Ebrahim has two years’ experience as a civil engineer at Beca, where he has been involved in geometric design, safety improvement, and grading design of Transportation Infrastructures. In his PhD research at the University of Auckland, he worked on the Marginality concept of unbound road aggregates. Ebrahim has his MSc in transportation engineering from the Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), one of the most prestigious universities in Iran, and holds BSc of civil engineering from Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. He is also the author of 11 journal articles and one conference article. Before undertaking doctoral studies in November 2015, Ebrahim worked as a road and railway geometric designer, pavement and traffic engineer in two consultant engineers in Iran for nearly six years.

While studying for a BSc in Chemistry (with some earth science), I was a territorial soldier and took a break for a 6 month tour in East Timor with the UN in 2000/2001. Finished degree in 2006 and joined Higgins as a laborer for one and a half years before joining the laboratory for another 8 years. Worked on larger projects like the windfarms Project Westwind, Project Mill Creek and the Ohakea new helicopter facilities – Project Takatini. Moved to Opus in 2015 to work in the Geomechanics laboratory but also working in concrete, bitumen, structures and research. Shifted to the transport team to work in the new Quality Right role on M2PP expressway in 2019. After 6 months supervising the deep lift asphalt replacement, moved to the PP2O expressway to undertake the QR role for the start of pavements. Outside of work Russell enjoys spending time with his two British Staffordshire Bull Terriers and his two cats, he enjoys gaming, archery, tramping and travel.

Gerhard hold a BEng Civil (University of Stellenbosch, South Africa), MEng Transportation (Texas A&M) and is currently working on his PhD at Auckland University. Started work in 1991 with civil engineering consultancies in South Africa and worked for NZTA since moving to New Zealand in 1998. Fulfilled the main disciplines as a technical expert, pavement construction and materials, field research and development of new construction techniques and materials, pavement design and analysis, project management, transportation engineering, asset management, financial management, pavement management systems, performance based pavement maintenance contracting and data analysis.