Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
Why Get Your Master's in Civil Engineering at Columbia?
Columbia Engineering provides a rigorous Ivy League education in an atmosphere charged with innovation in the heart of a dynamic global city.
As a student here, you’ll benefit from:
- New York City
A great variety of construction and infrastructure projects are happening right here. You’ll have a wealth of opportunities to see the principles you’re studying in action and connect with professionals at the forefront of the industry. Some of the world’s top companies in civil engineering are directly involved with our MS program through teaching specialized courses, providing internships, and offering opportunities for independent research.
- Faculty Who Are Leaders in the Field
Join a department full of scholars who aren’t just teaching you principles but pioneering their application through research in areas like advanced materials, computational mechanics, geotechnical engineering, multi-hazard risk assessment and mitigation, and transportation engineering.
- Incredible Program Breadth
Get the preparation you need for your unique career path. With 13 distinct concentrations, we have a curriculum that will match your interests and ambitions.
- Outstanding Facilities
Access the most advanced equipment and lab spaces to explore course concepts, develop your research abilities, and gain confidence with cutting-edge technology and techniques. Our Strength of Materials Laboratory is the largest on campus and incorporates labs for Soil Mechanics, Hydrologic Research, Structural Deterioration Research, Sustainable Engineering and Materials, and more.
Research Areas
- Environmental Engineering
- Wind Engineering
- Smart Cities (Infrastructure)
- Sustainable Infrastructure
- Computational Mechanics
- Turbulence
- Fluid Mechanics
Additional Information
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Professional Experience
- Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics (2018 – present)
- Amazon Visiting Academic, Amazon.com Inc., Amazon Prime Air (2020 — present)
- Senior Research Scientist, Amazon.com Inc., Amazon Prime Air (2018 — 2020)
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Professional Affiliations
- American Society of Civil Engineers
- American Geophysical Union
- American Meteorological Society
- American Physical Society
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Honors & Awards
- National Science Foundation Early Career Program Award (2024)
- Young Investigator Award, Office of Naval Research (2023)
- Early Career Program Award, Army Research Office (2022)
- Provost Diversity Award, Columbia University (2021)
- Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Center for Turbulence Research, Stanford University (2017)
- EDME Award for the Best PhD Thesis in Mechanics at École Polytechnique
- Fédérale de Lausanne (2016)
- Best Presentation Award, 9th International Conference on Urban Climate, 12th Symposium on the Urban Environment (2016)
- Outstanding Student Paper Award, American Geophysical Union General Assembly Conference (2014)
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Education
- PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
- PhD, Civil Engineering, University of Florence and Braunschweig TU University
- MS, Civil Engineering, University of Padova
- BS, Civil Engineering, University of Padova
Research Areas
- Structural Engineering
- Sustainable Infrastructure
- Dynamics and Vibrations
- Solid Mechanics
- Computational Mechanics
- Dynamic Behavior of Structures
- Mechanics of Advanced Materials
- Multiscale Modeling and Simulation
- Nonlinear Mechanics
- Soft Materials Mechanics
- Biomechanics
- Fracture and Damage Mechanics
- Finite Element Methods
- Multiphysics Problems
- Design and Topology Optimization
- Scientific and Parallel Computing
Additional information
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Professional Experience
- Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, 2013–
- Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, 2008–2013
- Senior Research Scientist, Global Engineering and Materials, Inc., 2007-2008
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Professional Affiliations
- United States Association for Computational Mechanics (USACM)
- International Association for Computational Mechanics (IACM)
- Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
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Honors & Awards
- EMI Leonardo Da Vinci Award, ASCE-Engineering Mechanics Institute, 2014
- Best Paper Award, ASCE International Workshop on Computing in Civil Engineering, 2013
- Early Career Award, Department of Energy, 2012
