Abu Ahmed Sufian

(Applicant for M.S. Program in the Department of Civil Engineering of

Kansas State University

Fall 2014, incoming class)

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

I believe that after being raised in a third world developing country like Bangladesh and then getting
prepared for conducting research in a world class university, such as Kansas State University, is a
testament to my earnest ambition and aptitude for higher studies in the field of engineering. My
research philosophy is to; strive for excellence in the quest of doing something which will be
beneficial for my country as well as for the whole world. Growing up in Dhaka, ranked as the 17th
most populous megacity in the world, I have seen how congestion problems kill the valuable time of
millions of people and how innocent people die in the streets and highways due to road traffic
accidents and safety related problems. I noticed that the bad condition of pavements, which is mostly
flexible in Bangladesh, is somewhat responsible for these problems. This motivated me to choose a
field of study where there is plenty of scope for researching the solutions to these transportation and
infrastructure related problems. Hence, my choice of studying Civil Engineering with a major in
Transportation Engineering as my undergraduate coursework was a justified decision according to my
aspirations.

After completing my higher secondary school certificate from Notredame College, one of the most
reputed in the country, I worked very hard to get admitted in the Bangladesh University of
Engineering and Technology (BUET), the premier engineering school in Bangladesh. Here I began to
realize that there are answers to all questions, and they arise from necessity. This is what helped me
become research oriented. Initially I was not quite aware about the potential in me until I got chance
to perform some research work for my project on “Details of construction” in the 5th semester of my
undergraduate study. Later through some term projects and field survey activities I became cognizant
of the fact that, there are problems and difficulties in transportation infrastructure in our country, but
some of these can be solved through some simple technical solutions. In my junior year, after taking
courses in Transportation engineering, this belief of mine become more firm and stronger, and this is
the reason I chose Transportation as my Major in undergraduate level.

During the period of my undergraduate studies I always tried my heart and soul to maintain a
balance between the coursework and other studies, and that helped sharpen my insight about what I
have learnt in the classroom. It was because of my honest effort I earned a CGPA of 3.72 out of 4.00
and secured a very respectable 16th position among 186 graduating students of the department. I
continuously received university merit scholarships from my second year up to my final year, and was
awarded with the Dean’s list scholarships, one of the most prestigious awards in BUET, in the third
and fourth years.

My undergraduate thesis work titled as “Safety Issues of Non-Motorized Vehicles in Road Traffic
Accidents in Bangladesh” is comprised of a comprehensive study and detailed analysis of accidents of
different non-motorized modes in Bangladesh. The accident data was collected by analyzing the
Microcomputer Accident Analysis Package 5 (MAAP 5) software, the only road traffic accident
analysis software of Bangladesh. Through this research work I examined the vulnerability of non-
motorized modes in the context of road safety, though the uses of these modes are increasing
worldwide (for instance, bicycles). This research work was presented in the “International
Conference on Advances in Civil Engineering 2012” in Chittagong University of Engineering and
Technology (CUET), Chittagong and received accolades from my peers and teachers.

After completing my graduation I devoted myself to teaching at the Stamford University in

Bangladesh, one of the most esteemed universities of Bangladesh. Here I developed my
communication and demonstration skills through delivering lectures. My students have always given a
very good response to my class and I frequently received comments like “you express things quite
easily”. I try to inspire my students, who have taken transportation as a major, to build a keen interest
towards pragmatic research work which can bring potential result.

While doing research on road safety I become aware about a fact; that, road factors and pavement
conditions has a prevalent contribution in accidents and fatalities can be minimized up to some extent
if deterioration of pavements under the combined effects of traffic and the environment can be
checked. Since that time I built an earnest interest in highway materials and pavement design, fields
with limitless possibilities that can ensure the safety of transport infrastructures. The reason behind
my choice of this field is that I like to devote myself in a work which is based on both analytical and
experimental skills since mathematics is my area of expertise and I am very efficient in industrious
laboratory works. I am very much interested to work with Mustaque Hossain and Kyle A. Riding as
their research interest closely resembles mine.

My immediate target is to obtain an M.Sc. in transportation engineering which will eventually

proceed to a Ph.D., a goal that will help me to reach the acme of my research field. After that, within a
few years from now I imagine myself working as a research scientist in a world class research facility
or as a faculty member in a top class university. It is also part of my dream that through my research,
people all around the world, including my own country Bangladesh, will be benefitted. I will be
gratified if mankind endeavors for more by using my research as a small footprint. The first stepping
stone of my ambition will be created if I can get an opportunity to study and research in Kansas State
University.

I believe that interest for education and knowledge can-not be judged only by academic merit, in the
form of transcripts and awards, but can also be measured form the passion and dreams of the
possessor of these. So, I am not only seeking your attention because of my strong academic
background, but also for my honest effort to empower my career with quality higher education and
earnest endeavor for research. I hope that you will find me as an eligible, deserving and qualified
student for the M.Sc. program in your prominent university.

(Abu Ahmed Sufian)