OSU, CEAT community mourn the loss of Dr. Samir Ahmed

Monday, January 13, 2025

Media Contact: Kristi Wheeler | Manager, CEAT marketing and Communications | 4057445831 | kristi.wheeler@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology community is mourning the death of Dr. Samir Ahmed, professional engineer and faculty member of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. 

Ahmed passed on Jan. 7, 2025, in Tulsa.

Ahmed joined the department faculty in 1981 and served for over four decades in teaching, research and service. He made many important contributions to the department, the university and the profession, educating generations of students. Before joining OSU, Ahmed taught at the University of Hawaii. 

Ahmed received his B.S. in civil engineering from Cairo University in Egypt, his M.S. in civil engineering from McGill University in Montreal, and his Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

Ahmed was involved in numerous research projects sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the transportation industry totaling more than $20 million in research funding. His research interests included design, planning, and management of transportation systems and facilities; highway traffic operations and control; intelligent transportation/infrastructure systems; transportation safety; systems modeling, simulation, and optimization; transportation policy; and statistical quality assurance and quality control of highway construction.

Ahmed became a Federal Highway Administration Faculty Fellow in 1979. In 1982, he received the International Who’s Who in Engineering Award, the Halliburton Outstanding Teacher Award in 1991, and the Halliburton Outstanding Faculty Award in 1996.
He held professional memberships in the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the Transportation Research Board, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Engineering. Additionally, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation selected him for the U.S. DOT TRACKS Committee.

Ahmed authored more than 80 technical publications, books and reports. He was an invited speaker in numerous professional meetings and chaired several technical sessions in national and international meetings and conferences. His research has been cited in national newspapers, including USA Today, LA Times, Chicago Tribune and Sacramento Bee.

Ahmed taught undergraduate and graduate classes, including Introduction to Transportation Engineering, Systems Analysis for Civil Engineers, Highway Traffic Operations, Transportation Engineering Studies, Urban Transportation Planning, Design and Planning of Airports, Traffic Control Systems Design, and Geometric Design of Highways.

Services were held for Dr. Ahmed on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.

CEAT and OSU are deeply grateful for his years of dedication.