Basha earns National Teaching Award from Associated Schools of Construction

April 16, 2008

Georgia Southern University faculty member Ismail M. Basha has been honored by a national organization for his work in the classroom.

Basha is the recipient of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) National Teaching Award.

An assistant professor in the Department of Construction Management and Civil Engineering Technology, Basha received the honor at the annual ASC Conference, which was held April 2-5 at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.

The ASC is the professional association for the development and advancement of construction education. Presented annually to a faculty member of a four-year ASC member school, the National Teaching Award recognizes contributions to construction education, excellence in teaching, and dedication to the construction profession.

A native of Egypt, Basha has been teaching for more than 27 years, the last three at Georgia Southern. During his career in the classroom, Basha has developed and taught numerous courses in construction engineering and management, including concrete construction, construction contracting and administration, construction project management, construction business management, heavy/civil construction, highway design and construction, and strategic management and marketing for contractors.

At Georgia Southern, Basha has taught courses in project planning and scheduling, construction cost estimating, and construction administration. In addition, he is involved in the internship program.

Actively involved in research, Basha has published more than 68 papers, including six that appeared in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. He has worked on six funded research projects, serving as the principle investigator of three of them.

Basha’s current research interests are construction education developments and construction methods and materials. He is currently writing a research proposal to develop an orientation training program for American contractors working in the Middle East.

A member of the ASCE and the American Council for Construction Education, Basha has supervised more than 41 Master of Science theses and six doctoral dissertations.

Basha earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Cairo University. He earned a Master of Science degree and a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University.

Basha began his teaching career at Egypt’s Zagazig University, where he initiated and developed the construction program. According to a study published by the ASCE, Zagazig was ranked No. 26 in construction publications worldwide.

In addition, Basha has more than 25 years of experience as a private consultant in the construction contracting industry. He spent six years with The Arab Company, which was ranked among the top 100 contractors in the world by the Engineering News-Record.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University, offers more than 120 degree programs serving nearly 17,000 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. The University, one of Georgia’s largest, is a top choice of Georgia’s HOPE scholars and is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu .