Mohammad Tahir Shah

Dr. Mohammad Tahir Shah is a professor at the National Centre of Excellence in Geology at the University of Peshawar. He had been selected as the vice-chancellor of the Fata University by the Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan.[1] He became the director of the National Centre of Excellence in Geology at the University of Peshawar in 2013 and served there for more than 34 years.

Mohammad Tahir Shah
Born	(1956-07-20) 20 July 1956 Sirikot, Pakistan, Pakistan
Nationality	Pakistani
Citizenship	Pakistan
Alma mater	University of Peshawar University of South Carolina University of Nevada University of Leicester
Known for	Geological research in understanding the genesis of the various types of rocks, mineral deposits (especially Lead Zinc, Copper and Manganese) and gemstones in the northern parts of Pakistan. He has carried out research in the field of Environmental Geology.
Awards	Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (2014) Izaz-I-Fazeelat (2001) Gold Medal of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (2005) Earth Scientist of the Year (1994) Productivity Awards (2003–2005) and (2009–2013)
Scientific career
Fields	Geology, geochemistry, economic geology, mineral exploration and environmental geology
Institutions	FATA University National Centre of Excellence in Geology
Doctoral advisor	John W. Shervais

Dr. Mohammad Tahir Shah has made contributions to science and technology both nationally and internationally by convening/organizing two international and four national level conferences/workshops and have participated and delivered talks in large number of national and international conferences mainly in the United States, UK, Italy, Austria, China, Bangkok, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

He remained the principal and co-principal investigator of several national and international projects worth more than 10 million Rs. and also remained the project director of a national-level project.

Shah has carried out extensive geological research in understanding the genesis of the various types of rocks, mineral deposits (especially lead, zinc, copper, and manganese) and gemstones in the northern parts of Pakistan. He supervised an international collaborative project of exploration for source rock for gold and precious metals in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. He has also established state of the art geochemistry laboratory in the National Centre of Excellence in Geology,[2] whereby analysis of rocks, minerals, soil, plants, and water are carried out through sophisticated instruments. The researchers throughout Pakistan acquired geochemical data from this laboratory for their national and international publications. For the last several years he has developed an interest in the environmental problems of the country and has researched in the field of Environmental Geology. Shah has remained a teacher at the University of Peshawar.[3]

Education and life

Mohammad Tahir Shah was born in the village in Sirikot, Ghazil Tehsil, Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 20 July 1956. He got his primary education from his village Sirikot, higher secondary education from the Central Model School located in Mianwali in 1972 and intermediate from the Islamia College Peshawar in 1975. He obtained B.Sc. (Hons) Geology in 1978 and MSc Geology from the Department of Geology, the University of Peshawar in 1981. He was appointed as a Research Associate (BS-17)Mohammad Tahir Shah was born in the village in Sirikot, Ghazil Tehsil, Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 20 July 1956. He got his primary education from his village Sirikot, higher secondary education from the Central Model School located in Mianwali in 1972 and intermediate from the Islamia College Peshawar in 1975. He obtained B.Sc. (Hons) Geology in 1978 and MSc Geology from the Department of Geology, the University of Peshawar in 1981. He was appointed as a Research Associate (BS-17) in the National Centre of Excellence in Geology,[2] University of Peshawar[3] in 1982. In 1986, he received the first M.Phil. degree in Geology from the University of Peshawar. Shah won the Thomas Jefferson Ph.D. scholarship and proceeded to the University of South Carolina, Columbia (USA) in 1987 and returned to Pakistan, after completing his Ph.D., in 1991. He was promoted to assistant professor (1992–1995), associate professor (1995–2002), professor (2009), and tenured professor (2009–2016).

Academic career

In recognition of Shah's research contributions in the field of earth and environmental sciences, the President of Pakistan awarded him Civil Award (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz) in the field of science on the eve of 14 August 2014. He was also awarded the Presidential Award (Izaz-I-Fazeelat) on the eve of 14 August 2001. He is the recipient of the Gold Medal of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences[4] for his research in 2005. The Pakistan Book Foundation awarded him the Earth Scientist of the year award for his publications in the Earth Sciences in the year 1994–95. He was also awarded IUCN 2001 Environmental award in Academia by SPCS, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He has been awarded Productivity Awards on his international papers for the years 2003–2005 and 2009–2013. He is listed in the directory Productive Scientists of Pakistan published by the Pakistan Council of Science and Technology, Islamabad in 2011–2014. He has also received the Star Laureate award and Zafar H. Zaidi Gold Medal for the year 2006 by the South Asia Publications (SAP) in recognition of his credentials par excellence in the field of education.

Shah has been and is a member of the boards of studies of various universities, including the University of Peshawar, University of Haripur, Benazir Women University, Quaid-i-Azam University, University of Sargodha, AJK University, University of Poonch, and COMSAT Institute of IT, Abbottabad, and Islamabad. He is a member of the Board of Faculty of the University of Swabi, the Board of Directors of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Oil and Gas Company (Ltd) and the Board of Governors of the Centre of Excellence in Mineralogy, University of Baluchistan. Shah remained a member of the Ph.D. Review Committee and the National Curriculum Revision Committee of the HEC, Islamabad. He is the chief-editor of the HEC recognized Journal of Himalayan Earth Sciences[5] and also remained the Sub-Editor of the Journal of Science & Technology, University of Peshawar. Shah has also won the prestigious Fulbright (1999–2000) and Commonwealth (2000–2001) Post-Doctoral fellowships and has carried out Post-Doctoral research at the University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, U.S., and University of Leicester, UK, respectively. He remained the senior vice president of the National Geological Society of Pakistan (2006–2008).

