Alireza Sadeghabadi, Engineer-in-Training

What is your personal background (hometown, schools, family, etc.)?

I was born in Tehran capital of Iran, and I have been living there up until now. I have a son who lived in Canada (B.C.) with his mother for a while. I also have a sister and two brothers, and my parents live near me.

Why did you choose engineering and what is your area of specialty?

One of the main reasons why I decided to become an engineer was the relationship between the worlds of mathematics and engineering. This gives me the opportunity to solve problems and design things that really matter. Also, it helps me apply my mathematical talents to find innovative solutions. I have been working as a civil and geotechnical engineer in research, construction, and consulting practice for the past 20 years.

Where and when did you study engineering/get your degree and how would you describe your experience?

My highest academic degree certification is a Ph.D. in civil engineering-geotechnical with honours. Having held senior engineering and management positions in civil industry in Iran, I have long experience in detailed investigation and civil engineering studies associated with structure and infrastructure projects.

What jobs/roles have you held as an engineer?

In addition to APEGS licensure, I hold the highest engineering practice certification in execution, supervision, and design in Iran. Site supervisor, civil and geotechnical engineering specialist, researcher,  and project manager are included in my previous responsibilities. From an academic view, my research has concentrated on continuum mechanics, constitutive models, computational modelling, and experimental studies.

What have you appreciated about your career opportunities and experiences?

I believe my career has had a positive impact on the company’s performance as a whole. Both my manager and co-workers appreciate my attempts and especially admire my developing research. My passion for innovation and technology has led me to incorporate machine learning and deep learning into my work, bringing a fresh perspective to the industry.

Who has inspired or mentored you in your career? What insight or wisdom did they impart?

I have been working as a civil and geotechnical engineer in research, construction, and consulting practice from 2002 to 2023, and for the last decade, I have tried my best to stay connected with this area of university. In this way, both my late Prof. Sadrnejad and my Ph.D. supervisor Prof. Noorzad have greatly inspired me. I have also always been inspired by my parents. This caused me to try my best to enrich my scientific role as an engineer and researcher. For example, in one of my studies in the geotechnical field, I was encouraged to provide a triaxial apparatus with a suction control mechanism to fulfill the experimental part of my study. Sometimes providing laboratory instruments can be tough work in my field of practice; however, I am used to fulfilling the work assigned to me and trying my best to remedy the defects by myself.

What activities or interests do you enjoy outside of work?

I commonly exercise and go to the gym. As a member of a small charity group, I help people and patients in need. My contribution in editing scientific manuscripts, reviewing papers and other similar activities are parts of what I do in my free time.

Anything else you want to say?

I believe that we should move on the border of knowledge at the same time as executive work. This important issue not only helps us to fulfill the assigned duties in the best way but also increases our passion to create innovation and acquire updated knowledge. As an example, in my recent research, we have been trying to train a model through a deep learning algorithm based on neural network architecture. With this method, we have tried to utilize Generative Artificial Intelligence as a substitute for traditional machine learning algorithms. In this way, we can be sure that the quality of the work and services will be enriched.