NITK faculty in int’l list for civil engg thought leaders

Mangaluru: A faculty from NITK Surathkal has been featured in the globally curated list of '50 Influential Thought Leaders in Civil Engineering-2026.' The list was compiled by Jonno White of Australia and recognises leading international experts in infrastructure, climate resilience, and sustainability.

Sreevalsa Kolathayar, associate professor in the department of civil engineering, is one of only two Indians to be included in the global Top 50 list, with NITK Surathkal and IIT Delhi being the only two Indian institutions represented. He has been listed under Category 4: Water, Environment and Climate Resilience, alongside globally recognised experts including Pedro JJ Alvarez (Rice University, USA), Costa Samaras (Carnegie Mellon University and former White House OSTP advisor), Dipak Gyawali (Nepal Water Conservation Foundation), Paul Chinowsky (University of Colorado Boulder), Priya Parikh (Imperial College London), Jayantha Obeysekera (Florida International University), and Arthur Antoine, among others.

The list recognises professionals actively shaping the future of civil engineering across infrastructure resilience, climate adaptation, water systems, and disaster risk reduction. Curator Jonno White noted that civil engineering decisions, from roads and bridges to water networks, directly impact communities worldwide. Kolathayar’s work in landslide studies, geotechnical hazard mitigation, and nature-based infrastructure solutions has earned growing international visibility through research collaborations, consultancy, and policy-oriented studies.

Reacting to the honour, Kolathayar said, “This recognition belongs equally to my students, research scholars, collaborators, colleagues, mentors, and institutions, especially NITK, who have supported our work over the years.”

The director of NITK Surathkal, B Ravi said this achievement strengthens the institute’s standing as a hub of impactful research and academic excellence.