He is a former Professor and Head, Civil Engineering Department, PEC University, Chandigarh with a brilliant academic record. He graduated from IIT Kharagpur obtaining his B.Tech (Hons) in Civil Engineering. He also did his M.Sc. (Engineering) with distinction from Punjab University and completed his Ph.D. in record time.
Dr. Sharma then joined Punjab Engineering College (currently PEC University of Technology), Chandigarh as Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering and rose to the highest position of Professor in a span of just eight years. He has to his credit a teaching experience of more than thirty years both at the under graduate and post graduate levels. He was deputed by the Government of India on foreign assignment in Iraq for five years, where he was instrumental in setting up a Post Graduate Department in Irrigation and Hydraulic Engineering at the University of Sulaimaniya in Iraq. 
Dr. Sharma has published a number of research papers both at the national and international levels and has guided a large number of students for their M.E degrees as well as Ph.Ds. He is also a renowned author of a number of text books in civil engineering, which have been highly appreciated both in India and abroad and is also a fellow of the Institution of Engineers, India.