AWARDS AND HONORS

2023 Fellow of the Structural Engineering Institute (F.SEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers: Established in 1996, SEI is an institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) with a mission to advance and serve the structural engineering profession. The institute drives the practical application of cutting-edge research by improving coordination and understanding between academia and practicing engineers.  Of its 30,000 current members, only less than 300 have been named SEI Fellows[1]. The SEI Fellow grade distinguishes members of ASCE as leaders and mentors in the profession. Candidates for F.SEI must be actively involved in an SEI committee or chapter, be a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) or Structural Engineer (S.E.) in the United States or equivalent, be nominated by an organizational entity of SEI, and have responsible charge for a minimum of ten years (usually after obtaining licensure) in structural engineering that qualifies the candidate to direct, conceive, plan or design engineering works or 10 years of industrial, business, construction, educational, editorial, research, or engineering society activity requiring knowledge and background gained from engineering experience.

2022 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award (Qatar): The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. Fulbright is the world’s largest and most diverse international educational exchange program. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program is one of the most competitive, highly respected, and the largest program of its kind in the United States, awarding more than 800 fellowships annually. Over 400 different types of opportunities are available to teach, research and conduct professional projects in more than 135 countries. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, a presidentially appointed 12-member Board is responsible for supervising the Fulbright Program worldwide and approving the selection of all Fulbright recipients. The Fulbright grant reflects the recipient’s leadership and contributions to society. The Fulbright Program is devoted to increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. As a Fulbrighter, Dr. Mashal joins the ranks of many distinguished program participants[2]. Fulbright alumni have become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, CEOs, and university presidents, as well as leading journalists, artists, scientists, and teachers. They include 61 Nobel Laureates, 81 Pulitzer Prize winners, 76 MacArthur Fellows, and thousands of leaders across the private, public and non-profit sectors. Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 Fulbrighters have participated in the Program.

2023 Fulbright Regional Travel Program (Jordan): The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the US Department of State funds the Fulbright Regional Travel Program, and it is administered by the Jordanian-American Commission for Educational Exchange (JACEE) in Amman, Jordan. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional Travel Program (RTP) is designed to offer Posts, Commissions, and local academic institutions the opportunity to benefit from the academic and professional expertise of U.S. Fulbright Scholars who are based in another country within the region. Travel grants allow U.S. Scholars currently on grant, to spend up to two weeks in another country in the region. Dr. Mashal’s Fulbright RTP will be hosted by the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan. 

2023 Accomplished Under 40[3]: The Idaho Business Review’s (IBR) Accomplished Under 40 (AU40) shines a spotlight on business professionals under the age of 40 who are making a positive impact on Idaho’s business community. AU40 honorees are selected by a panel of judges made up of previous Accomplished Under 40 honorees and the IBR leadership team. Nominations, applications and letters of recommendation are judged on documented professional accomplishments, leadership, community service and mentoring. The current median age of individuals living in Idaho is 36.9, and 26% of the state’s population is between the ages of 20 and 39, according to the Census Reporter. That means there are potentially more than 470,000 residents (of a professional/working age) who could be eligible for an AU40 award. To shine a spotlight on this valued segment of the state, each year, IBR through its AU40 awards program rightly honors 40 dynamic people in industry, government and the nonprofit sector who will be the decision-makers of tomorrow.

2022 University of Canterbury Visiting Erskine Fellowship: Each year, some 70 distinguished, international academic visitors who are already advanced in the learning of any subject predominately taught in Colleges of Business, Engineering and Science are invited to the University of Canterbury (UC) for durations of, normally, one to four months for the purpose of giving lectures in such subjects to UC students. A visitor must be nominated by an “Erskine eligible” School or Department and only academics who are distinguished in their fields are approved for a visiting Erskine fellowship. The Erskine Bequest has funded programs since 1963.

2022  Al Fikra National Entrepreneurship Competition (Shortlisted): The Al Fikra is a national entrepreneurship competition designed for higher education-led start-up teams to develop their entrepreneurial skills and participate in successful private value-adding businesses. The Al Fikra is designed to stimulate the transfer of research and development, knowledge and innovation within the higher education institutes in Qatar into socio-economic impact. Al Fikra dates back to 2013 and has been operated over the past years by Qatar Development Bank (QDB). In 2022, Qatar Development Bank aimed to shift Al Fikra focus towards Universities for supporting further knowledge & innovation driven startups where Universities normally are core knowledge and innovation entities in the national ecosystem, and hence QDB partnered with the Office of Strategic Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Economic Development (SIEED) at Qatar University to run Al Fikra nationally with focus on higher education and Universities. There are two Categories, Junior Idea Track and Senior Idea Track for Al Fikra 2022. Dr. Mashal was leading a team of civil engineering students for the Senior Idea Track.

