Salman Shooshtarian

Dr Shooshtarian is an educator and an active researcher in the general field of environmental sustainability with a particular focus on built environment sustainability, waste management and circular economy.  He serves as the Deputy Director of RMIT’s Construction Waste Lab (CWL). In CWL, he has project-managed multiple industry-driven research projects advancing the circular economy in the built environment sector, collectively valued at over $1 million. He is the co-founder of CWL Research and Industry Portal, which is a knowledge hub for C&D waste management in Australia. 

Dr Shooshtarian has earned several recognitions for his research excellence, impact, and engagement, including the 2024 RMIT University Research Engagement and Impact Award (Team Category, Special Commendation) and the Keith Hampson ECR Industry Award 2024 (Finalist). Dr Shooshtarian has a strong track record of scientific and industry publications. As of 2025, he has generated 113 academic peer-reviewed outputs, including 6 scholarly books and 70 journal articles. With over 2,700 citations, his research has had a substantial impact on advancing knowledge and practice in the broader field of sustainability. In 2024 and 2025, he was recognised among the World's Top 2% Scientists list produced by Elsevier. 

Dr Shooshtarian is currently a member of the RMIT Post Carbon Research Centre, the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRAA)_ the Victoria Waste Educator Working Group_ the International Association for Urban Climate (IAUC) and the International Association of Industrial Ecology (ISIE). In 2025, he was appointed as National Circular Economy Lead and Victoria's Chapter Sustainability and Circularity Lead for the Prefabrication Council of Australia (PCA). In these roles, he contributes to tackling the housing crisis and advancing sustainability in the built environment sector in Australia.

He serves on the editorial boards of several reputable journals, including 'Materials Circular Economy', 'Urbanization, Sustainability and Society', and 'Frontiers in Built Environment' as Associate Editor. He is also an editorial board member of Discover Sustainability, Smart and Sustainable Built Environment,  and Circular Economy and Sustainability. He has also served as a scientific committee member for several international scientific conferences, including ASA, AUBEA, ALCAS, SDEWES, CIB, COSVARD, SASBE, GDI2025 and IC2UHI. 

He has over 13 years of experience teaching built environment-related subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in different universities in Australia and overseas. Currently, he coordinates Project Management Practice (BUSM 1278) and Managing Complex Projects (BUSM4332) at the School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University.  In 2025, Dr Shooshtarian received the RMIT Regan Fellowship from the Regenerative Futures Institute (RFI), using it to advance research-led L&T at RMIT in Circular Economy, Nature-Positive Solutions, and Climate Resilience.

Dr Shooshtarian is actively involved in developing policy recommendations for a range of public sector and industry association inquiries and consultations. He has spearheaded several policy submissions directed to the Parliament of Australia, the Parliament of Victoria, and state agencies such as the Waste Authority. 

Awards & Recognitions:

• National Industry PhD –Industry Researcher Award 2025 (with A/Prof Tran)  _ Department of Education (Australian Government)
• Finalist, 2025 Victoria's Tidy Towns & Cities Sustainability Awards (Waste Prevention & Reduction category)
• Finalist, 2025 RICS Australia Awards (Research Team of the Year)
• Special Commendation, RMIT Research Award for Engagement and Impact (Team Category) 
• Finalist, 2024 Keith Hampson ECR Industry Award _ CIB International
• Excellence in Review Award 2023 _ Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances 
• International Research Collaboration Award 2021_ University of Santa Maria (Brazil) 
• Research Publication Award 2017_ RMIT University (Australia)
• Finalist, 10^th Educational Books Festival 2014_ The Office of Publications and Educational Technology, Ministry of Education (Iran)
• International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) 2013 _ Australian Government

Research Projects: 

• Using recycled and recyclable products: Influencing stakeholders through circular economy practices (Project 1.95). Funded by: Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre (2023 to 2025)
• Carbon footprint on recycling and re-manufacturing use of polymer. RecycleAll (2024-2025)
• R1P29- Development of eco‐friendly concrete using industrial by‐products. Funded by: SmartCrete CRC (2022 to 2024)
• Enhancing the use of products with recycled content in the Australian construction industry (Project 1.85). Funded by: Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre (2021 to 2023)
• Creation and stimulation of end markets for construction and demolition waste in Australia (Project 1.75). Funded by: Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre (2020 to 2021)
• Sustainable procurement (Project 2.76). Funded by: Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre (2020 to 2021)
• A national economic approach to improved management of construction and demolition waste (Project 1.65). Funded by: Sustainable Built Environment  National Research Centre (2018 to 2020)