Dr. Hettiarachchi comes to Guam from Michigan where he practiced as an independent sustainability consultant focusing on circular economy, waste management, and geotechnical engineering issues. 

He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, a Master of Science in Soil Engineering from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka. He offers over 25 years of diverse experience in academic/industry/research settings and new program development.

He brings diverse and international workplace experiences to UOG. Before his consulting work in Michigan, he was at the United Nations as a Professor and the Head of Waste (Resources) Management Unit at the United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES) in Dresden, Germany. At UNU-FLORES he established a sustainability-related doctoral program in integrated management of water, soil, and waste.

“We look forward to Dr. Hettiarachchi’s leadership as our School of Engineering serves a growing number of engineering majors and as it continues to develop pathways to employment for our graduates with industry partners,” said UOG President Anita Borja Enriquez. From its first set of 12 civil engineering graduates in December 2021, UOG now has 182 declared civil engineering majors.

Dr. Hettiarachchi said he brings diverse experiences that come in part from having worked with a wide spectrum of experts – from lifetime Indigenous farmers to executive-or ministerial-level officials. In the past decade, the dean also has incorporated sustainability into his engineering experience. UOG’s focus on island sustainability efforts was part of what convinced him to apply for the dean position at UOG.

He aims to build the School of Engineering including adding disciplines such as electrical engineering. UOG has an existing partnership with the University of Hawaii at Manoa that allows UOG engineering students to move to UH in their junior year if they choose to pursue a Mechanical Engineering major. The partnership also includes the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard which will hire graduates who qualify.

Dr. Hettiarachchi brings an understanding of the need to further develop resources toward becoming a self-sustainable Guam, as he grew up on an island in Sri Lanka where island sustainability is also highly valued.

“I am excited about this opportunity to serve as the Dean of Engineering. The overwhelming support we are receiving from the industry and other engineering-related entities on the island and the region to expand our engineering education missions at UOG, is quite unique.”