- Finalist, Robert J. Melosh medal competition in Finite Element Analysis, 2006
- Best Paper Award, 10th Copper Mountain Conference on Iterative Methods, 2006
- Best Paper Award, 12th Copper Mountain Conference on Multigrid Methods, 2005
Research Areas
- Safety & Reliability
- Structural Engineering
- Resilience and Risk Analysis
- Smart Cities (Infrastructure)
- Dynamics and Vibrations
- Solid Mechanics
- Computational Mechanics
- Dynamic Behavior of Structures
- Nonlinear Mechanics
- Stochastic Response Analysis
- Reliability Assessment
- Optimization
- Uncertainty Modeling
- Uncertainty Propagation
- Time-Frequency Analysis
- Wavelets
- High-Dimensional Data Analysis
- Sparse Representations
- Compressive Sampling
Additional information
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Professional Experience
- Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, 2019 - present
- Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, 2014 – 2019
- Lecturer in Uncertainty and Engineering, University of Liverpool, UK, 2011-2014
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Honors & Awards
- Early Achievement Research Award, International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability (IASSAR), 2025
- Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2024
- CAREER Awardee, National Science Foundation (NSF), 2018-2024
- Junior Research Prize, European Assoc. of Structural Dynamics (EASD), 2014
- Associate Editor, ASCE-ASME J. Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems
- Editorial Board Member, Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing
- Editorial Board Member, Probabilistic Engineering Mechanics
- Editorial Board Member, Int. J. Non-Linear Mechanics
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Education
- PhD, Civil Engineering, Rice University
- MS, Civil Engineering, Rice University
- Diploma, Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens
Research Areas
- Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment and Mitigation
- Safety & Reliability
- Structural Engineering
- Resilience and Risk Analysis
- Sustainable Infrastructure
- Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation
Additional information
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Professional Experience
- Vice Dean for Research, School of Engineering and Applied Science, 2024 – present, Columbia University.
- Santiago and Robertina Calatrava Family Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, 2007 – present, Columbia University.
- Interim Chair of Earth and Environmental Engineering, July 2023 – December 2023, Columbia University.
- Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering, 2022 – present, Columbia University.
- Department Chair of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, 2013 – 2019, Columbia University.
- Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, 2002 – 2007, Columbia University. Associate
- Professor (with tenure) of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, January 2002 – June 2002, Columbia University.
- Associate Professor (with tenure) of Civil Engineering, 1997 – 2001, Princeton University.
- Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, 1991 – 1997, Princeton University.
- Research Associate, 1988 – 1991, Princeton University.
- Post-Doctoral Research Scientist, June 1987 – January 1988, Columbia University.
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Honors & Awards
- Distinguished Research Award, International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability, 2025.
- Alfred M. Freudenthal Medal, American Society of Civil Engineers, 2024.
- American Society of Civil Engineers, Distinguished Member, 2023.
- Engineering Mechanics Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Fellow, 2014.
- Society of Columbia Graduates Great Teacher Award, Columbia University, 2011.
- Columbia University’s Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching, 2009.
- Columbia University’s Engineering School Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award, 2003.
- Princeton University's E-Council Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2001.
- American Society of Civil Engineers Walter Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize, 1998.
- International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability Junior Research Prize, 1997.
- Princeton University's President's Award for Distinguished Teaching, 1995.
- National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award, 1992.
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Education
- PhD, 1987, Civil Engineering, Columbia University.
- MS, 1984, Civil Engineering, Columbia University.
- Diploma, 1982, Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens.
