For those interested in the specifics...

As is customary with such websites, this section is a little bit about myself. As of last update to this website, I am a Professor of Civil Engineering and Director for the Center for Transportation Research, at The University of Texas at Austin. My research and education activities are in the area of infrastructure materials and in particular about asphalt binder or bitumen, asphalt mixtures and flexible pavements.

My personal interest in research and education has led me to my current career path (by education I mean learning, teaching, learning how to teach, and teaching how to learn). In this sense, asphalt materials and pavements are my medium of engaging in something I enjoy very much, i.e. the process of discovery, the process of making things better in the built and engineered world around us, intellectually engaging with young minds, and contributing my very small share to help them become scholars for life and leaders in their profession.

A little bit about my research...

Whether commuting to work, traveling to school, shopping for groceries, or going on a vacation; transportation is ingrained in our day-to-day lives. Yet very rarely do we think about the roads that make it possible for private, public and commercial vehicles to get from one place to another. The transportation infrastructure of the United States is worth trillions dollars and about one-third the value of all fixed assets; this includes about 2.5 million centerline miles of highways paved using asphalt mixtures. The social, economic and environmental impact of our roadways cannot be overemphasized. Just how much is 2.5 million centerline miles of asphalt? Think of it this way: it would take about 10 seconds at the speed of light to cover this distance, or roughly five trips to the moon and back.

It is an extraordinarily difficult task to develop and deploy engineering solutions and practices that can be used to maintain and expand our roadways in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. In order to accomplish this, one needs to solve the jigsaw puzzle that links the chemical makeup of the ingredients (at a molecular length scale) to the engineering properties and performance of asphalt mixtures and pavements. My research is to better understand some pieces of this puzzle and use this knowledge to create tools that help the industry to build and maintain eco-friendly, cost effective, durable and safe roads.

A more formal brief bio

Dr. Bhasin is Temple Foundation Endowed Teaching Fellow, Professor of Civil Engineering, and Director of the Center for Transportation Research at The University of Texas at Austin. His research and teaching interests are in the area of infrastructure materials. He performs research that relates fundamental properties of constituent materials to the engineering performance of composites such as asphalt concrete mixtures.

Dr. Bhasin’s research is concentrated in the following areas: 1) developing models that relate fundamental material properties to performance of asphalt binders and mixtures, 2) evaluating the impact of chemical modifiers, additives, and other agents on the performance of asphalt binders and mixtures including, 3) developing comprehensive models for undamaged behavior and damage evolution in asphalt binders and mixtures, and 4) characterizing physical and chemical properties of asphalt binders and aggregates.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Bhasin's research and teaching has been recognized through several different awards and honors including the National Science Foundation CAREER award, the CUTC-ARTBA award for outstanding contributions to research and teaching in transportation, the University of Texas at Austin Presidents Associates Teaching Excellence Award, the University of Texas System Regents Outstanding Teaching Award, and the ASCE Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize.

Additional details regarding publications, research activities, recognition, and consulting activities as a subject matter expert can be found by scrolling to the link below.