Akram N. Alshawabkeh
Senior Associate Dean for Research and Global University Campus, Office of the Dean
George A. Snell Professor of Engineering and University Distinguished Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Director, PROTECT Superfund Research Center
Director, Center for Research on Early Childhood Exposure and Development in Puerto Rico (CRECE)
Office
- 617.373.3994
Research Focus
Geoenvironmental engineering, soil and groundwater remediation; electrokinetic and electrochemical processes; contaminant fate and transport environmental restoration
Education
- PhD, Louisiana State University, 1994
- MS, Jordan University of Science & Technology, 1990
- BE, Yarmouk University, 1988
Licensure
- Professional Engineer: Louisiana
Honors & Awards
- 2022 Dean’s Award for Meritorious Service
- 2014 ASCE Thomas A. Middlebrooks Award
- 2009 Transportation Research Board, Certificate of Appreciation
- 2005-2006 Fulbright Scholar – Jordan
- 2004 College of Engineering Outstanding Researcher Award, NU
- 2004 Søren Buus Outstanding Research Award
- 2001 National Science Foundation CAREER Award
Professional Affiliations
- American Chemical Society
- American Geophysical Union
- American Society of Civil Engineers, Fellow
- International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
- Jordan Engineer Society
- The US Universities Council on Geotechnical Engineering Research
Research Overview
Geoenvironmental engineering, soil and groundwater remediation; electrokinetic and electrochemical processes; contaminant fate and transport environmental restoration
Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) Program
Supported with funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Superfund Research Program, the PROTECT Center studies exposure to environmental contamination in Puerto Rico and its contribution to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth (less than 37 completed weeks of gestation). Rates of preterm birth and infant mortality in Puerto Rico are among the highest of all US states and territories.
Selected Research Projects
- Electrochemically-Induced in Situ Degradation of Legacy Munitions and Insensitive High Explosives in Manufacturing Wastewater
- Co-Principal Investigator, Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program
- Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes in Puerto Rico (ECHO-PRO)
- Principal Investigator and Director, National Institutes of Health
- Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT)
- Principal Investigator, National Institutes of Health
Research Centers and Institutes
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- Pahriya Ashrap, Deborah J. Watkins, Bhramar Mukherjee, Zaira Rosario-Pabón, Carmen M. Vélez-Vega, Akram Alshawabkeh, José F. Cordero, John D. Meeker, (2021) Performance of urine, blood, and integrated metal biomarkers in relation to birth outcomes in a mixture setting, Environmental Research, Volume 200, 2021, 111435, ISSN 0013-9351. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935121007295
- Monica K. Silver, Jennifer Fernandez, Jason Tang, Anna McDade, Jason Sabino, Zaira Rosario, Carmen Vélez Vega, Akram Alshawabkeh, José F. Cordero, and John D. Meeker (2021) “Prenatal Exposure to Glyphosate and Its Environmental Degradate, Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA), and Preterm Birth: A Nested Case–Control Study in the PROTECT Cohort (Puerto Rico)” Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 129, No. 5, https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7295
- Sheikh Mokhlesur Rahman, Jiaqi Lan, David Kaeli, Jennifer Dy, Akram Alshawabkeh, April Z. Gu, (2022) Machine learning-based biomarkers identification from toxicogenomics – Bridging to regulatory relevant phenotypic endpoints, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 423, Part B, 2022, 127141, ISSN 0304-3894, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389421021099
- Amber L. Cathey, Jarrod L. Eaton, Pahriya Ashrap, Deborah J. Watkins, Zaira Y. Rosario, Carmen Vélez Vega, Akram N. Alshawabkeh, José F. Cordero, Bhramar Mukherjee, John D. Meeker, (2021) Individual and joint effects of phthalate metabolites on biomarkers of oxidative stress among pregnant women in Puerto Rico, Environment International, Volume 154, 2021, 106565, ISSN 0160-4120, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021001902
- Wei Zhou, Feng Li, Yanlin Su, Junfeng Li, Shuai Chen, Liang Xie, Siyu Wei, Xiaoxiao Meng, Ljiljana Rajic, Jihui Gao, Akram N Alshawabkeh “O-doped graphitic granular biochar enables pollutants removal via simultaneous H2O2 generation and activation in neutral Fe-free electro-Fenton process,” Separation and Purification Technology, V 262, 1 May 2021, pp. 118327
- Katherine A Sauder, et al., (2021) Disparities in Risks of Inadequate and Excessive Intake of Micronutrients during Pregnancy, The Journal of Nutrition, 2021;, nxab273, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab273
- Pahriya Ashrap, Amira Aker, Deborah J. Watkins, Bhramar Mukherjee, Zaira Rosario-Pabón, Carmen M. Vélez-Vega, Akram Alshawabkeh, José F. Cordero, John D. Meeker, (2021) “Psychosocial status modifies the effect of maternal blood metal and metalloid concentrations on birth outcomes,” Environment International, V. 149, 106418.