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Professional Affiliations
- American Society of Civil Engineers
- International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability
Additional Information
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Professional Experience
- Dean of Engineering and Sciences Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico, July 2023 - Present
- Executive Director Center for Buildings, Infrastructure and Public Space, Columbia University, September 2018 – Present
- Edwin Howard Armstrong Professor, Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Columbia University, September 2012 – Present
- Professor, Department of Computer Science Columbia University, July 2009 – Present
- Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering Columbia University, July 2009 – Present
- Visiting Professor, Nankai University, China, September 2017 – present
- Visiting Professor Tsinghua University, China, July 2013 – present
- Visiting Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Cambridge University, UK, March 2014
- Visiting Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Manchester University, UK, March 2014
- Visiting Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Salford University, UK, March 2014
- Guest Professor, Guizhou Institute of Technology, China, July 2013
- Visiting Professor, UIUC, July 2009 – July 2012
- Professor, Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, of Earth and Environmental Engineering, of Computer Science, Columbia University, July 2009–September 2012
- Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Columbia University, July 2009 – July 2012
- Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor of Engineering, Columbia University July 2009 – July 2012
- Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Endowed Professor, UIUC, January 2008 - July 2009
- Associate Provost, UIUC, January 2008 - July 2009
- Faculty Affiliate, Beckman/UIUC, January 2008 - July 2009
- Center Affiliate, NCSA/UIUC, August 2006 - July 2009
- Professor, UIUC, August 2006 - July 2009
- Senior Associate Dean, UIUC, January 2007 - May 2007
- Associate Provost Fellow, UIUC, August 2006 -December 2007
- Visiting Professor, Loughborough University, July 2006 - July 2007
- Visiting Professor, EPFL, July 2006
- W. E. O’Neil Faculty Scholar, UIUC, June 2003 - January 2008
- Associate Professor, UIUC, June 2003 - August 2006
- Visiting Associate Professor, UIUC, August 2002 - June 2003
- Visitor, University of Sydney, August 1999
- Associate Professor, MIT, July 1999 - June 2003
- IESL Co-Director, MIT, September 1996 - June 2003
- Gilbert W. Winslow Career Development Chair, MIT, September 1996-Sept. 1998
- Assistant Professor, MIT, July 1995 - July 1999
- Postdoctoral Associate, MIT(Central Artery), September 1994 - June 1995
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Professional Affiliations
- American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE)
- National Academy of Construction
- Chartered Institute of Building
- Academia de Ciencias de la República Dominicana
- Colegio Dominicano de Ingenieros, Arquitectos y Agrimensores (CODIA)
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Honors & Awards
- American Society of Civil Engineers President's Medal, 2024
- Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, 2023
- Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, 2020
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Peurifoy Construction Research Award, 2018
- High-End Foreign Expert Program – Short Term, Beijing State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (Awarded but not Undertaken), 2018
- Thousand Talents Program – Short Term from Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs (Awarded but not Undertaken), 2018
- Member of the U.S. National Academy of Construction, 2016
- Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic, 2016
- CIOB (Chartered Institute of Buildings) International Outstanding Achievement Awards: Business Management, 2016
- ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering Best Peer Reviewed Paper Award, 2015
- ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering Best Journal Paper Award, 2014
- ASCE Construction Management Award, 2014
- High-End Foreign Expert Program – Short Term, Beijing State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs; 2014 Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building, 2014
- ASCE James R. Croes Medal, 2013
- International Conference in Construction Engineering and Project Management Best Paper Award, 2013
- ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering Best Paper award, 2012
- ASCE Visualization, Information Modeling, and Simulation (VIMS) Committee; Best Conference Paper Award, 2012
- ASCE Construction Research Congress; First-Place Best Poster Award, 2012
- ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management Best Journal Paper Award, 2011
- FIATECH Celebration of Engineering & Technology Innovation Award Outstanding Researcher Category, 2011
- ICCEPM-2011, Sydney, Australia Excellent Paper Award, 2011
- Construction Industry Institute's Annual Conference; Best Poster Award by Ph.D. Student, 2010
- 6th International Conference on Innovation in AEC, State College, PA; Best Student Paper Award for Ph.D. Student, 2010
- Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professorship, 2009
- ASCE Computing in Civil Engineering Award, 2008
- Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Endowed Professor, 2008
