Abul K.M. Azad, Ph.D.
Professor

Professor Azad has attracted around $2.6 million for research and development projects and has published around 140 technical papers, five edited books, and a number of technical reports.  He holds leadership positions with a number of professional bodies as well as managing editorial responsibilities for technical journals.  Professor Azad is a proposal reviewer for national and international funding agencies in the United States, Europe and Australia.  He is active with standardization initiatives for mobile robotics and IoT, and was a program evaluator for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Education

  • Ph.D. Control and System Engineering, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
  • M.Sc. Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
  • B.Sc.(Hons). Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
  • Diploma, Electronics Engineering, Dhaka Polytechnic, Bangladesh.

Work Experience

  • Northern Illinois University, various capacities including Associate Dean for the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, 2001- current.
  • University of Portsmouth, UK, 1996-2001.
  • University Sheffield, UK, 1995-1996.
  • Univeristy of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1987-1988.
  • Atomic Energy Commission, Bangladesh, 1978-1987.

Research and Teaching Interests

Expertise in wide areas of Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber-physical system, Machine learning, Cloud technologies, Mechatronics and embedded system design. Application areas involve remote laboratories, mobile robotics, structural vibration control, building energy management, renewable energy systems, educational system design, and project management.

Selected Projects

  • Innovative Remote Smart Home for Immersive Engagement, Illinois Science and Energy Innovation Foundation (ISEIF), Co-PI, January 1 to December 2018.
  • Internet Accessible Remote Laboratories with Collaborative Design, NSF (TUES program), PI, July 2012 to July 2017.
  • Universal Environment for Delivering Remote-Laboratories within the STEM Disciplines, NSF (CCLI program), PI, July 2009 to July 2013.
  • Design and Development of an Internet Based Physical Laboratory Course within an Undergraduate Program, NSF (CCLI program), May 2005 to April 2007.
  • Robovolc: A Robot for Volcano Exploration, European Union: Information Societies Technology Program, EU, 1.7 M Euro, Co-PI, IST-1999-10762, July 2000 to June 2003.
  • Bio-robotic Walking Orthosis - Phase 1, EPSRC, United Kingdom, Co-PI, January 2001 to June 2003, GR/R110981/01.

Professional Leadership

  • President, Global Online Laboratory Consortium (GOLC), 2014-current.
  • Vice President (as well as other capacities), International Association of Online Engineering (IAOE), 2012-current.
  • Member of the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee (LTSC), (recently nominated for the Secretary position) 2018-current.
  • ASEE Campus Representative, period 2018-current.
  • Member of Board of Trustees of the CLAWAR Association, period 2006-15.
  • Member of the Project team on Robots in personal care (PT2), International Organization for Standardization, ISO/TC 184/SC2/PT2, period 2009-16.
  • Member of the Advisory Group on Service Robots (AG1), International Organization for Standardization, ISO/TC 184/SC2/AG1, period 2009-16.
  • Played various roles in organizing numerous national and international conference organization. This includes conference chairs and members of various organizing committees.

Editorial Responsibilities

  • Associate Editor, Applications of Modelling and Simulation, 2017- current.
  • Editor, Robotics & Automation Engineering Journal, period 2017-current.
  • Editorial Board member, Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control, Period 2020- current.
  • Associate Editor, Jurnal Mekanikal, period 2008-current.
  • Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Online Engineering, period 2010-22.
  • Associate Editor, Journal of Engineering, Computing and Architecture, Scientific Journals International, period 2006-18.
  • Associate Editor, Advances in Acoustics and Vibration, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, period 2007-12.
  • Associate Editor, International Journal of Online Engineering Education, Period 2009- 10.
  • Member of the International Board of Reviewers, International Journal of Modern Engineering, period- 2004- 10.

Publications

Published 45 referred journal papers, 78 conference papers, 5 edited books, and number of research reports. Representative publications are listed below:

Books

Journals

  • Misbahuddin, M., Azad, A.K.M. and Demir, V. (2023). M2M Collaboration Utilizing IoT and Machine Leaning, Advances in Internet of Things, (accepted)
  • Azad, A.K.M. (2021). Design and Development of Remote Laboratories with Internet of Things Setting, Advances in Internet of Things, 11(3), pp. 95-112. 
  • Taherenzhadi, M., Azad, A.K.M. and Nimbekar, A. (2018). Remote Access Laboratory for Delivering a Junior Level Computer Engineering Course, Robotics and Automation Engineering Journal, 3(4), pp. 103-111.
  • Azad, A.K.M. and Misbahuddin, M. (2018). Web-based Object Tracking Using Collaborated Camera Network, Advances in Internet of Things, 8(2), pp. 13-25.
  • Azad, A. K. M. and Misbahuddin, M. (2017). Cloud Enabled Text Reader for Visually Impaired Individuals, Advances in Internet of Things, 7(4), pp. 97-111.
  • Vakati, K.C., Azad, A.K.M. and Hashemian, R. (2016). Integration of Engineering Systems within a Remote Laboratory Facility, Computer in Education, 7(2), pp. 7-16.
  • Azad, A.K.M. and Kaushik, K.C. (2015). Control Experiments for Remote Laboratory Facility, Transactions on Techniques in STEM Education, 3(1), pp. 79-92.
  • Azad, A.K.M. and Razvi, S. A. H. (2015). Remote Laboratory Implementation using a Microcontroller, Transactions on Techniques in STEM Education. 3(1), pp. 31-41.
  • Azad, A.K.M. and Kaushik, P. (2014). Roomba Create® for Remote Laboratories, International Journal of Online Engineering, 10(4), pp. 59-65.
  • Samad, M.F.A., Jamaluddin, H., Ahmad, R., Yaacob, M.S., and Azad, A.K.M. (2013). Effect of Penalty Function Parameter in Objective Function of System Identification, International Journal of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering, 7, pp.940-954.
  • Azad, A.K.M. (2013). CLAWAR 2012- Present Status and Future Trend of Mobile Robots (Viewpoint), Industrial Robot, 40(3).

Awards and Honors

  • Fulbright fellowship, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, with a placement to the United Arab Emirates, Fall 2008.
  • Commonwealth scholarship for PhD program in UK, 1989-1994.
  • Faculty of the Year award, College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Northern Illinois University, 2017.
  • Chancellor award for BSc(Hons), 1987.

Professoinal Affiliations

  • Fellow and Life Member, International Engineering and Technology Institute (IETI).
  • Senior Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
  • Senior Member, Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation (ISA).
  • Member, Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
  • Member, American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).
  • Member, International Association of Online Engineering (IAOE).
  • Member, Global Online Laboratory Consortium (GOLC).

Abul K.M. Azad

Contact

Abul K.M. Azad
College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
SH 103A
815-753-0386
aazad@niu.edu