Abbas Khodayari (PhD, Candidate):Abbas Khodayari is a PhD candidate with a focus on structural engineering at FIU. He received his M.Sc. in Structural Engineering from Sharif University of  Technology in 2015 and B.Sc. from Sharif University of Technology in 2012. His Master’s thesis was focused on seismic behavior of split-level structures with semi-rigid connections. He started his PhD in Civil Engineering in 2018.

Abid Hossain (PhD, Student): Mr. Hossain is a Graduate Research Assistant at FIU joined in Spring 2021. He completed his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 2017. After graduation, he was an Executive Engineer for three years with Orion Group, a leading construction company in Bangladesh where he applied practical knowledge on construction techniques using for  design and management. His research interests are in Transportation Planning, Construction Management, Asset Management and Data Analysis. At present, he is working on the ABC-UTC research project “Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) in Retrofitting Techniques for ABC Projects” under supervision of Dr. Carlos M. Chang.

Ali Bakhtiari (PhD, Candidate): Ali Bakhtiari is a graduate research assistant at FIU. He graduated with a MS in Structural Engineering in 2016 from Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran. He also received his BS in Civil Engineering from Sharif University of Technology in 2012. His MS research project focused on the importance of over strength factor in inelastic behavior of soil-structure systems. He started his PhD in Civil Engineering in 2018. He is currently working on the ABC-UTC research project “A Predictive Computer Program for Proactive Demolition Planning” under the supervision of Dr. Seung Jae Lee.

Ali Javed (PhD, Candidate): Ali Javed is a graduate research assistant at FlU with the focus in structural engineering. He received his MS degree from The University of Tokyo, Japan in 2017 on scholarship offered by Asian Development Bank. In his MS. research, he focused on experimental and numerical study of non-engineering defects in RC structures in which he performed shaking table test on RC frames with improper rebar splicing defect under seismic loading.  He received the Outstanding Research Award (Furuichi Kimitake Award) in the Department of Civil Engineering during his time at the University of Tokyo. He has also completed Post Graduate Diploma in Structural Engineering from University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan. He completed his BS Civil Engineering from the same university in 2012. During his BS he was awarded with the Exchange Scholarship Program offered by the United States Education Foundation in Pakistan under which he studied a semester of Civil Engineering at Kansas State University, USA. He has worked as bridge engineer on Highway Project, Srilanka which involves construction of multi span bridges in the hilly terrain of Srilanka. He is also an active Associate member of the American society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and member of Japanese society of Civil Engineers (JSCE).

Carlos Sosa (PhD, Candidate): Carlos Sosa is a PhD Candidate at FIU with a focus in structural engineering. He received his MS in Structural Engineering from Pontifical Catholic University of Peru in 2014 and BS in National University of San Agustine in 2005, both from Peru. In his Master’s program his research project was focused on development and experimental assessment of a new reinforcement system for earthen constructions. He started his PhD in Civil Engineering in 2018. Currently, he is working on the ABC-UTC research project under the supervision of Dr. Atorod Azizinamini.

Manuel Escobar (Masters): Manuel is a graduate research assistant at Florida International University in Miami, FL. After earning his bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering in his native country, Manuel decided to pursue his passion for robotics by enrolling in the master’s program in the same discipline as well. As a researcher, he focuses on the study of bridge inspection with autonomous drones in GPS deprived environments under the supervision of Research Scientist, Anthony Abrahao. His major task consists of developing an adaptive drone that can attach and drive under bridges and use visual capabilities to inspect autonomously. Drones’ navigation in GPS deprived environments are currently a state-of-the-art topic in many universities, representing ABC-UTC commitment to broaden the barriers of knowledge. Manuel has future plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Robotics in the near future.

Mansoureh “Suri” Shahabi Ghahfarokhi (PhD, Student): Mansoureh is a graduate research assistant at Florida International University in Miami, FL. She received her master’s degree in Civil Engineering-Structural Engineering in 2009 and her bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering-Civil in 2005 from Isfahan University of Technology in Iran. Her MS research project focused on developing MATLAB codes to implement the finite strip method for studying the Elastic buckling of curved plates with different boundary conditions and longitudinal stiffened plates. She worked for over 10 years before returning to academia as a structural designer of complex steel and concrete structures like the 4th largest shopping mall in the world, which is called Isfahan City Center (www.isfahancitycenter.com). She has started her PhD in Structural Engineering in 2022 at FIU, to work under the supervision of Dr. Azizinamini to conduct research studies related to bridge engineering.

Md Nizamul Hoque Mojumder (PhD, Candidate): Md Nizamul Hoque is a PhD Candidate majoring in Transportation Engineering in the  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Florida International University. He has completed his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). After gaining three years of industrial experience and two years of academic experience he continued his research work at the Florida International University. Nizamul spends his leisure time by playing badminton and cricket.

