Daniel Damilare Akerele, PhD

Affiliated Programs

• Construction Management (BS)

Education

• PhD, Construction Management (2026) 
  University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
• MSc, Civil Engineering (2018) 
  University of Ibadan
• BTech, Civil Engineering (2015) 
  Ladoke Akintola University
• LEED Green Associate (2023) 
  U.S. Green Building
• ACI Examiner Certification (2026) 
  American Concrete Institute
• CMIT (2026) 
  Construction Management Association of America
• OSHA-30 (2025) 
  U.S. Department of Labor
• Registered Engineer (2018) 
  Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria

About Me

I'm an assistant teaching professor in construction management, and my perspective comes from splitting time fairly evenly between the job site and the lab.

I earned my PhD in construction engineering and management from the University of Washington, where my research, funded by the Washington State Department of Transportation, focused on faster-curing, lower-carbon concrete for pavement repair. Before that, I worked in construction management with Turner Construction on the SeaTac Airport terminal expansion and on a large international refinery program, so I came into teaching having already lived the deadlines, budgets, and standards our students will spend their careers navigating.

The project I'm proudest of took a new high-early-strength concrete mix out of the lab and onto a real street repair in Seattle, cutting lane closure time by about 80 percent while lowering the job's embodied carbon by about half. That's the kind of outcome I want for students: not just a good grade, but a real improvement someone can drive over.

In the classroom, I build around what I call the "Six Cs": collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, confidence, and competence—because construction management is as much about people and judgment as it is about materials and math.

Outside the classroom and lab, I enjoy playing soccer, indoor games, and writing.

Research Interests

• Construction materials
• Low-carbon concrete materials, performance, and durability
• Accelerated infrastructure rehabilitation
• Sustainable construction
• AI-driven material optimization
• Soil improvement
• Construction management

Media Expertise

• Construction materials
• Sustainable concrete
• Infrastructure rehabilitation (pavements, bridges, and buildings)
• Clean energy
• Artificial intelligence

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

• ACI Technical Committee — Pozzolans & Repairs
• RILEM Technical Committees TC-3 & TC-4 (RILEM Young Member)
• CIB W116 — Smart and Sustainable Built Environment
• TRB AKH 12 — Concrete Bridge and Structures
• American Society of Civil Engineers
• Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria
• Construction Management Association of America
• American Concrete Institute
• Clean Energy Institute
• U.S. Green Building Council
• Project Management Institute
• Nigeria Society of Engineers

Awards

• American Concrete Institute Fellowship, American Concrete Institute (2025)
• Clean Energy Institute Fellowship, Clean Energy Institute (2025)
• University of Washington Top Scholar Award, University of Washington (2022)
• Nellis' Endownment Fellowship, University of Washington College of Built Environment (2022)
• Construction Management Association of America Scholarship Award, PNWCMAA (2023, 2026)
• International Facilities Management Scholarship Award, IFMA (2025)
• TRC Construction Scholarship Award, TRC Construction (2025)
• SOPREMA Schoarship Award, Soprema (2025)