The scholarly work earned Siddiqui the 2013-14 School of Engineering Education Distinguished Dissertation Award.

According to the dissertation abstract, "the study adopted a transdisciplinary approach while taking a systems perspective on educational change in order to examine the challenges.  Instead of exploring the effectiveness of change strategies and interventions, this study sought to understand the basic nature of change in engineering education organizations."

"It feels great to achieve this recognition and a great honor. Thank you," Siddiqui says. "I hope this scholarship will also find the interest of the larger community and will have a positive impact as a contribution."

"He tackled an incredibly difficult question," says Dr. Robin Adams, his major professor, "created an innovative transdisciplinary methodological framework, and provided new lenses for understanding why change is so hard (but possible).

"I hope we will be citing this (research) in years to come as a new framework for approaching engineering education change!"

Siddiqui received his Ph.D. on Sunday, May 18. He will join the faculty at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in June.