- Zorimar Rivera-Núñez, Pahriya Ashrap, Emily S. Barrett, Deborah J. Watkins, Amber L. Cathey, Carmen M. Vélez-Vega, Zaira Rosario, José F. Cordero, Akram Alshawabkeh, John D. Meeker (2021) “Association of biomarkers of exposure to metals and metalloids with maternal hormones in pregnant women from Puerto Rico,” Environment International, Volume 147, pp. 106310.
- Long Chen, Akram N. Alshawabkeh, Shayan Hojabri, Meng Sun, Guiyin Xu, Ju Li, (2021) “A Robust Flow-Through Platform for Organic Contaminant Removal,” Cell Reports Physical Science, Volume 2, Issue 1, pp. 100296.
Apr 15, 2022
Faculty and Staff Awards 2022
Congratulations to all the winners of the faculty and staff awards, and to everyone for their hard work and dedication during the 2021-2022 academic school year.
Dec 23, 2021
COE Professors Selected in Stanford University List of Top 2% Scientists Worldwide
The following COE professors are among the top scientists worldwide selected by Stanford University representing the top 2 percent of the most-cited scientists with single-year impact in various disciplines. The selection is based on the top 100,000 by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or above. The list below includes […]
Apr 06, 2020
Alshawabkeh Appointed University Distinguished Professor
Akram Alshawabkeh, Director of PROTECT & CRECE Centers, Snell Professor of Engineering, and Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, has been appointed to the rank of University Distinguished Professor, the highest honor the university can bestow upon a faculty member, for his accomplishments and achievements in the field of geoengineering and environmental health.
Mar 23, 2020
PROTECT Research Center: Continuing a Bold Mission for Environmental Health
This week, the PROTECT multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research center, led by Akram Alshawabkeh, Director of PROTECT, and Snell Professor of Engineering and Senior Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, was awarded a five-year $10.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue and expand its work. This next phase of PROTECT research will include the study of an additional 1,000 pregnant women and look at a mixture of chemicals beyond the initial two suspect chemical classes.
Jul 30, 2019
Larese-Casanova, Alshawabkeh, Fernandez Awarded DoD SERDP Grant
CEE Associate Professor Philip Larese-Casanova (PI), Assistant Professor Loretta Fernandez, and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education Akram Alsahwabkeh were awarded a $760K grant from the DoD’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) for “Electrochemically-Induced in situ Degradation of Legacy Munitions and Insensitive High Explosives in Manufacturing Wastewater.”
Oct 16, 2018
New Pedestrian Bridge Connects ISEC to Main Campus
Early in the morning of October 14th, Northeastern hosted a Midnight Masters Class prior to the installation of a 132-foot long section of the Pedestrian Crossing bridge that will link to two sides of the Northeastern campus over the MBTA tracks.
Sep 12, 2018
$13.2M NIH Award for Environmental Influences of Child Health Outcomes in Puerto Rico
CEE Professor Akram Alshawabkeh has been awarded $13.2M over five years from the National Institutes of Health to lead a renewal of the multi-institutional and interdisciplinary research project, entitled, “Environmental Influences of Child Health Outcomes in Puerto Rico (ECHO-PRO).
Dec 13, 2017
Determining the Environmental Health of Puerto Rico
Alejandro Rovira, S’19, spent his co-op working with the Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) and the Center for Research on Early Childhood Exposure and Development (CRECE), led by CEE Professor and COE Associate Dean of Research Akram Alshawabkeh, to determine the environmental health of those in Puerto Rico.
Dec 01, 2017
Assessing Water Quality After a Storm
CEE Professors April Gu (PI), Akram Alshawabkeh (co-PI), and Assistant Professor Ameet Pinto (co-PI) were awarded a $100K NSF grant to determine a “Timely Assessment of Water Quality to Reveal the Potential Ecological and Health Impact of Hurricanes at Puerto Rico”.
Jul 19, 2016
Working with the Community to Determine Environmental Health
NIEHS director Linda Birnbaum spoke at the Alumni Center on the importance of PROTECT's first multi-country study Zika in Infants and Pregnancy (ZIP). Source: News @ Northeastern “You can’t change your genes, but you can change your environment.” So said Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, […]