Dr. Maher Tadros joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1979 as associate professor in the structural engineering specialty of prestressed concrete. Dr. Tadros earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Assyut University in Egypt and his Ph.D. from the University of Calgary in Canada.
Dr. Tadros has built a reputation as an innovator and expert. Best known for developing the NU I-Girder, a system that allows bridges to have longer spans and shallower depths, the inverted tee bridge system for rural short span bridges and the NU-Deck, a patented bridge deck system that allows for rapid construction and long service life. Dr. Tadros is at the forefront of concrete bridge technology in the United States. At the 50th Anniversary of the Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute in 2004, Dr. Tadros was named “Industry Titan,” one of the 50 most influential persons in the 50 year history of the precast prestressed concrete industry.
An internationally renowned researcher, Dr. Tadros’ work has been funded by the Nebraska Department of Roads, the National Academy of Science, the National Science Foundation, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Precast/Prestressed concrete Institute and private industry. He is the author of ten patents, one book, and more than 250 journal papers. His work has generated numerous awards including the prestigious T.Y. Lin Award (an unprecedented four times), an award jointly given by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Concrete Institute and the Precast/Prestressed concrete Institute. Dr. Tadros has been recognized by NSPE as Engineer of the Year, and by ACI with the Tome Reading Achievement Award
Dr. Tadros has been an outstanding educator. He enjoys mentoring and inspiring his students. He has received numerous teaching awards, including the Distinguished Educator Award by Prestressed Concrete Institute in 1995. His service activities are extensive. They include being president of the Nebraska Chapters of the American Concrete Institute and the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a member of numerous national technical committees. He has been recognized by ASCE with the Outstanding Service Award.