2021 CAES Annual Pitch Event 2021 (Pathways to INL Net Zero) - Winner of Track C “Open Submission”: This event is designed by the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) to accomplish two objectives: Help the CAES research community develop and hone the skills needed to effectively pitch technical ideas or solutions, and help Idaho National Laboratory[4] (INL) accelerate its goal of becoming carbon neutral (aka net zero) within 10 years. Everyone in the CAES community was eligible – students, faculty and staff at Boise State University, Idaho State University and University of Idaho, and researchers at INL. Under Track C (Open Submission), candidates propose any/all ideas, non-technology collaborations, initiatives, applications, methods, programs, operating processes, as well as technologies, that can be initiated within the next year, that can lead to any form of reduction in INL Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Scope 1 or Scope 2 emissions. Submissions to Track C in scope will decrease, minimize, or halt INL-related GHG emissions and are intended to solicit ideas and submissions that may not necessarily fall within Track A (Demonstrations) and Track B (Implement Tomorrow). Dr. Mashal’s idea proposes the use of recycled products such as recycled concrete aggregates, fly ash, silica fume, and tire chips to reduce concrete emissions for INL’s infrastructure.

2021 Member of the United States Delegation in the United States - Japan Bridge Engineering Workshop: This workshop is hosted by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and National Institute for Land, Infrastructure and Management (NILIM) as part of the activities under the bi-lateral government cooperation frameworks between U.S. Department of Transportation and Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The 2021 Workshop was focusing on: 1) Vulnerability, Risk and Resilience of Transportation Infrastructure and 2) Innovations and lessons learned in seismic design and retrofit including Accelerated Bridge Construction in seismic regions. Dr. Mashal was one of the seven experts from the United States side for Topic 2 (Innovations and lessons learned in seismic design and retrofit including Accelerated Bridge Construction in seismic regions).

2021 Certificate of Service: Presented to Dr. Mashal by Governor Brad Little in recognition of and appreciation for 5 years of dedicated and valuable service.

2021 Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) Summer Visiting Faculty Program (Nuclear Energy): The main focus of CAES is collaboration, this summer program has been designed to bring university faculty and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) researchers together to interact, build new relationships/networks, and develop jointly funded research programs. Dr. Mashal’s project was focused on developing a collaborative research proposal with INL researchers for the use of high-performance concrete in advanced nuclear reactors.

2020  Alfred Noble Prize11: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) established the Alfred Noble Prize in 1929 to honor Alfred Noble, past president of the ASCE and of the Western Society of Engineers, for the purpose of perpetuating his name and achievements. The Alfred Noble Prize award is made to a member of any grade of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc. (AIME); American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE); or the Western Society of Engineers (WSE). The award is given for a technical paper of exceptional merit, provided the author has not passed his or her 35th birthday at the time the paper is published in print by the nominating society. If a paper has been written by two authors, the lead author must be 35 years of age or younger. The recipient of the prize is selected by a committee of five, consisting of a representative of each society. The award consists of a certificate and a cash prize. The recipient is honored by peers at the ASCE Annual Membership Meeting.

2020 CAES Fellow[5]: Selected by the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) as one of the six inaugural cohort of CAES Fellows for demonstrating extensive engagement in the CAES community, collaborating with partners at INL and the CAES universities in at least one of the focus areas outlined in the CAES Strategy. Each of the fellows has exhibited impressive leadership: mentoring students, leading research projects and workshops, representing their organization at CAES events and taking the initiative to create stronger bonds among the members of the CAES consortium. Fellows serve two-year appointments during which they are provided with resources and opportunities to drive further collaboration among the CAES entities.

2020 Distinguished Teacher Award – (Shortlisted): This honor recognizes a faculty member who exemplifies excellence in teaching and has made significant contributions to Idaho State University’s teaching mission. From among the nominees, the selection committee chooses five finalists to be honored as Master Teachers at a reception.

2019 Winner of the “Be a Bengal” (Stability): Faculty and staff at Idaho State University (ISU) are nominated for “Be a Bengal” in recognizing them under four different categories (Trust, Compassion, Stability, and Hope). Dr. Mashal was nominated for the “Stability” Category, demonstrating Security, Strength, Support, Peace and exemplifying these values. Dr. Mashal was the winner of the category for “Stability” among 53 nominees. He was recognized by President Kevin Satterlee[6] for this Award.

2019  ASCE Southern Idaho Section Outstanding Civil Engineer of the Year Award: The Award is given to a civil engineer with more than eight years of experience who has made outstanding contribution to the field of civil engineering through leadership, research, and career accomplishment, and contributions to community, society, humanity, promotion of civil engineering profession including mentoring, and serving ASCE at either local, section, regional, or national level. The awardee must be a member of ASCE within Region 8 in good standing[7].

