Palestinian graduate Fahed Salahat is grateful for the “significant experience” he gained from two big projects here. "The first was my PhD project, which involved simulating a heavy-vehicle crash event with bridge piers to estimate the load effect and assess the performance of concrete barriers as intervening structures,” he says. “The second opportunity was participating in a large-scale experimental programme to investigate the performance of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with advanced materials, specifically fibre-reinforced polymer."

Today, Salahat is a structural designer at Stand Structural Engineering responsible for designing a variety of building types, including residential buildings, commercial centres, and stadiums. Thanks to the extensive coursework and hands-on research at the Department of Civil Engineering, especially regarding the modelling and analysis of structures, he has gained a distinct edge in addressing complex civil engineering challenges at work.

Courses like Advanced Structural Analysis I and II, Advanced Mechanics of Materials, Advanced Steel Design, and Strengthening Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures are instrumental to his job scope today. They gave him the knowledge and skills to meet the demands of his work.

“Completing my PhD at Kansas State University significantly shaped my career by deepening my understanding of the fundamentals of structural engineering,” he says. “The combination of a strong theoretical foundation and exposure to cutting-edge research has been pivotal in preparing me for the challenges of the industry and academia.”