Richard Morgan Dickinson (PhD, Candidate): Morgan Dickinson, PE, is a PhD student at FIU. He graduated with an MSCE degree in Geotechnical Engineering at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL in 1980. He graduated with his BSCE degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, in 1978.He has over 40 years of experience as a consulting engineer providing geotechnical engineering, construction engineering and inspection, construction material testing and engineering management. He has managed operations for engineering firms and large projects. He has worked on numerous bridge, roadway and airport projects including the recently completed Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Runway Expansion project featuring a bridge supporting the runway over a US highway and FEC railway. He supervised inspection and testing services for the new Hard Rock Casino 32-story hotel distinctively shaped as a guitar. He was an adjunct professor at FIU, teaching geotechnical engineering and project scheduling/estimating.

Muhammad Faheem Ud Din Afzal (PhD, Candidate) : Muhammad is a graduate research assistant at Florida International University in Miami, FL. He graduated with a B.sc in Civil Engineering from UET, Lahore in 2011. He then received the Asian Development Scholarship in 2015 to pursue his MSc  in Civil Engineering with major in Structural Engineering from Saitama University, Japan.  He has been working as a Senior Structural Engineer in the premiere consultancy of Pakistan i.e. NESPAK, since 2012. In his Master’s thesis he studied and experimented on a new radar apparatus for the structural health monitoring of a cable stayed bridge. He began pursuing his PhD in Structural Engineering in  January of 2019. Currently, he is working on “Extending Maximum Length of the Folded Steel Plate Girder Bridge System (FSPGBS), exceeding 100 ft. with capability to Incorporate Camber.”

Seyedehnakisa “Nakisa” Haghi ( Ph.D. Student): Nakisa is a Graduate Research Assistant at FIU. She is currently studying her second Ph.D. in Structural Engineering. She received her B.S. from Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, and her first Ph.D. degree from Tehran University of Science and Culture. Her research was focused on developing a new macro model to enable the application of steel-concrete (SC) composite walls to tall buildings and infrastructures. The proposed models can easily be implemented in an engineering computational platform for practical analysis of buildings, to simulate the global response of SC shear walls. Since 2007, Nakisa has been working as a construction supervisor and designer of buildings. From 2011-2018, she held a full-time position as a construction supervisor at Babol Noshirvani University of Technology (BNUT).  From 2018- 2021, she worked as a member of the structural laboratory at BNUT. She is the reviewer of the Journal of Structures and Scientia Iranica.

Nasim Mohamadiazar (PhD, Candidate): Nasim is a Ph.D. candidate and a graduate research assistant in the Department of Civil Engineering at Florida International University with broad interests in advanced GIS-based hydrologic modeling and applying green infrastructure to the management of stormwater runoff. She received her MS degree in Civil and Water Resources Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Iran. Her past work looked at measuring and identifying the economic and private benefits of reallocation of transboundary water, agricultural revolution, and services. Also, she investigated identifying solutions to water resource management problems facing human activities (e.g., farming complex, or agricultural services). As part of her current research, Nasim focuses on integrated flood and socio-environmental risk assessment and multi-criteria decision analysis.

Nerma Caluk (PhD, Candidate): Nerma Caluk is a graduate research assistant at FIU with focus in structural engineering. She has completed her BS in Civil Engineering at Florida International University in 2018, as a student athlete, receiving the Outstanding Graduate Award in Civil Engineering. She obtained her MS degree in Structural Engineering at FIU in 2020. During her MS at FIU, she was working under supervision of Dr. Azizinamini and conducted her own research project on the implementation of Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) in precast shell elements for circular bridge columns for Accelerated Bridge Construction. She has started her PhD in Structural Engineering in Summer 2020 at FIU, continuing to work under supervision of Dr. Azizinamini, while also being an active member of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Piyush Pradhananga (PhD, Candidate): Piyush is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Florida International University (FIU). Piyush holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Tribhuwan University (TU). Following his graduation in 2016, he joined a leading real estate corporation in Nepal as the project engineer working on a multi-million dollar project. He later joined a research firm based in London where he worked as an Engineering Graduate Researcher. Piyush is currently a Graduate Research Assistant at the Moss School of Construction, Sustainability, and Infrastructure at FIU where he focuses on multidisciplinary research that harmonizes sustainability in construction. His research interests include Sustainable Construction, Construction Safety, Engineering Education, Robotics and AI-based construction, Circular Economy, and Sustainable Infrastructure and Resilience for Disasters & Extreme Weather.

Sepehr Faridmarandi (PhD, Student): Sepehr is a PhD student of Structural Engineering at FIU since 2021. He received his MS in Structural Engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology in 2016 and his BS in Civil engineering from Shiraz University in 2011. His master thesis was focused on performance evaluation and optimum seismic retrofitting of reinforced concrete bridges. Sepehr’s research covers experimental testing and analytical modeling of structures.