Awards

• Civil Award (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz) was awarded by the President of Pakistan in the field of science on the eve of 14 August 2014 and the medal was decorated on me by the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Sardar Mehtab Amed Khan Abbasi, on 23 March 2015 in a ceremony held in the Governor house.
• Received Presidential award (Izaz-I-Fazeelat) on academic distinction from President of Pakistan in 2001.
• Received the PAS Gold Medal 2005 from the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Government of Pakistan in recognition of the outstanding research in the field of Earth Sciences on 24 December 2005.
• Received Earth Scientist of the year 1994–1995 award from National Book Foundation, Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan.
• Received the Star Laureate award and Zafar H. Zaidi Gold Medal for the year 2006 from the South Asia Publications (SAP) in recognition of my credentials par excellence in the field of education and my name has been included in the SAP's prestigious profile book Who's Who in Pakistan.
• Received Research Productivity award for years 2003–2005 and 2011–2013 from the Council of Science and Technology, Government of Pakistan.
• Received Research Excellence award 2011 from the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar.
• Received the IUCN-Environmental Award in academia for the year 2000–2001 from the Sarhad Provincial Conservation strategy (SPCS).
• Received Commonwealth Post-Doctoral Fellowship award for the year 2000–2001 and completed one-year research at the University of Leicester, UK.
• Earned Fulbright Post-Doctoral Fellowship award for the year 1999–2000 and completed nine months Fulbright tenure at the University of Nevada, Reno, USA.
• Received Honorary Citizenship of the city of Memphis, Tennessee (USA) and a key to the city (1988)
• Received Honorary Memphis City Councilman, Tennessee (U.S.) (1988).
• Received USAID Thomas Jefferson Fellowship award for four years for the completion of doctoral research at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, U.S.

Honors

• Selected as a member of the Board of Faculty of Sciences, University of Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (2015–2018).
• Got top position consecutively in 2011–2014 in the field of Earth Sciences as mentioned in the Book Productive Scientists of Pakistan published by the Pakistan Council of Science and Technology, Islamabad.
• Selected as a member of the Departmental Tenure Review Committee (DTRC) of the Department of Geography, the University of Peshawar on March 19, 2015.
• Selected as a member of the Board of Studies of Geology, University of Poonch, Rawalakot, Azad Jummu and Kashmir (September 2014)
• Selected as a member of the Board of Studies of Geology Department, University of Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, (September 2014)
• Selected as a member of the Board of Directors of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Oil and Gas Company Limited (KP OGCL) (May 2014)
• Selected as a member of the Board of Studies of the Department of Earth Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad (January 2014)
• Selected as a member of the Committee for Revision of Research Productivity Award by the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology, Islamabad, (2013).
• Selected as a member of the Ph.D. Review Committee for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan Region by the Higher Education Commission, Islamabad (January 4, 2013.
• Working as Reviewing Editor of the International Journal of Environmental Geotechnics.
• Working as Chief-Editor of the Journal of Himalayan Earth Sciences, University of Peshawar.
• Remained sub-Editor of the Journal of Science and Technology, University of Peshawar.
• Selected as a member of the Board of Studies of Department of Environmental Sciences, of COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad (January 2012).
• Selected as a member of the Board of Studies of Department of Meteorology, of COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad for (August 2011).
• Shortlisted for an interview by the Search Committee for the position of Vice-Chancellor of Hazara University (2010).
• Selected as member Expert working Group on Development of Mineral Wealth for 10th Five-year plan 2010–15 by the Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan (August 2009).
• Nominated as a subject expert by HEC on the Board of Governors of Centre of Excellence in Mineralogy, Quetta (January 2009).
• Selected as a member of the Steering Committee of the project PC-11 Source rock mapping and investigation for hydrocarbon in FATA (August 2008).
• Nominated as a member of the National Curriculum Revision Committee on Geology by the Higher Education Commission, Islamabad (March 2008)
• Elected as the Senior Vice President of the National Geological Society of Pakistan for the years 2006 to 2008.
• Selected as a member of the Board of Faculties of Social Sciences of the Frontier Women University, Peshawar (March 2007).
• Selected as a member of the Advisory Committee for Development of Chromite and Gypsum in NWFP and FATA by the Industries and Mineral Division, NWFP (August 2007).
• Remained a member of the Board of Studies of (1) Applied Geology of the Institute of Geology University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, (2) Department of Geology, University of Peshawar, (3) Department of Earth Sciences, University of Sargodha and (4) Centre for Pure and Applied Geology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro.
• Selected as a member of the Peshawar University Reform Committee for Examination.
• Elected as Treasurer of Pakistan Student Association, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA for two years (1989–1991).
• First M.Phil Post-graduate in Geology from the University of Peshawar in 1986.

References

1. "Tahir Shah selected for Fata varsity VC slota". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
2. ":: National Centre of Excellence in Geology (NCEG) online". Retrieved 20 July 2016.
3. UoP, CITS. "University of Peshawar". University of Peshawar. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
4. "Pakistan Academy of Science | Promoting Science, Technology and Innovation for Socio-economic development". www.paspk.org. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
5. "Journal of Himalayan Earth Sciences". Journal of Himalayan Earth Sciences. 20 July 2016.