Fadi Karaa
Fadi Karaa
Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering
274 Colton Hall
About Me
Dr. Karaa's academic and industrial career has focused on enterprise and project management systems and analytics, comprehensive resilience solutions and the cost-effective life-cycle management of infrastructure systems and constructed facilities.
As an Educator, he has pioneered the development of inter-disciplinary programs and courses, such as the MS in Critical Infrastructure Systems and Construction Management specializations within the CEE curriculum, He is an expert in critical infrastructure and environmental systems, project evaluation and finance, utility management systems and construction management, with emphasis on analytical applications.
His teaching philosophy and approach combining the state of the art and state of the practice have won him the accolades of his Students and Colleagues alike, and have Achieved top marks in teaching evaluations for over ten years at NJIT, and excellence in teaching awards at the College of Engineering and the Institute levels.
Dr. Karaa has led a range of research and development projects and developed several management systems sponsored by the University Transportation Research Center, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the US Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the National Science Foundation on decision support and expert systems for capital improvement planning, large-scale program planning and scheduling systems, integrated risk and resilience modeling for combined cost-effective multi-hazard flood protection and mitigation strategies, and underground infrastructure asset management, performance and condition assessment, predictive modeling and risk assessment.
He led a comprehensive post-Sandy large multi-disciplinary team in the development of multi-tiered structural and non-structural flood protection strategies for the Hackensack/Meadowlands area. Under the sponsorship of federal and state agencies, he undertook the multi-criteria evaluation and lifecycle analysis of two of the largest pipeline projects in the Greater Boston Area, and developed decision support systems for capital improvement planning and maintenance management of key underground infrastructure network projects for the US Army Corps of Engineers, and water and wastewater agencies and municipalities. He managed the requirements analysis, design and development of a permitting management system integrated with the master planning system for the Central Artery project, developed an intelligent water treatment compliance management system of a worldwide Army Installation inventory of water supply chain facilities. He also developed a hierarchical asset connectivity model and management system for Intelligent Transportation systems fiber-optic communication networks, and an exchange platform architecture for a cross-utility safe excavation system.
Dr. Karaa has developed and taught graduate and undergraduate courses at NJIT, Northeastern University, MIT and Tufts University covering performance, security and risk analysis of infrastructure systems, construction management, and project evaluation, financing and controls. As a Dean at Notre-Dame University, he developed and taught a Corporate Strategy course, which was ranked first in the College, and a data analytics inter-disciplinary curriculum. He has authored and co-authored papers in key Journals such as ASCE Journals of Pipeline Systems, Water Resources Planning and management, Professional Issues in Engineering, Management in Engineering, Performance of Constructed Facilities, Construction Engineering and Management, the Journal of Applied Mathematics and computation, and other project management and professional journals.
His past experiences in industrial management and systems consulting include serving as Vice President for Oracle Corporation, where he founded and led the Northeast Consulting group and a national data warehousing practice for the Industrial Sector, designing and implementing enterprise solutions for Fortune 100 companies across a number of sectors. He led the development of a strategic sourcing enterprise management and decision support system. He undertook several capacity building assignments for large corporations and international agencies. He was the keynote Speaker for major events such as the Construction Roundtable of NJ in 2007 and the 2nd Annual Electronic Commerce Conference in 2000.
Dr. Karaa received his (Inter-disciplinary) PhD in Civil Engineering (Water Resource Systems), MS in Management (Finance and MIS) and MS in Civil Engineering Systems all from MIT; he was awarded an Engineer Diploma from Ecole Polytechnique, Paris. He was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Awards at the College of Engineering and the overall university levels. He was also the recipient of the Arthur T. Ippen Award, from MIT and the Boston Society of Civil Engineers President’s Appreciation Award.
As an Educator, he has pioneered the development of inter-disciplinary programs and courses, such as the MS in Critical Infrastructure Systems and Construction Management specializations within the CEE curriculum, He is an expert in critical infrastructure and environmental systems, project evaluation and finance, utility management systems and construction management, with emphasis on analytical applications.