Seyed Saman Khedmatgozar Dolati (PhD, Candidate): Saman was a graduate research assistant at Florida International University in Miami, FL, with a focus on structural engineering. He graduated with an MS in Structural Engineering in 2019, Iran. During his master’s study, he was the first rank of all civil engineering students with a 4.0 GPA. His MS research project focused on the piers of the bridges and the nonlinear behavior of them in earthquakes. He worked on the design, evaluation, retrofit, and rehabilitation of bridges by using innovative material and energy dissipation systems. He also worked on the design of structures with FRP composite materials. He started his PhD in Civil engineering in 2020. He worked on the ABC-UTC research project “Alternative Materials and Configurations for Prestressed-Precast Concrete Pile Splice Connection” under the supervision of Professor Armin Mehrabi. This research project and development of a Guide are directly applicable to improving pile splice connection design and analysis for ABC projects, including new bridges and replacement of existing bridges.

Sunil Dhakal (PhD, Candidate): Sunil is a Ph.D. candidate in Civil Engineering with a focus on Construction. He received B.S. in Civil Engineering from Kathmandu University, Nepal. He joined Florida International University as a Ph.D. student in Fall 2017. His thesis topic is relevant to disaster resilience and resilient infrastructure systems. He is also working on the ABC-UTC research project on “Understanding Critical Impacting Factors and Trends on Bridge Design, Construction, and Maintenance for Future Planning.”

Gabriel Cerioni (Masters): After graduating with his bachelors in Mechanical Engineering at Florida International University, Gabriel decided to continue in advancing his education by pursuing his master’s degree from his alma mater as well. As a research assistant he is focused on robotics and automation. When he is not bringing machines to life Gabriel enjoys road trips to discover new museums and hiking trails.

Alireza Mohammadi (PhD, 2017):  Alireza Mohammadi received his doctoral degree in structural engineering from FIU in December 2016. He received his MSdegree in earthquake engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Tehran and BS degree from Tabriz University in Iran. He was a structural engineer at Zelzeleh Mohaseb Consulting Engineering Co. for four years before returning to academia. He was involved in several bridge engineering research projects at FIU and assisting with ABC-UTC research and other activities such as organizing monthly webinar and preparing progress reports. His PhD dissertation focused on the dynamic response of high-rise building under wind excitation. He recently joined WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff to start his career in the transportation market sector.

Alireza Valikhani (PhD, 2020):  Alireza Valikhani received his PhD at FIU. He received a MS in structural engineering, earthquake engineering and civil and environmental engineering respectively from University at Buffalo, New York, Sharif University, Tehran and Tehran University, Tehran where he also received a BS in civil engineering from Tabriz University, Tabriz. He has experience of working as structural designer and supervisor in field for four years. For his PhD he worked on new methods of retrofitting bridge structural elements.

Amir Sadeghnejad (PhD, 2021):  Amir Sadeghnejad was a PhD candidate at FIU. He received his MS in Structural Engineering from Sharif University of Technology in 2015 and BS from Sharif University of Technology in 2012. In his Master’s program his research project was focused on seismic behavior of beam-to-column connections. He started his PhD in Civil Engineering in 2016. He worked on the ABC-UTC research project, “Extending Application of SDCL to ABC in Seismic Regions. Phase II- Experimental.” He graduated Spring 2021.

Muhammad Atif Anwer (MS, 2022) : Muhammad Atif was a graduate research assistant and graduated with his MSc in Civil Engineering from Florida International University in Miami, FL in 2022. He graduated with a BSc in Civil Engineering from UET, Taxila in 2013. He then received the  ADB-JSP scholarship in 2016 to pursue his MSc in Civil Engineering with major in Structural Engineering from Saitama University, Japan.  He has been working as a Structural Engineer for National Highways Authority of Pakistan. In his Master’s thesis he performed probabilistic analysis of stiffened steel plate considering column like buckling.

Azadeh Jaberi (PhD, 2019):  Azadeh Jaberi Jahromi was a PhD candidate with a focus on structural engineering at FIU. She received her MS from Iran University of Science, Tehran, Iran and BS degree in 2006 from Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran. Her M.Sc. research focused on retrofitting concrete bridges with FPR and characterization of plastic hinges in reinforced concrete bridge piers. She was a structural designer at Mapna Group for seven years before returning to academia. While pursuing her PhD she worked on the ABC-UTC research project “Development of Manual for Enhanced Service Life of ABC Projects.”

Buse Ilayda Oz (MS, 2022): Buse Ilayda Oz is a graduate research assistant at Florida International University in Miami, FL. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Bilkent University, Turkey in 2019. She worked as an intern on the construction project of the world’s biggest airport design, Istanbul Grand Airport (IGA) in 2017. Currently, she is studying for her Master’s degree with a focus on Structural Engineering. Outside of school, Buse is a licensed athlete in World Dance Sport Federation and a traveler.

Dewan Hossain (PhD, 2020): Dewan Hossain was a PhD candidate at FIU with a focus in structural engineering. He received an MS and MCE degree respectively in structural materials engineering and transportation infrastructure engineering respectively from Louisiana Tech University, Louisiana and the University of Delaware. In addition, he received his BS degree in Civil Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Apart from that, he worked on a NASA led research project of repairing rocket testing facility by Geopolymer concrete. For his PhD, he worked on corrosion related projects. 

