Why concrete materials inspired this alumna to pursue her PhD
After watching all of the construction going on around her back home in Lebanon, FEAS Alumna, Dr. Noura Sinno was inspired to study civil engineering. “I used to enjoy standing in front of construction sites, watching the team work together and seeing what went into the process of creating structures,” described Sinno.
“Civil engineering really interests me because you can visualize what you learn. I can study the theory and actually see it in the field and in practice.”
With her passion for the built environment, Sinno went on to complete her undergraduate degree at the American University of Beirut, master’s at the University of Toronto, and began her PhD research with Dr. Medhat Shehata at FEAS.
“I like the field of concrete materials because it has a lot of experimental work, which I really enjoy,” said Sinno. “I also loved working with Dr. Shehata, and after meeting with him for the first time, I knew he would be a good mentor for me. He guided me throughout my research and helped me on my long PhD journey.”
Completing her PhD in civil engineering with a focus on concrete materials in 2019, Sinno began her research by looking into bridges that have had severe expansions, leading to the structure demolishing due to the alkali-silica reaction. After looking at ways to reduce expansion, the team discovered discrepancies between what they found in the lab, and what they saw in the field. This led Sinno to focusing her research on understanding these discrepancies and improving the test methods that are already available.
Today, Sinno is working as an instructional designer at Concordia University, where she supports their faculty and teaching through workshops to help engage students in the classroom. Reflecting on her academic career, Noura describes how her time at FEAS led to her passion for teaching.
“While I was working on my PhD, I was also a TA. I loved teaching my students and helping them work through problems,” described Sinno. “I want to help find the solutions to problems that we face in our society and help the engineering community, which is why I decided to work in academia."