His teaching philosophy and approach combining the state of the art and state of the practice have won him the accolades of his Students and Colleagues alike, and have Achieved top marks in teaching evaluations for over ten years at NJIT, and excellence in teaching awards at the College of Engineering and the Institute levels.
Dr. Karaa has led a range of research and development projects and developed several management systems sponsored by the University Transportation Research Center, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the US Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the National Science Foundation on decision support and expert systems for capital improvement planning, large-scale program planning and scheduling systems, integrated risk and resilience modeling for combined cost-effective multi-hazard flood protection and mitigation strategies, and underground infrastructure asset management, performance and condition assessment, predictive modeling and risk assessment.
He led a comprehensive post-Sandy large multi-disciplinary team in the development of multi-tiered structural and non-structural flood protection strategies for the Hackensack/Meadowlands area. Under the sponsorship of federal and state agencies, he undertook the multi-criteria evaluation and lifecycle analysis of two of the largest pipeline projects in the Greater Boston Area, and developed decision support systems for capital improvement planning and maintenance management of key underground infrastructure network projects for the US Army Corps of Engineers, and water and wastewater agencies and municipalities. He managed the requirements analysis, design and development of a permitting management system integrated with the master planning system for the Central Artery project, developed an intelligent water treatment compliance management system of a worldwide Army Installation inventory of water supply chain facilities. He also developed a hierarchical asset connectivity model and management system for Intelligent Transportation systems fiber-optic communication networks, and an exchange platform architecture for a cross-utility safe excavation system.
Dr. Karaa has developed and taught graduate and undergraduate courses at NJIT, Northeastern University, MIT and Tufts University covering performance, security and risk analysis of infrastructure systems, construction management, and project evaluation, financing and controls. As a Dean at Notre-Dame University, he developed and taught a Corporate Strategy course, which was ranked first in the College, and a data analytics inter-disciplinary curriculum. He has authored and co-authored papers in key Journals such as ASCE Journals of Pipeline Systems, Water Resources Planning and management, Professional Issues in Engineering, Management in Engineering, Performance of Constructed Facilities, Construction Engineering and Management, the Journal of Applied Mathematics and computation, and other project management and professional journals.
His past experiences in industrial management and systems consulting include serving as Vice President for Oracle Corporation, where he founded and led the Northeast Consulting group and a national data warehousing practice for the Industrial Sector, designing and implementing enterprise solutions for Fortune 100 companies across a number of sectors. He led the development of a strategic sourcing enterprise management and decision support system. He undertook several capacity building assignments for large corporations and international agencies. He was the keynote Speaker for major events such as the Construction Roundtable of NJ in 2007 and the 2nd Annual Electronic Commerce Conference in 2000.
Dr. Karaa received his (Inter-disciplinary) PhD in Civil Engineering (Water Resource Systems), MS in Management (Finance and MIS) and MS in Civil Engineering Systems all from MIT; he was awarded an Engineer Diploma from Ecole Polytechnique, Paris. He was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Awards at the College of Engineering and the overall university levels. He was also the recipient of the Arthur T. Ippen Award, from MIT and the Boston Society of Civil Engineers President’s Appreciation Award.
Education
Ph.D.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Civil Engineering; 1984
M.S.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Management; 1983
M.S.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Civil Engineering; 1982
Ingenieur (Engineer); Ecole Polytechnique; Ngenieur (Engineer) Engineering, Economics, Sciences; 1980
M.S.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Management; 1983
M.S.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Civil Engineering; 1982
Ingenieur (Engineer); Ecole Polytechnique; Ngenieur (Engineer) Engineering, Economics, Sciences; 1980
2023 Fall Courses
CE 701B - MASTER'S THESIS
CE 790 - DOCT DISSERTATION & RES
CE 790A - DOCT DISSERTATION & RES
CE 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
CE 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY I
CE 491 - RESEARCH EXPER-CIVIL ENGR
CE 490 - CIVIL ENGR PROJECTS
CE 701C - MASTER'S THESIS
CE 700B - MASTERS PROJECT
CE 727 - INDEPENDENT RESEARCH III
CE 726 - INDEPENDENT STUDY II
CE 210 - CONSTRN MATRLS & PROCDRS
CE 790 - DOCT DISSERTATION & RES
CE 790A - DOCT DISSERTATION & RES
CE 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
CE 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY I
CE 491 - RESEARCH EXPER-CIVIL ENGR
CE 490 - CIVIL ENGR PROJECTS
CE 701C - MASTER'S THESIS
CE 700B - MASTERS PROJECT
CE 727 - INDEPENDENT RESEARCH III
CE 726 - INDEPENDENT STUDY II
CE 210 - CONSTRN MATRLS & PROCDRS
Teaching Interests
a) construction engineering and management with a focus on planning, scheduling and control, and the strategic management of construction project and organizational performance. b)critical infrastructure performance and risk analysis, program evaluation including life-cycle analysis, data acquisition, modeling and analysis for condition assessment and performance prediction, security management and optimal capital improvement planning.