Ehsan Izadpanahi (PhD, 2020): Ehsan Izadpanahi was a PhD student at FIU with focuses on Mechanical Engineering. He joined the mechanical engineering program at Florida International University as a PhD student in 2016, and worked as a graduate research assistant in Fluid-solid interaction laboratory. He obtained his master’s degree from Chamran Ahvaz University. He has worked on wide range of topics such as, Stability Analysis and Nonlinear Structural Dynamics of Beams Subjected to Follower Forces, and Constructal Design and Stability of High Altitude Long Endurance Aircrafts. Currently he is working on the ABC-UTC research project “Application of Drone in Accelerated Bridge Construction.”

Esmail Shahrokhinasab (PhD, 2021):  Esmail is a graduate research assistant at FIU in Miami, FL. He received his M.Sc. in Civil Engineering, Railway Structure Engineering major, from Iran University of Science and Technology in 2012 and his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, in 2009 from the Amirkabir University of Technology in Iran. In his Master’s thesis, he worked on “Field studies on the effects of under sleeper pads in lateral resistance of railway”, under supervisor of Dr. Jabbar Ali Zakeri. He also worked as a civil expert in different departments in one of the most prominent companies in dam industry “Mahab Ghodss Consulting Engineers,” Tehran, Iran for six years.  He has been working on a wide range of topics such as sustainability, structural health monitoring, concrete technology and long-term durability of structures. Esmail is working on FDPC deck panels, and his current project is entitled “Performance Comparison of In-Service, Full-Depth Precast Concrete Deck Panels to Cast-in-Place Decks” in FIU under the supervision of Dr. Garber.

Francisco Chitty (PhD, 2021): Francisco Chitty is a PhD candidate at FIU with a focus on structural engineering. He received his MS degree in Civil Engineering from Florida International University in 2016 and BS from Andres Bello Catholic University in 2014. As part of his Bachelor’s research, he developed and published a structural retrofit scheme of a typical school’s concrete structure in Venezuela to decrease its seismic vulnerability. As part of his Master’s research, he worked on simulation of evacuation environments based on collected data by integrating three types of analysis: social behavior, architectural analysis, and structural analysis in one single simulation step during emergency scenarios. The study of evacuation scenarios was based on multi-scale methods for agent-based simulations. Currently, he is assisting on the project related to performance of precast concrete deck panels.

Huy V. Pham (PhD, 2016):   Dr. Pham joined AECOM in 2016 as a structures designer. He is currently working on different projects involving design and construction of steel, concrete and railroad bridges such as SR 826 to I-75 Express Lanes Program, All Aboard Florida Miami Viaduct, NE 203^rd Street Intersection Improvements between SR 5/US-1 and West Dixie Highway, and Wekiva Parkway Section 7A (SR 429). Dr Pham obtained his doctoral degree from Florida International University in 2016 and his master’s degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2013. During his time at FIU, he worked under the ABC-UTC where he was involved in several research projects related to construction, inspection, and rehabilitation of bridges.

Jawad Gull (PhD, 2015):  Jawad is bridge designer at HDR and has nine years of experience in research and in structural engineering as well as expertise in cable structures and steel bridges. He has worked on diverse engineering projects in United States, Japan and Pakistan. He is currently working on I-4 Ultimate project that involves design and construction of over 60 new bridges and replacement of over 70 existing bridge bridges. Dr. Gull obtained his doctorate degree from Florida International University. He worked on several research projects and successfully addressed issues related to construction, inspection, and rehabilitation of bridges. He served as the assistant director of ABC-UTC at Florida International University, and was PI of key ABC-UTC research projects addressing the issues related to service life and data base management of ABC projects. He earned his masters from Saitama University, Japan. He and his research team worked in collaboration of Tokyo Electric Power Company and addressed several issues related to wind induced vibrations of cable structures. He has been involved in several destructive and non-destructive tests of structures and materials in Pakistan. He is active member of ASCE and ACI, and a proud member of ABC-UTC mentoring team.

Jianmin Jia (PhD, 2017):  Jianmin earned his PhD in the Transportation Engineering program at Florida International University in Miami, FL. He was a PhD student from August 2013 until he finished in 2017. He received his MS degree in Civil Engineering from ShanDong University, Jinan, China, in 2013, and his BS degree in Mathematics from Shandong University, Jinan, China in 2010. In his Master’s thesis, he worked on Integrated Evaluation System for Urban Green Transportation. Jianmin worked on the ABC-UTC research project entitled “Estimating Total Cost of Bridge Construction using ABC and Conventional Methods of Construction” under supervision of Professor Hadi in Lehman Center for Transportation Research (LCTR). He also has participated in the project for SHRP 2 L38(C): Pilot Testing of SHRP 2 Reliability Data and Analytical Products, and project for Optimizing Emergency Management System (EMS) through the Use of ITS Technologies.

