Dr. Naik received his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from the Gujarat University, India, in 1962.  He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in January 1964 and January 1972, respectively.  He is a registered Professional Engineer in Wisconsin since 1969.  From 1964 to 1967, Dr. Naik was employed as a structural engineer with consulting civil engineering companies in Chicago and Madison.  From 1966 to 1972, he worked at the University of Wisconsin - Madison as a Lecturer and researcher in the College of Engineering.  Dr. Naik worked (1972 - 1975) for Soils and Engineering Services, Inc., Madison, and was Executive Vice President when he resigned in September 1975 to join the faculty at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (UWM).

Dr. Naik's contribution in teaching and research has been well recognized nationally and internationally.  He has taught many civil engineering and mechanics courses as a part of his normal teaching responsibilities at UWM.  He has been very effective in working with his students.  He specializes in Materials of Construction, Concrete Technology, Timber Engineering, and Foundation Engineering.  He has taught courses, given seminars, held workshops, and/or presented invited lectures (in the use of by-products in construction materials, nondestructive testing of concrete, evaluation of concrete structures, repair and rehabilitation of structures (buildings, bridges, and dams), concrete technology, and design of foundation for machinery and electric transmission line structures) not only in USA, but also in over 30 other countries.  Dr. Naik's research has been well supported by private industries as well as state and federal government agencies.  He has received research grants from companies and organizations in North America and several other countries.  Also, several different federal government agencies have provided research funding to Dr. Naik.  His publications from this sponsored and other research have resulted in over 250 technical papers and reports (in ASCE, ACI, ASTM, RILEM, etc.).  His publications are in two distinct but related areas - structural engineering and construction materials.

Dr. Naik is a member of ACI, ASCE, ASEE, ASTM, RILEM, NSPE, and WSPE.  He was President of the Milwaukee Chapter of the WSPE during 1986-1987.  He also served on the Board of Directors of WSPE.  He was an Associate Editor of the Engineering Mechanics Division Journal of the ASCE from 1987 to 1990.  He was appointed a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of the Construction and Building Materials in January 1994.  In 1995 he was appointed by ASCE as a Contributing Editor of the Journal of Environmental Engineering, Associate Editor of the Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering and Journal of Energy Engineering, and Editorial Board member of the Journal of Geotechnical Engineering.  In 2003 he was appointed a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of the Cement and Concrete Composites (2003 – 2006).

He is Past-President of the Wisconsin Society of Professional Engineers (WSPE); Past-President of the Wisconsin Chapter of ACI; and Past-Chairman and member of the ACI Committee 437, "Strength Evaluation of Existing Concrete Structures;" current Chairman and member of ACI Committee 555 "Use of Recycled Materials in Concrete," a member of ACI Board Advisory Committee on Sustainable Developments since it was established in 2002, Committee 232, "Fly Ash and Natural Pozzolans in Concrete," Committee 229, "CLSM," past-member of Committee 214, "Evaluation of Results of Strength Tests of Concrete," Committee 123 "Research;" Committee 201 "Durability of Concrete," and "Concrete Materials Research Council."  He was also the Chairman of the ASCE-EMD Committee on "Experimental Analysis and Instrumentation," Vice Chairman of the ASCE-MTD Committee on "Materials Performance," and a member of the ASCE-STD Committee on "Electrical Transmission Structures."  He was also a member of the Prestressed Concrete Institute Committee on "Concrete Pole Design."  He is a member of the ASTM Committee C-9, "Concrete and Concrete Aggregates" and C-1 "Cement;" past Chairman of ASTM C09.02.09, "Accelerated Strength Testing of Concrete;" and a former member of Committee C-27 on "Precast Concrete Products," and Committee D-7 on "Wood."  In 1995 Dr. Naik was appointed as the chairman of a new technical committee ("Emerging Materials") by ASCE (1995-2000).

In 1986, Dr. Naik was awarded in Wisconsin competition by ASCE an Award of Merit for "Individual Achievement as an Engineer in Education."  In 1988, he was elected a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute.  In 1989, he received an award as an "Outstanding Engineer in Education" from WSPE; and an award from the Mexican Cement and Concrete Institute "for dedication and creativity in concrete education."  In 1990, he received an award for Outstanding Service from the College of Engineering and Applied Science, UWM; the Orton Spanley award from the American Concrete Institute, Wisconsin Chapter; and, an award of appreciation from the ASTM Committee on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates.  In 1996 he received another award from the Mexican Cement and Concrete Institute for "...outstanding contributions in the fields of research, teaching, and application of cement and concrete."  In 1997, he received an award for Outstanding Teaching from the College of Engineering and Applied Science, UWM.  In 1997, Dr. Naik was chosen for the NDT award for Best Paper on NDT Techniques by the Engineer Technics Press, Edinburgh, Scotland; and was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers.  In 1998, he received an award from CANMET/ACI for "sustained and outstanding contributions in working with fly ash in concrete", Bangkok, Thailand.  Dr. Naik was noted as a "recycling pioneer" and one of the most noteworthy people of 1999 by the Milwaukee Magazine in its January 1999 issue.  In 2000, he received an award for Outstanding Research from the College of Engineering and Applied Science, UWM.  In 2006, the UWM Center for By-Products Utilization received the C2P2 (Coal Combustion Products Partnership) Award, First Place in Research, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Back to Staff and Faculty list