Past Courses
CE 210: CONSTRN MATRLS & PROCDRS
CE 210: CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES
CE 611: PROJ PLANNING & CONTROL
CE 671: PERFORM & ANALYS INFRAST SYST
CE 671: PERFORM & ANALYS OF INFRAST SYS
CE 671: PERFORMANCE AND RISK ANALYSIS OF INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS
CE 672: SECRTY MGMT CRITICAL INFRASTR
CE 210: CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES
CE 611: PROJ PLANNING & CONTROL
CE 671: PERFORM & ANALYS INFRAST SYST
CE 671: PERFORM & ANALYS OF INFRAST SYS
CE 671: PERFORMANCE AND RISK ANALYSIS OF INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS
CE 672: SECRTY MGMT CRITICAL INFRASTR
Research Interests
a) the management of inter-dependent civil infrastructure integrating life-cycle and security hazards within a resiliency and long-term sustainability framework, with a focus on water, wastewater and energy supply chains.
b) location, condition assessment and asset management of underground infrastructure, using invasive and non-invasive technologies to supports different layers of utilities for expansion, rehabilitation or remediation.
c) modelling of facilities project life cycle risk and performance analysis.
d) development of optimal data acquisition strategies (sensor network location) for response management under simple and combined events scenarios of floods and failures of key infrastructure resources such as dams.
b) location, condition assessment and asset management of underground infrastructure, using invasive and non-invasive technologies to supports different layers of utilities for expansion, rehabilitation or remediation.
c) modelling of facilities project life cycle risk and performance analysis.
d) development of optimal data acquisition strategies (sensor network location) for response management under simple and combined events scenarios of floods and failures of key infrastructure resources such as dams.
Magazine/Trade Publication
Lebanon’s long-awaited 2019 budget: The need for a grand national vision
Executive Magazine, June 2019
Executive Magazine, June 2019
Journal Article
Karaa, Fadi Strategic Approach to Infrastructure Development in Lebanon (Updated Version). Al Nahar,
Karaa, Fadi (2018). Strategic Approach to Infrastructure Development in Lebanon. National Security Magazine (Al Amn el Aam),
Karaa, Fadi (2017). “Optimizing Mass transit Transportation Resilience: Model, Implementation and Policy Implications”,. The CIP Report, the CIP Report, Center for Infrastructure Protection and Homeland Security, George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia., 6.
Karaa, Fadi (2013). Development of Connectivity-Based Underground Fiber Optic Network Inventory Systems. TRB Journal,
Karaa, Fadi (2018). Strategic Approach to Infrastructure Development in Lebanon. National Security Magazine (Al Amn el Aam),
Karaa, Fadi (2017). “Optimizing Mass transit Transportation Resilience: Model, Implementation and Policy Implications”,. The CIP Report, the CIP Report, Center for Infrastructure Protection and Homeland Security, George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia., 6.
Karaa, Fadi (2013). Development of Connectivity-Based Underground Fiber Optic Network Inventory Systems. TRB Journal,
Conference Proceeding
Development of an Empirical Approach for Identifying and Mitigating Risk from Combined Flood Events: A Case Study in the Meadowlands
2015 Critical Infrastructure Symposium, April (2nd Quarter/Spring) 2015
2015 Critical Infrastructure Symposium, April (2nd Quarter/Spring) 2015