I am a tenured Professor and Department Chair of Mechanical Engineering at the Northern Illinois University. I earned my doctorate in mechanical engineering and a master’s in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. I received a second master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Windsor, Canada, and hold my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the N.E.D. University in Karachi, Pakistan.

Prior to joining the NIU, I served as a faculty member at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, University of Michigan-Flint and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Abu Dhabi. MIST is a research-driven graduate-level university focused in renewable energy established in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). I also had visiting faculty appointments at the MIT, National University of Singapore, American University of Sharjah, Oak Ridge National Lab and Ford Motor Company.

My research falls into the broad area of sustainability with special focus on clean energy technologies, and has been published in several international journals. My research and consulting work has been supported by several grants from the NSF, US Department of Defense, US Department of Energy, automotive and aerospace companies, and the government of Abu Dhabi. I have been actively involved in many professional organizations including ASME, SAE and Combustion Institute. I am a recipient of SAE International Ralph Teetor award (2004) for excellence in teaching.