of analytical and decision-making tools and explores the impact of net-zero emission plans on project management frameworks. Ziyad is actively involved in funded research projects in collaboration with the Australian College of Kuwait, Cement Australia, and Queensland Water Department where his research supports these institutions to improve their current practice towards effective and sustainable practices. His research has also attracted international recognition, with his work ranked first and earning him the best research award in environmental management from ISESCO. He has also been awarded the best paper in the Environment Theme at the AINAC 2012 conference in the UAE. Furthermore, Ziyad is currently serving as a member of the Global Accreditation Centre-Project Management Institute- (GAC-PMI) and has active membership at the Institute of Civil Engineering (ICE), the International Centre of Complex Project Management (ICCPM), and the Royal Society of Chemistry-UK. He serves as a peer reviewer for several SCI index journals, including Hazardous Material and the Journal of Environmental Management.Ziyad is a civil engineer holding a Ph.D. in sustainable remediation. He possesses practical experience both in academia and the professional world, having worked in diverse roles with International NGOs, construction companies, consultancy firms, and research institutes. Ziyad boasts extensive teaching experience at the university level, covering a range of engineering and project management courses. Ziyad's research interests encompass core engineering applications, engineering for sustainable development, and project management. Currently, Ziyad's research focuses on several key areas, including the advancement of circular economy principles for zero-waste solutions, the intricacies of complex management, the utilization of analytical and decision-making tools in environmental management, and the application of digitalization in these fields. Ziyad works as a program manager at Human Appeal International- UK.Project Manager for various mega- construction projects. He also served as procurement and project manager for projects funded by the World Bank before he then worked as Professional Memberships Institute of Civil Engineering (ICE-UK),Project Management Institute (PMI),International Center of Complex Project Management (ICCPM),Member of the International Water Association (IWA)Scottish Contaminated Professional Experience Land Forum (SCLF),Member of Cambridge University Engineering and Energy Society (CUEE) Member of Cambridge University Environmental Consulting Society (CUEC),Fellow at Royal Society, of Chemistry (FRSC),Member of the American Geophysical Union (AGU-USA) Affiliated member at the Water Science and Technology Association (WSTA-Bahrain).

Research Interests
Sustainability, Water Research, Complex Management.