Mangaluru: A faculty member from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) Surathkal has earned a place in the globally curated list of '50 Influential Thought Leaders in Civil Engineering-2026.' Compiled by Jonno White of Australia, this list honors leading international experts in infrastructure, climate resilience, and sustainability.
Recognition for Sreevalsa Kolathayar
Sreevalsa Kolathayar, an associate professor in the department of civil engineering at NITK Surathkal, is one of only two Indians featured in the global Top 50 list. The two Indian institutions represented are NITK Surathkal and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. Kolathayar has been listed under Category 4: Water, Environment and Climate Resilience, alongside globally recognized experts such as 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.
Impact and Expertise
The list acknowledges professionals who are actively shaping the future of civil engineering across areas including infrastructure resilience, climate adaptation, water systems, and disaster risk reduction. Curator Jonno White emphasized that civil engineering decisions—from roads and bridges to water networks—directly impact communities worldwide. Kolathayar’s research in landslide studies, geotechnical hazard mitigation, and nature-based infrastructure solutions has garnered growing international visibility through research collaborations, consultancy, and policy-oriented studies.
Reacting to the honor, Kolathayar stated, “This recognition belongs equally to my students, research scholars, collaborators, colleagues, mentors, and institutions, especially NITK, who have supported our work over the years.”
Institutional Pride
The director of NITK Surathkal, B Ravi, remarked that this achievement strengthens the institute’s standing as a hub of impactful research and academic excellence.