- Member, National Academies Committee on Advancing the Productivity and Competitiveness of the U.S. Construction Industry, 2008
- Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research, 2007
- Dean's Distinguished Lecture, Rice University, 2004
- Plenary Speaker, National Academies Convocation on Facilitation Interdisciplinary Research, 2004
- Caterpillar Lecture, University of Iowa (distinguished), 2003
- Keynote Speaker, ASCE 2003 Convention, Information Technology in Civil Engineering Conference, 2003
- Plenary Speaker, National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, 2003
- W. E. O'Neil Faculty Scholar, 2003-2007
- White House PECASE Award, 1999-2003
- NSF CAREER Award, 1999-2003
- Cordell W. Hull New Initiatives in Engineering Education Award, 1998-1999
- Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation Fellowship, 1997-1998
- James H. Ferry Fund Award, 1997-1998
- Gilbert W. Winslow Career Development Chair, 1996-1998
- ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering Best Paper Award, 1995
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Education
- ScD Civil Engineering Systems MIT 1994
- SM Civil Engineering MIT 1991
- Post-Graduate Civil Engineering (Magna Cum Laude) UNPHU 1988
- BS Civil Engineering (Magna Cum Laude) UNPHU 1987
Research Areas
- Computational Science and Engineering
- Advanced Materials
Additional Information
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Professional Experience
- The Carleton Professor of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, 2011-
- Chair, Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, 2020-2023
- Director, Multiscale Science and Engineering Center at Columbia University, 2011-
- Founder and President, Multiscale Design Systems, LLC., 2007-15
- Director, Multiscale Science and Engineering Center at RPI, 2006-10
- The Redfern Professor of Engineering, Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering (MANE) and Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), RPI., 2006-10
- Professor, (MANE) and (CEE), RPI. 1198-2010
- Visiting Chair Professor, Ecole Normale Superieure de Cachan, France, 2001
- Associate Professor, CEE and MANE (joint), RPI., 1994-98
- Research Engineer, Methods Development Group, Aircraft Industries, Israel, 1984-86
- Structural Engineer, Civil Engineering Consulting, Inc., Tel-Aviv, Israel., 1982-84
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Professional Affiliations
- Editor-in-Chief, International Journal Multiscale Computational Engineering, 2002-
- Editor, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Eng., 2008-
- Area Editor, Thermopedia, 2008-
- Editorial Board Member, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Eng., 2001-
- Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Computational Eng. Science, 2003-
- Editorial Board Member, Computer Methods in Applied Mech. and Eng., 2005-
- Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Computational Methods, 2005-
- Vice President, International Association for Computational Mechanics, 2018-
- Past President, U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics, 2002 – 2006
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Honors & Awards
- John von Neumann Medal, US Association for Computational Mechanics, 2021.
- Grand Prize, Japan Society for Computational Engineering and Science, 2019.
- Computational Mechanics Award, International Association for Comp. Mechanics, 2010.
- Fellow, American Academy of Mechanics, 2007.
- Ted Belytschko Medal, US Association for Computational Mechanics, 2005.
- Rensselaer School of Engineering Research Award, 2003.
- Fellow, International Association for Computational Mechanics, 2001.
- Fellow, US Association for Computational Mechanics, 2000.
- Best Paper Award, ASME, International Computers in Engineering Conf., 1995.
- Best Paper Award, AIAA/SDM Conference, 1993.
- Young Investigator Award, National Science Foundation Presidential, 1992.
Research Areas
- Solid Mechanics
- Dynamic Behavior of Structures
- Mechanics of Advanced Materials
- Soft Materials Mechanics
Additional Information
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Professional Experience
- Associate Professor, Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, NewYork, NY (01/2022 – present)
- Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of SouthCarolina, Columbia, SC (8/2017 – 01/2022)
- Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (8/2011 - 8/2017)
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Research Experience
- Summer Visiting Researcher, Sandia National Laboratory (May 21 – June 14, 2012)
- Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Graduate Aerospace Laboratories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (2009 - 2011)
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Professional Affiliations
- Associate Editor: Mechanics of Materials (Jan 2022 -present)
- Member: Society of Experimental Mechanics (SEM), (2007-present)
- Member: American Society of Composites (ASC) (2011-present)
- Member: American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) (2011-present)
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Honors and Awards
- Carnegie Africa Diaspora Fellow, June 2022-August 2023
- Fulbright U.S. Scholar, Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, Ethiopia 2019/2020
- The Peterson Award, SEM’s Best Paper Award for the Journal of Dynamic Behavior of Materials, SEM, 2018
- The James W. Dally Young Investigator Award, the Society for Experimental Mechanics, 2018.
