The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Engineering mourns the passing of Fouad H. Fouad, Ph.D., Professor and Chair Emeritus, who left an indelible mark on the school—and especially the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering—in a career that spanned more than 40 years.
A native of Alexandria, Egypt, Fouad came to the United States in 1975 to attend graduate school. He joined the UAB faculty in 1981, and over the next four decades, his name became an increasingly significant part of UAB’s story. Fouad became chair of the CCEE department in 1995, a position he would hold until his retirement in 2021. His wife, Mona Fouad, M.D., is a successful professor and researcher in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, and their daughters, Nancy and Mary, also earned multiple degrees from UAB.
Among the numerous honors and awards Fouad received while at UAB are the Ellen Greg Ingalls Award for excellence in teaching (1993), the ASPE Engineering Educator of the Year (2004) and Engineer of the Year (2007), and the Engineering Council of Birmingham Engineer of the Year (2009) and Educator of the Year (2018).
After Fouad retired from UAB, his involvement in the engineering community did not end. He continued to lead the Built Environment team for UAB’s Grand Challenge initiative "Live HealthSmart Alabama," a project he spearheaded. Through that effort, a team of engineers studies the built environment in underprivileged neighborhoods and implements improvements, working alongside residents, community leaders, and volunteers. In addition to organizing faculty and student involvement in the project, Fouad called on members of the CCEE Advisory Board, as well as other industry contacts, to provide services, materials and expertise to make major improvements to the neighborhoods. Initially focused on Birmingham, Live HealthSmart Alabama is now expanding to Dothan, Selma, and other Alabama communities. In addition to his work with Live HealthSmart Alabama, Fouad's post-retirement life included serving as chief scientist and director of research and development at Valmont Industries, Inc.
Post-retirement, he continued to earn professional honors as well. He was inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2025, and he was named a PCI Fellow by the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute in 2026.
Current CCEE Chair Avinash Unnikrishnan, Ph.D., credits Fouad’s leadership for influencing generations of “industry-ready engineers” who have gone on to achieve significant professional successes. “An example of Dr. Fouad’s vision is that he initiated three highly successful online programs at least a decade before other universities seriously considered online education,” Unnikrishnan said. “These programs have helped over a thousand students and engineering practitioners attain their education goals and improve their careers. Dr. Fouad’s impact on the department and the Alabama Civil Engineering community will be felt for years to come.”
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