Mahsa Farzad (PhD, 2019): Mahsa Farzad was a graduate research assistant at Florida International University in Miami, FL. She received her MS in Civil Engineering from the Sharif University of Technology in Iran in 2013. In her Master’s thesis, she worked on an experimental study of building bracing systems using semi-rigid connections. She has started her PhD in Structural Engineering since August 2014. At FIU, she worked on accelerated repair solutions for bridge elements subjected to axial load utilizing UHPC under the supervision of Professor Azizinamini.

Md Ashraf Ahmed (PhD, 2021) : Ashraf is a Graduate Assistant at Florida International University (FIU) since 2018 Spring. He graduated with a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering degree from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 2014. Then he received the graduate assistantship from Moss Department of Construction Management of FIU in 2017. He is an enthusiastic researcher and experienced Civil Engineering professional with a demonstrated history of working in both industry and academy. His skills cover Transportation Engineering, Construction Management, Big Data Analytics, Data Management, Visualization & Data Mining. He possesses strong programming knowledge (C++, MATLAB, Python and R) and project management skills. Now, he is pursuing his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering focusing on transportation infrastructure effectiveness using Big data analytics, machine learning, agent based modelling and network science at Florida International University, Miami as a 3rd year Ph.D. student.  He already attended couple of international conferences, workshops and published three papers in different conference proceedings.

Mohamadreza Shafieifar (PhD, 2018): Mohamadreza serves as a bridge engineer at T. Y. Lin International, in San Francisco and has more than 6 years of experience in the bridge and structure industry. Dr. Shafieifar earned his doctorate degree from Florida International University in Fall 2018 and joined T. Y. Lin International in January 2019. In his PhD program, he developed a new bridge connection detail for both seismic and non-seismic regions. He worked on several funded research projects on Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) and Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC). Mohamadreza obtained his masters in structural engineering from the Sharif University of Technology. He worked on base plates and addressed issues related to their rigidity and design. He has been involved in designing several steel and concrete structures in Iran. Dr. Shafieifar currently serves as editorial board and reviewer of diverse peer-reviewed journals. He was honored with “Outstanding Reviewer” awards of “Construction and Building Materials” and “Engineering Structures” journals.

Mohamadtaqi Baqersad (PhD, P.E., 2020):  Mohamadtaqi Baqersad was a graduate research assistant at Florida International University in Miami, FL. He received his M.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Isfahan University of Technology in Iran in 2014, and his B.S. in Civil Engineering in 2011 from Yazd University in Iran. In his Master’s thesis, he worked on numerical simulation of consolidation settlement of saturated soil. He started his PhD in structural and Pavement Engineering since August 2015. He worked on an ABC project called “Development of Guide for Selection of Substructure for ABC Projects” at Florida International University under the supervision of Professors Armin Mehrabi and Hesham Ali. This project provided guidelines for decision making by the designers and bridge owners for the selection of substructure and foundation for new bridges and replacement of existing bridges using the ABC methods including evaluation, retrofitting, design, and construction.

Mohamed Ibrahim (PhD, 2017):  Mohamed earned his PhD in the Transportation Engineering program at FIU. He started his PhD in 2012 and completed it in 2017. He received his M.Sc. from Cairo University, Egypt, and his BS degree from the American University in Cairo, Egypt. He also has an MBA degree from the American University in Cairo. Mohamed has more than 10 years of working experience both as site engineer and an engineer consultant in Egypt and the Middle East. Mohamed worked on the decision making for alternative contracting methods for highway pavement rehabilitation project. Mohamed also worked on an NSF research titled “Foster Complex Systems Thinking in Construction Engineering Education Using a Case-Based Multidimensional Virtual Environment” under the supervision of Professor Yimin Zhu from 2012 to 2014. He also worked on an ABC-UTC research project entitled “Estimating Total Cost of Bridge Construction using ABC and Conventional Methods of Construction.”

Mohammad Abedin (PhD, 2021) : Mohammad is a graduate research assistant at Florida International University in Miami, FL. He received his master’s in structural engineering in 2013 from the Sharif University of Technology, and his bachelor’s in civil engineering from the University of Isfahan in 2011. He also worked as a structural designer at SBR EPC company for four years before returning to academia. He has started his PhD in Structural Engineering since January 2018. As part of his research, he investigated bridge behavior after the structure experiences severe damage to establish a redundancy evaluation approach for twin steel box girder bridges. He also developed a cost-effective and rapid bridge monitoring approach that uses laser vibrometers by applying a detailed finite element model and vibration measurements. Currently, he is working on the ABC-UTC research projects, “Available ABC Bridge Systems for Short Span Bridges – Course Module” and “Performance of Existing ABC Projects: Inspection Case Studies”.

Nazanin Rezaei (PhD, 2018):  Nazanin earned her PhD in Structural Engineering program at Florida International University in Miami, FL, and her masters in Civil Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology, Iran. She has 7 years of experience in research and structural engineering projects in United States and Iran. In her PhD dissertation, she worked on experimental and numerical study on reinforced concrete struts, which has gained national attention (from ACI members) and is being used to validate code change in ACI 318 (the international building code in concrete design). She contributed to the development of a national ABC database that is being used by bridge designers around the U.S. She is a member of ACI Committee 445 “Shear and Torsion” and ASCE.