- 2018 Breakthrough Star, Office of the Vice President for Research, University of South Carolina, 2018
- Young Investigator Research Award, College of Engineering and Computing, the University of South Carolina, 2017
- ORR Early Career Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Materials Division, 2016
- Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) Award, U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), 2014
- Haythornthwaite Research Initiation Grants, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Applied Mechanics Division, 2013
Research Areas
- Geotechnical Engineering
Additional Information
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Professional Experience
- Professor, Columbia University, 2007-
- Visiting Associate Professor, Harvard University, January-June 2006
- Associate Professor, Columbia University, 2000 – 2007
- Assistant Professor, Columbia University, 1998-1999
- Visiting Assistant Professor, Research Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor, University of Delaware, 1994 – 1998
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Professional Affiliations
- Editor-In-Chief: Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology (2013-, with Jonathan Wu)
- Associate Editor, ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmnetal Engineering (2011-)
- Member of Editorial Board, Journal of Earthquake and Tsunami (2006-)
- Member of Editorial Board, Journal of Geoengineering, Taiwan Geotechnical Society (2011-)
- Geosynthetics Committee, Geo-Institute, American Society of Civil Engineers (1998-)
- Poromechanics Committee, Engineering Mechanics Institute, ASCE (2002-)
- Secretary, ASCE Met Section Engineering Mechanics Committee (2011-)
- Public Relation Committee, International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (2011-)
- Technical Committee 101, ISSMGE-Laboratory Stress Strength Testing of Geomaterials (2011-)
- Technical Committee 305, ISSMGE-Geotechnical Infrastructure for Megacities and New Capitals (2014-)
- Committee of Inelastic Behavior, Engineering Mechanics Institute, ASCE (2002-)
- Member, American Society of Civil Engineers, ASCE (ID No. 289040)
- Member, International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
- Member, International Geosynthetics Society (membership #8856)
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Honors and Awards
- IGS Award, Highest Award from International Geosynthetics Society, Berlin, Germany, 2014
- Career Award, National Science Foundation, 2001-2006
- L.N. Gumilyov Honorary Medal, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana, Kazakhstan, 2015
- Best Paper Award (with Toshinori Kawabata), Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology, 2016
- Best Paper Award (with Dov Leshchinsky), Transportation Infrastructure Geotechnology, 2014
- Honorary Professor, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, Shijiazhuang, China, 2014
- Aitalyev Medal, Kazakhstan Geotechnical Society, 2013
- Best Paper Award (one of top 3 papers), Geotextiles and Geomembranes, Official Journal of International Geosynthetics Society, 2011
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Education
- PhD, Civil Engineering, University of Tokyo
- MS, Civil Engineering, University of Tokyo
- BS, Civil Engineering, Kyoto University
Additional information
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Professional Experience
- Manager, Robert A. W. Carleton Strength of Materials Laboratory, 2008-2017
- Director, Robert A.W. Carleton Strength of Materials Laboratory, 2017-present
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Professional Affiliations
- American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) – Member
- Materials Research Society (MRS) – Member
- Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) – Member
- International Association For Bridge And Structural Engineering (IABSE) – Fellow
- ASTM International – Member
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory SNS+HFIR – User
- Los Alamos National Laboratory LANSCE – Executive Committee (LUG) Member
- Neutron Scattering Society of America (NSSA) – President
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Education
- PhD, Civil Engineering, Columbia University
- MS, Civil Engineering, Columbia University
- BS, Civil Engineering, Columbia University
Research Areas
- Integrated Computational Materials Engineering
Additional Information
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Honors & Awards
- NSF CAREER Award, 2022
- AIAA SciTech ICME Award, 2022
- 2021 ASC/DEStech Young Composites Researcher Award, 2021
- UMass Lowell Award for Faculty Mentoring Faculty, 2020
- AIAA SciTech ICME Award, 2020
- AFOSR YIP Award, 22020
- University of Massachusetts Lowell Teaching Excellence Award, 2017
- Top three “Aldo Muggia Best Thesis Award”, 2012
- Italian Engineering Licence (Aerospace Engineering, December 2011
- Student Ambassador at G8 University Summit in Turin, May 2009
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Research Experience
- Postdoctoral Research Associate, William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
- Postdoctoral Research Associate, Aerospace Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (MI)
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Professional Experience
- Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell (MA)
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Professional Affiliations
- American Society for Composites Conference Chair, Boston 2023
- AIAA SciTech 2021-2023 Materials TC Deputy Rep, AIAA SciTech 2023 Materials TC Deputy
- Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures (MAMS), since April 2023
- Editorial Board Member of the International for Multiscale Compurational Engineering, since September 2017
- Member of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Materials Technical Committee, since January 2017
Research Areas
- Engineering Mathematics
- Continuum Mechanics
- Bio-Morphometry
Additional Information
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Professional Experience
- Faculty member, Columbia University since 1977
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Professional Affiliations
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- International Mathematica Symposium (IMS)