Dr. Chamod Hettiarachchi is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. He previously served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the College of Transportation Engineering, Tongji University, China, from 2019 to 2022. During this period, he was the Principal Investigator (PI) and Project Lead for two major research projects funded by the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, focusing on innovative advancements in pavement engineering. Dr. Hettiarachchi obtained his B.Sc. (Hons.) Eng. (2014) and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (2018) from the University of Moratuwa. In recognition of his research contributions, he was awarded the International Belt and Road Young Scientist Award (2019) by the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission. He has published numerous peer-reviewed research articles and holds pending patents in China and Sri Lanka. His research interests include Asphalt Technology, Pavement Materials, Bitumen Modification, and Concrete Optimization, with a strong focus on developing sustainable and high-performance materials for infrastructure applications.
Dr. Wasantha Mampearachchi is a Research Scientist/Consultant at the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) under the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment (ESSIE) at the University of Florida (UF), USA. Previously, he served as a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Moratuwa (UOM), Sri Lanka.He holds a B.Sc. Eng. (1997) from the University of Moratuwa, an M.S. in Civil Engineering (2001) from the University of South Florida (USF), and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (2005) from the University of Florida (UF). In recognition of his research contributions, he received the Presidential Award for Scientific Publications in 2014. Dr. Mampearachchi has authored several books and published over 50 peer-reviewed research papers. He has also served as Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI on multiple research projects funded by government agencies (e.g., NSF, SRC), international organizations (e.g., ADB, WB), and local agencies. His expertise spans highway engineering, pavement design, and sustainable transportation infrastructure, with a strong focus on advancing engineering solutions for modern infrastructure challenges.