Priya Tripathi (PhD, Student): Priya Tripathi is a PhD student pursuing her PhD in Civil Engineering at Florida International University. Priya earned her MS at Florida International University in 2020 while working as a Graduate Research Assistant at ABC-UTC under the supervision of Dr. Seung Jae Lee. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Saraswati College of Engineering in Mumbai, India in 2017. She has worked for two years as an Assistant Engineer in India.

Ramin Taghinezhad (PhD, 2016): Ramin is currently working on the seismic retrofit of building structures in the city of Los Angeles. He has over eight years of experience in the seismic design and rehabilitation of commercial, residential and industrial steel and concrete structures. He received his BS degree in civil engineering and MSdegree in structural engineering. Ramin obtained his doctorate degree from Florida International University. His PhD topic was extending the application of simple for dead load and continuous for live load (SDCL) steel bridge systems in seismic regions. He has also been involved with different research projects including assessment and evaluation of timber piles under axial load, non-destructive testing (NDT) of segmental pre-stressed bridges, and experimental investigation of redundancy of twin steel box-girder bridges. He has great experience in nonlinear static and time history analysis and performance-based design. He has authored numerous papers and articles in the field of seismic behavior of building and bridge structures. He is the author of a book about the nonlinear behavior of structures under seismic loads titled “Seismic Design and Rehabilitation of Structures Under Pushover Analysis.”

 Saiada Fuadi Fancy (PhD, 2020): Saiada Fuadi Fancy was a PhD student at FIU with a focus in structural engineering. She received her MS degree in Structural Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology and her BS degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Shahjalal University of Science & Technology. Her MS research was focused on the experimental performance investigation of beam column frames with column kickers. She started her PhD in structural engineering in Fall 2014. She worked on the corrosion durability of reinforced concrete utilizing UHPC for ABC applications.

Saman Farhangdoust (PhD, 2021):  Saman is a PhD candidate in Structural Engineering at Civil and Environmental Engineering department of Florida International University. He received his M.Sc. in Rolling Stocks Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology and his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering – Solid Mechanics. He has been working on Nonlinear Vibration Analysis of Thin-Walled Structures, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of Composite Structures, Design and Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) of Infrastructure Systems, and Smart Bridge Monitoring projects. As a multidisciplinary graduate research assistant, he is currently working on two ABC projects at ABC-UTC: “Nondestructive Testing Methods (NDT) Applicable to Health Monitoring of ABC Closure Joints” which is focused on development of practical and economical methods for field inspection of ABC closure joints; and “Development of Guide for Selection of Substructure for ABC Projects” which provides guidelines for decision making by the designers and bridge owners for the selection of substructure and foundation for new bridges and replacement of existing bridges using the ABC methods, including evaluation, retrofitting, design, and construction.

 Seyedmirsajad  Mokhtarimousavi (PhD, 2021):  Sajad was a PhD candidate in Civil and Environmental Department at Florida International University in Miami, FL. He received his M.S. degree in Transportation Planning from IAU, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran in 2013. His primary focus is on transportation systems planning, travel behavior analysis, and transportation safety. His Master’s thesis research was on airport planning and surface management by studying the improvement of runway capacity through the best possible landing sequence for the optimum outcome. In his PhD program, his research focused on developing machine learning techniques to analysis highway work zone safety and the benefits can be obtained through the implementation of ABC method. He is working under the supervision of Dr. Atorod Azizinamini. He graduated Spring 2021.

Sheharyar-e-Rehmat (PhD, 2022):  Sheharyar e Rehmat is a PhD candidate at FIU with a focus in structural engineering. He received his MS.C degree from Saitama University, Japan and B.Sc. degree in Civil engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan. He started his PhD in structural engineering in 2016 and is currently working on the ABC-UTC research project about application of UHPC for bridge applications.

Sumana Bhattacharya (PhD, 2019): Sumana Bhattacharya was a PhD recipient at FIU specializing in geomechanics. She received her BS in Civil Engineering from Jadavpur University, India and MS in Geotechnical Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India. During her master’s studies, she applied the finite element method, finite difference method and artificial neural network to geotechnical engineering problems. After completing her BS, she worked as a software automation engineer for three years. During her time at FIU, she worked on the multi-scale modeling of bridge foundations. She graduated in December of 2019 with her PhD in Civil Engineering and is currently employed at a geotechnical engineering consulting firm in San Francisco.

A.M.M. Muhaimin (MS, 2021): A.M.M. Muhaimin is a graduate research assistant at Florida International University in Miami, FL. He obtained his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Islamic University of Technology, Bangladesh. He started his MS in Construction Management in January 2020. He is currently working on the project “Understanding critical impacting factors and trends on bridge design, construction and maintenance” at FIU.