2019 Career Path Internship (CPI) Supervisor of the Semester – Runner Up: CPI interns at ISU nominate their supervisors for this award. Dr. Mashal was the runner based on the students’ feedback about his supervisory and mentoring skills.

2019 Laboratory Operations Supervisor Academy (LOSA): A competitive and intensive training at the Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA[8]) Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Researchers and supervisors from across the Department of Energy’s laboratories run by BEA (Idaho National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Los Alamos National Lab, National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) are trained for becoming better front-line leaders through interactive training, practice, and personalized feedback. The LOSA training program was developed by Battelle Memorial Institute, the world’s largest private, non-profit research and development. Dr. Mashal was selected by INL and CAES for LOSA.

2019  Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) Summer Visiting Faculty Program (Innovative Energy Systems): The main focus of CAES is collaboration, this summer program has been designed to bring university faculty and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) researchers together to interact, build new relationships/networks, and develop jointly funded research programs. Dr. Mashal’s project was focused on developing a collaborative research proposal with INL researchers in the area of Nuclear Non-Proliferation.

2019 ASCE/SEI Tier 1 Young Professional Scholarship: Received one of the seven awards in the nation by Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) at ASCE to attend the ASCE Structures Congress in Orlando, Florida, United States.

2018 ASCE ExCEEd Faculty Fellowship: The Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) Teaching Workshop is a six-day practicum that provides civil engineering educators with an opportunity to improve their teaching abilities. ASCE has successfully presented this workshop each summer for the past nineteen years.  Faculty members across the country and around the world have benefited from this workshop. The faculty are selected in a competitive process to attend the ASCE ExCEEd.

2017 Idaho State University’s Teaching Innovation Grant: A $5,000 grant awarded by the Executive President and Provost of the Idaho State University to support the development of new teaching strategies or the use of existing teaching methods in a new way to enhance student learning. Grants may be used to fund a course release, travel, software, supplies, or other costs directly related to the goals of the project. Dr. Mashal used the award to enhance laboratory safety and functionality of the shake tables in the Structural Dynamics Laboratory at Idaho State University. The shake tables have been regularly used to provide hands-on experience to graduate students taking Dr. Mashal’s “Dynamics of Structures” class at Idaho State University.

2014 New Zealand Concrete Society Travel Bursary: The bursary is part of the New Zealand Concrete Society’s commitment to demonstrate abroad the projects and research being undertaken in New Zealand. Applicants were chosen based on merit, past accomplishments, and character reference. The $5,000 fund was awarded to Dr. Mashal to represent the University of Canterbury’s research at the 10th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. 

2014  ASEC Conference Registration Prize: The prize was awarded to one of 50 structural engineers from Australia, Asia Pacific, and New Zealand to attend the Australasian Structural Engineering Conference (ASEC) in Auckland, New Zealand.

2013   New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) Research Scholarship: The scholarship is for applicants undertaking worthwhile research projects in earthquake engineering at New Zealand universities and research institutes. The objective of the scholarship is to promote research in earthquake engineering. The 2013 scholarship was awarded to only one student from entire New Zealand. The scholarship carried a $5,000 cash prize and a signed and framed certificate from President of NZSEE.

2013  New Zealand Concrete Society (NZCS) “Concrete Prize”: The award was presented by the President and Council members of the New Zealand Concrete Society (NZCS) to three students from New Zealand who exhibit outstanding ability in the design and use of concrete. It carried a $4,000 cash prize, a signed and framed certificate, and complementary attendance at the 2014 New Zealand Concrete Industry Conference, including accommodation, travel, and student membership.

2013 University of Canterbury Research and Innovation Grant “The Stimulator”: The funding initiative offered $3,000 for projects that may result in or develop University of Canterbury-owned protectable intellectual property. Funds were for technical development of early-stage innovations and activities such as construction of a prototype and validation of the concept through experimental testing. Dr. Mashal was the co-inventor for an earthquake resistant technology for which a patent was filed.    

2011 University of Canterbury Doctoral Scholarship: A world-class scholarship, covering tuition fees and living expenses for three years for a PhD program at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. The scholarship is awarded to only top researchers from around the world in a highly competitive process.

2009 Fulbright Foreign Student Program: An internationally renowned program that covers tuition fees and living expenses for two years for a master’s program at an R1 institution in the United States. The Fulbright Program is led by the United States government in partnership with more than 160 countries worldwide. Fulbright scholars are selected by the United States Department of State in a highly competitive process.

