Zain Al-Houri

Assistant Professor of Instruction

Email: zalhouri@uttyler.edu
Department: Civil Engineering

Degrees

• Ph.D. Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 2008
• M.Sc. Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 1999
• B.S. Engineering and Technology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan, 1995

Biography

Teaching Interests:

Dr. Zain Al Houri has substantial experience in academia, focusing on teaching and research. Over the past 15 years, she has been actively involved in the preparation and instruction of numerous water-related courses, advising, supervising, and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Al-Houri’s teaching portfolio includes a diverse range of water resources courses, such as introduction to climate change and environment, fluid mechanics, environmental engineering, open channel hydraulics, sanitary engineering, surface and groundwater hydrology, and hydraulic structure design. Beyond her specialization in water-related subjects, Dr. Al Houri's solid engineering knowledge has enabled her to teach fundamental civil engineering courses like statics, statistics and probabilities, engineering economy, and introduction to construction management. 

Research Interests:

Dr. Al Houri's main research focus revolves around hydrology and water resources engineering, with a particular emphasis on best management practices (BMPs) for urban stormwater. Her keen interest lies in evaluating the effectiveness of permeable pavements and water harvesting techniques, with the goal of mitigating the adverse impacts of intense rainfall events. Additionally, she is actively involved in investigating the hydrologic implications of climate change. Dr. Al Houri has published several journals papers and participated in several international conferences. Through her research initiatives, Dr. Al Houri aims to contribute to the enhancement of water resource management, particularly in addressing the challenges posed by climate change.

Select Journal Publications:

Al-Houri, Z., & Al-Omari, A. (2022). Assessment of rooftop rainwater harvesting in Ajloun, Jordan. Water Reuse, 12(1), 22-32.

Al-Omari, A., Al-Houri, Z., Muhammetoglu, H., Muhammetoglu, A., & Topkaya, B. (2022). Energy and Carbon Footprints for the Urban Water Cycle in Amman, Jordan. International Journal of Environmental Research, 16(5), 1-12.

Al-Omari, A., & Al-Houri, Z. (2021). Impact of greywater reuse on black water quality. Desalination and Water Treatment, 218, 240-251.

Al-Houri, Z. (2014). Detecting variability and trends in daily rainfall characteristics in Amman-Zarqa basin, Jordan. International Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 4(6).

Al-Houri, Z., Al-Omari, A., & Saleh, O. (2014). Frequency analysis of annual one day maximum rainfall at Amman Zarqa Basin, Jordan. Civil and Environmental Research, 6(3), 44-57.

Al-Omari, A., Al-Houri, Z., & Al-Weshah, R. (2013). Impact of the As Samra wastewater treatment plant upgrade on the water quality (COD, electrical conductivity, TP, TN) of the Zarqa River. Water science and technology, 67(7), 1455-1464.

Al-Houri, Z., & Barber, M. (2011). Assessment of the SCS-CN initial abstraction ratio for predicting runoff treatment volumes during rain-on-snow events. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 20(9a), 2391-2399.

Al-Houri, Z., Barber, M., Yonge, D., Ullman, J., & Beutel, M. (2009). Impacts of frozen soils on the performance of infiltration treatment facilities. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 59(1), 51-57.

Selected International Conference Presentations

Al-Houri, Z., Al-Omari, A.S. (2021). Green Infrastructure for sustainable water management in Amman, Jordan. Water Security and Climate Change Conference (WSCC 2021), Hanoi, Vietnam (online).

Al-Houri, Z. (2018). Laboratory study to determine runoff coefficients of two types of permeable pavements. Water Security and Climate Change Conference (WSCC 2018), Nairobi, Kenya.

Al-Houri, Z., (2014). Sustainable urban drainage systems: recommendation for future direction in rainwater management in Jordan. The Third International Conference on Water Resources and Environmental Management (ICWRE 2014), Antalya, Turkey.

Al-Houri, Z., Abu Hadba, O.K., and Hamdan, K. A. (2013). The potential of roof top rainwater harvesting as a water resource in Jordan: Featuring Two Application Case Studies. International Conference on Civil, Environmental and Structural Engineering, Barcelona, Spain.

Al-Houri, Z., and Al-Omari, A.S. (2012). Evaluation of drainage conditions along selected roadways in Amman. International Conference of Environmental, Biological, Ecological Sciences and Engineering, Venice, Italy.

Al-Houri, Z. and M. Barber, (2009), Frozen soil impacts on stormwater infiltration treatment BMP designs, lessons from continuity and change in the fourth international polar year symposium, Inland Northwest Research Alliance, March 4-7, Fairbanks, Alaska.

Al-Houri, Z., Barber, M., Yonge, D., and Beutel, M. (2007). Consequences of proposed modifications of existing design parameters for improved performance of infiltration treatment BMPs in cold climates. Water in the Pacific Northwest: Moving Science into Policy and Action Conference, Stevenson, Washington. (Poster) Poster Award: Honorable Mention.