UW’s Abdelaty Receives Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award

Ahmed Abdelaty’s students say he is a teacher they will never forget. According to one of those students, he is “the best of what a university professor can be” -- a consensus that resonates across feedback from students and faculty alike, praising Abdelaty as a challenging but fair teacher, dedicated to student success on a personal level and committed to putting class material into practice through hands-on, real-world applications.

Abdelaty, an associate professor of construction management, has been named one of 10 recipients of UW’s 2026 John P. Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award. The award was established in 1977 by businessman John P. “Jack” Ellbogen to “foster, encourage and reward excellence in classroom teaching at UW.”

 

Tony Denzer, head of the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, cites Abdelaty as a key player in the extraordinary success of the construction management program during its early years. Abdelaty took on an increased course load early in his UW career and was at the helm of several popular course improvements.

 

Students have ranked Abdelaty as “excellent” across subjects and categories since he began teaching at UW in 2020.  

 

“A single instance of a 4.8 instructor rating would be remarkable -- he has several,” Denzer says. “The student comments from the evaluations are a true pleasure to read.”

 

UW’s construction management students consistently score well above the national average on their certified associate constructor exam, and Denzer attributes much of this success to Abdelaty’s instruction in foundational courses, including “Soils and Concrete,” “Statics & Structural Systems,” “Evolving Technologies in Construction Management,” “Construction Scheduling” and “Heavy Construction Methods.”

 

In his letter of recommendation for the award, colleague Charlie Zhang says, “What sets (Abdelaty) apart is not just his versatility, but his ability to make each class a unique and engaging experience for students. An outstanding example of Dr. Abdelaty’s innovative approach is his transformation of the ‘Statics and Structural Systems’ class. By introducing site visits and a hands-on final project involving the construction and testing of a truss bridge, he has elevated the learning experience to new heights.”

 

While “Statics and Structural Systems” is frequently cited by students as the most challenging course in the construction management program, they also credit Abdelaty with boosting their confidence to master the material in ways that ripple not only into success in other courses, but into their subsequent careers as well.

 

“After my first statics exam, I was struggling and unsure of my ability to succeed,” one student wrote. “I began attending Dr. Ahmed’s office hours daily. Each time, he greeted me with a smile and handshake and was fully committed to helping me understand the material. Because of his guidance, I not only passed the class, but I earned one of the highest exam scores I had ever received. That experience showed me what I was capable of as a student.”

 

In addition to a teaching philosophy that emphasizes student-centered experiential learning and real-world applications, Abdelaty has developed robust industry connections that enhance student success both within and outside of the classroom, frequently featuring industry professionals as guest speakers, visits to active construction projects and help connecting students to jobs and opportunities.

 

A student leader in the Construction Management Club says that, as faculty adviser, Abdelaty was instrumental in helping to revitalize the club after activities had lapsed.

 

“Dr. Abdelaty played a critical role in helping guide our student leadership,” the student wrote. “He has a quiet yet incredibly effective leadership style that encourages students to take initiative while still providing thoughtful guidance. With his support, we were able to restart the student club, rewrite our bylaws and develop a stronger organizational structure that has helped us grow and become more impactful within the program.”

 

Abdelaty has been a fellow of the UW Community Engaged Faculty Institute and UW Learning Actively Mentoring Program, in addition to participating in multiple faculty summer residencies with industry partners. Abdelaty’s excellence in teaching has been recognized well beyond the UW campus, as well, through an Associated Schools of Construction Region 6 Teaching Award he received in 2024.

 

A former student now working in the industry says of Abdelaty: “I can say without reservation that Dr. Ahmed is the finest educator I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. He does not simply deliver a curriculum; he invests his entire heart and soul into the success of his students, providing us with a professional tool belt that remains the foundation of my career every single day.”

 

Abdelaty received his Ph.D. in civil engineering from Iowa State University and both master’s and bachelor’s degrees in construction engineering and management from Cairo University in Egypt.