Ana Torrealba (MS, 2020): Ana Torrealba is a graduate research assistant at Florida International University. She received her bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Carabobo University, Venezuela in 2015. Her Bachelor’s research received a publication mention for the proposal of the structural retrofit of “Caribe Hotel” located at Vargas, Venezuela. After completion of her bachelor’s degree she worked as a research assistant with the use of Nondestructive Testing Methods (NDT) by performing an ultrasonic test with an ultrasonic pulse velocity device to the “Caribe Hotel”, Venezuela. Presently, she did her MS with a focus on Structural Engineering and she assisted on the “Development of ABC Course Module Available ABC Bridge Systems for Short Span Bridges,” under the supervision of Dr. Armin Mehrabi. This project provided guidelines for the application of ABC for short-span bridges covering various aspects of decision-making, construction methods, available elements and systems, performance and inspection, design, detailing and connections.

Daniel Castillo (MS, 2018): Daniel Castillo was a MS student at FIU with a focus in structural engineering and will graduate in December 2018. He obtained his BS in Civil Engineering at Florida Atlantic University in 2016. He has construction project management experience as well as structural engineering experience designing low-rise buildings and other structures such as amusement park ropes courses. In the past, he worked on the ABC-UTC research project “Towards simulation-aided predictive demolition planning” under the direction of Dr. Seung Jae Lee. Currently, he works as a structural engineer at Hardesty & Hanover where he is part of the movable bridges design team.

Francesco Riccitelli (MS, 2020): Francesco Riccitelli is a graduate research assistant at Florida International University. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Sannio, Italy in 2016. He has worked as a student research assistant for ABC-UTC in the Titan America Structures and Construction Testing Laboratory, assisting with several projects, such as Retrofitting Methods of Existing Reinforced Concrete Structural Bridge Elements, Application of UHPC to Bridge Elements and development of Non-Proprietary UHPC Mix. Currently, he is studying for his Master’s degree focusing in Structural Engineering and working as Graduate Research Assistant on an ABC-UTC project entitled “Performance of Existing ABC projects: Inspection Case Studies” under the supervision of Dr. Merhabi. The primary objective of this project is to collect much-needed information on the performance of two in-service ABC bridges. It is envisioned that the inspection will include routine visual inspection, a special inspection of certain details, and the application of NDT methods wherever needed, mostly using Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAU) and Ground Penetrating Radar Testing (GPR) devices. The results will be compiled in a format for effective recording and will be reported accordingly.

Sayed Feras AlMosawi (MS, 2018):  Beginning in  2015, Sayed Feras  attended Florida International University, where he graduated with a master’s and bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, both focusing in structure. During his time there, he was an undergraduate and a graduate research assistant, where he assisted Dr. Armin Mehrabi on his research project focusing on NDT methods applicable to health monitoring of ABC closure joints. This project involves search, identification, and adaptation or development of practical and economical methods for field inspection and damage detection of ABC closure joints, immediately after completion and periodically there after during its service life.  In Fall of 2016, he was awarded the ASCE SEI-ACE merit award for ACE outstanding structural engineering student. Currently Sayed Feras is searching for a full time job opportunity in the field of structural and civil engineering.

Alfredo Ignacio Falcon (BS, 2017):  Alfredo was an undergraduate student at Florida International University. He received his BS in Civil Engineering in May 2017, and plans to pursue an MS in Structural Engineering. Alfredo was a student assistant for ABC-UTC from September 2015, and he participated in the testing process of a cap beam-to-column connection with the use of the Ultra High Performance Concrete research project. He has since developed a great interest for Accelerated Bridge Construction, concrete design and UHPC. Alfredo was also chair at the American Concrete Institute Student Chapter at FIU and Captain of the Steel Bridge team for the American Society of Civil Engineers at FIU.

Andrew Puglisi (BS, 2018): Andrew Puglisi was an undergraduate research assistant at FIU during the summer of 2017 and 2018. He is currently working toward receiving his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Villanova University, expecting to graduate in the spring of 2020. While working with the ABC-UTC program at FIU, Andrew worked primarily conducting research and reviewing studies on the applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and how they can be used to improve upon current bridge inspection methods in 2017 and in 2018 worked assisting on various ABC research projects in the lab. Outside of class, Andrew is a part of multiple engineering clubs as well as holding a leadership position in club tennis.

Anibal E. Morales  (BS, 2020): Anibal was an engineering student, and received a double Bachelor of Science in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering at Florida International University. He graduated in  Summer 2020. Anibal is a robotics enthusiast with plans to use robots in hazardous environments. He has been able to work on synthetic biology at Boston University, robotics for nuclear decommissioning at Argonne National Lab and FIU’s Applied Research Center, robotics for space exploration at NASA Kennedy Space Center, and digital products for satellites at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. Anibal also enjoys learning about new cultures and places, which he has been doing by attending multiple international engineering programs in China, Iceland, Sweden, and Japan. At ABC – UTC, Anibal worked on the electrical and software aspects of a robot for automating and expediting bridge construction.