2009 Excellent Lead Instructor: The title of “Excellent Lead Instructor” from the Chief of Party of International Relief and Development (IRD) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Afghanistan. Dr. Mashal had trained more than 30 project managers on the “Principles of Construction Management”. The project managers mostly represented subcontractors of the United States Army Corps of Engineers – Afghanistan Engineer District (USACE-AED). 

2008 SAARC - Japan Leadership Development Study Tour: One of the two students from Afghanistan to receive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Japan Leadership Development Study Tour.  The program was sponsored by the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was supported by the International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences (AIESEC).  The two-week program included visits to government institutions, universities, manufacturing companies, and attending presentations by AIESEC alumni and industry leaders.

2006  Certificate of Achievement: Received recognition from the Chancellor of Kabul University for innovative research in advanced calculus.


[1] “Dr. Mashal is an outstanding member of the Idaho State community and very deserving of this recognition as an SEI Fellow,” said Scott Snyder, Dean of ISU’s College of Science and Engineering. “Mustafa has been a driving force in building both the Disaster Response Complex and the Structural Laboratory at ISU. As indicated by his being named an SEI Fellow, he has an international reputation in structural engineering, and we are very proud to call Dr. Mashal a Bengal.” Scott Snyder, Dean of the College of Science and Engineering, Idaho State University. Link

[2] “Dr. Mashal is a strong example of the world-class faculty that we have at Idaho State University,” said President Kevin Satterlee. “Earning a Fulbright Scholar Award is no easy task, and we commend Dr. Mashal for his efforts and thank him for his contributions not only to our University and students, but to bettering our communities.” Kevin Satterlee, President of Idaho State University.

“These awards are a testimony to the outstanding work and reputation that Dr. Mashal has established during his career. A Fulbright award is considered a pinnacle of academic achievement. We are very proud of Dr. Mashal for his accomplishments and very fortunate to have him at ISU.” Dr. Scott Snyder, Dean of  College of Science and Engineering at Idaho State University.

“As a CAES Fellow, Mustafa has helped expand its focus beyond the traditional energy sector to Homeland Security and, more recently, Net Zero initiatives. He'll be an exceptional ambassador for ISU and the CAES consortium.” Dr. David Rodgers, Associate Director of CAES and Associate Vice President for Research at Idaho State University. Link

[3] Letter of Commendation from Brian Blad, Mayor of Pocatello “Advancing higher education opportunities and implementing expertise and knowledge into real world situations deserves the highest of honors. I commend you for your commitment to educating students and for building a career around improving the safety and wellbeing of people around the world.” 

“This award is a wonderful endorsement of your leadership and dedication to our students and community. I am confident that you will continue to positively impact the educational experiences our students receive and impact the world around you. I am proud that we have faculty like you representing Idaho State University.” Kevin Satterlee, President of Idaho State University.

[4] Letter of Commendation from Senator James Risch, United States Congressman from Idaho “Your work as lead author on the paper (Low-Damage Seismic Design for Accelerated Bridge Construction) is commendable. These types of innovative ideas by young professionals such as yourself greatly contribute to making our work a better and safer place.” 

[5] Letter of Commendation from Dr. Scott Snyder, Interim Vice President for Research and Dean of College of Science and Engineering at Idaho State University. “You were selected as a member of the first cohort of CAES Fellows not only because of your leadership, accomplishments, and support of institutional CAES efforts, but also because you have demonstrated significant collaborations across CAES in line with its mission and vision.”

[6] “For the Category of Stability, I want to honor Dr. Mustafa Mashal, one of our faculty members in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Mashal was nominated by another ISU faculty member who shared how Mustafa looks for ways to build our student’s knowledge, experience, a passion for their field, and helps them develop cutting edge skills through research and outreach. This effort, and investment, is not only having a positive impact on student success, but also elevating the reputation of ISU and our graduates among industry leaders. Giving our students stability in their careers.” Kevin Satterlee, President of Idaho State University. Link

[7] Letter of Commendation from Brian Blad, Mayor of Pocatello“On behalf of the City of Pocatello, I thank you for your devotion to education and sharing your expertise and experience with the next generation. Education is key to a successful future. Our teachers and professors carry a great responsibility on their shoulders, and I commend you for embracing and magnifying your role as an educator, researcher, and author. Your contributions to design through your understanding of seismic assessment and retrofitting have been valuable. Undoubtedly, your work and words will long be remembered by many. I am reminded of something once said by Ralph Waldo Emerson. (The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well). Thank you for embracing these principles and contributing to the education of our youth and safety of our community.”

[8] Battelle is the largest independent nonprofit applied science and technology organization in the world. Battelle supports a diverse spectrum of clients, from small start-up companies to multinational corporations and government agencies. Battelle oversees more than 40,000 employees at nine national laboratories for the Department of Energy and Department of Homeland Security.