Carlos Mena (BS, 2018): Carlos Mena was an undergraduate student at FIU working towards a BS degree in Civil Engineering. He  worked as a research intern for ABC-UTC at FIU in 2017 and assisted with ongoing projects that took place in the lab. He acquired this position networking through the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) chapter at FIU. He’s is member of ASCE at FIU and has attended previous annual conferences. Carlos graduated in the Fall of 2018 and is currently working as a Junior Engineer at a heavy civil construction firm, Perfetto Contracting in Brooklyn, NY.

Cristhian Gutierrez De Pineres (BS, 2020): Cristhian was an undergraduate student and a research assistant at Florida International University. He majored in Civil Engineering and plans to pursue an MS after graduating.

Hamza Al- Shalabi (BS, 2019): Hamza Al-shalabi is an undergraduate student at FIU, working towards a BS degree in Civil Engineering specializing in structural engineering. He has been working as a research intern for ABC-UTC at FIU for almost six months now and assisted with most of the projects taking place in the research lab. Hamza is an active member in the ASCE FIU chapter; he is active in the steel bridge, concrete canoe, and the dynamic dam projects for the ASCE conference in the beginning of March. Hamza graduated in May and will soon begin pursuing  his masters in construction management.

Jaime Danies  (BS, 2017): Jaime Danies was an undergraduate research assistant at FlU during the summer of 2017. He is currently a student at Columbia University working towards a BS in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Structural Engineering and a minor in Architecture, and will be graduating Spring 2020. As an ABC-UTC research intern at FIU, he worked under Dr. Atorod Azizinamini to assist various PhD candidates on various projects, particularly those investigating alternative ABC connections using UHPC. Outside of class, Jaime enjoys photography and is Vice President of his ASCE chapter.

Josef Ricardo (BS, 2017): Josef Ricardo graduated in Fall 2017 with a BS in Civil Engineering at Florida International University. His focus is on Structural Engineering and has taken several structural electives such as Steel Design and Introduction to Pre-stressed Concrete Structures. Josef worked in 2017 on the research project:  Long-Term Performance Comparison of In‐Service, Full‐Depth Precast Concrete(FDPC) Deck Panels to Cast-in‐Place (CIP) Decks. Some of the tasks of this project are to collect information from the Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Bridge Portal and develop a survey for bridge owners (State DOTs). He is currently working at Ribbeck Engineering , Inc, a roadway and drainage consulting firm.

Joselaine Pateau (BS, 2016):  Joselaine finished her undergraduate degree at Florida International University in 2016. She also has earned her Associate in Arts in Civil Engineering at Miami-Dade College. During her time at FIU, she worked as an intern for the ABC-UTC. The purpose of her research was to begin the process of developing crash-tested, pre-fabricated bridge railings that have durable anchorage details. Outside of school, Joselaine is working part time as a retail associate and spends her free time reading and singing.

Julian Gomez (BS, 2015):  Julian was an undergraduate research assistant at Florida International University. He completed his BS in Civil Engineering in 2015. Julian worked with the ABC-UTC for nearly a year as an undergrad assisting with several different event projects and research. Outside of school, Julian loves to spend time with family and playing soccer on his free time.

Manfredi Di Maggio (BS, 2019): Manfredi Di Maggio was an undergraduate student at FIU, who earned his BS in Civil Engineering. He worked as a research intern for ABC-UTC at FIU from Fall 2017 to Summer of 2018, assisting the graduate students on various projects, such as casting of Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) with applications in corrosion and durability of reinforced concrete. Manfredi started his studies in Civil because of his passion for infrastructures and innovating engineering projects.

Matheus Dutra (BS, 2020): Matheus Dutra was an undergraduate student at Florida International University pursuing his BS in Civil Engineering.  He worked as an undergraduate research assistant for ABC-UTC. He plans to pursue an MS in structural engineering upon receiving his BS.

Saivy Nasser (BS, 2017): Saivy Nasser successfully graduated from FIU with a BS degree in Civil Engineering in 2017. He is now applying his earned knowledge from ABC-UTC in the transportation field as a Transportation Engineer I for a consulting firm in the city of Ft. Lauderdale.

Vanessa Castillo (BS, 2014):  Vanessa was an undergraduate ABC-UTC assistant at Florida International University. She graduated in December 2014 with a BS in Civil Engineering and is pursuing her MS in Construction Management.

Willys Chirino (BS, 2021): Willys Chirino is an undergraduate engineering student, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Florida International University. His graduation date is Spring 2021. Willys’ focuses include design optimization and structural analysis, with personal interests in machine learning. Willys has recently begun working in the FIU – Applied Research Center’s Robotic Laboratory under the Supervision of Anthony Abrahao. Willys plans to work for NASA in the future and use his knowledge of robotics to develop state of the art mining machinery that will be used to collect valuable resources from asteroids and other mineral-rich bodies in space. Additionally, Willys has played chess since he was in third grade and has placed nationally and internationally in tournaments.