Dr. Walter Yang (PhD, Georgia Tech, May 2007)

Current Postdocs

Current Students

Mr. Masahiro Kurata (Phd, May 2009)

Masahiro Kurata obtained his B.S. in Architecture and M.S degrees in Architectural Engineering at Kyoto University (Kyoto, Japan) in 2002 and 2005, respectively. During pursuing his M.S. degree in Kyoto, he also completed M.S. program in Earthquake Engineering at Rose School of Pavia University (Pavia, Italy.) In fall 2005 he joined the Structural Engineering graduate program at Georgia Tech, to pursue his doctoral studies. Since, his work has focused on development of innovative lateral load resisting system for earthquake hazard; more specifically, on the full-scale laboratory testing of steel structures. Masahiro is fluent in 3 languages, plays tennis and classical music on the piano, and enjoys cooking modern Japanese and Italian dishes.

Mr. Matthew Speicher (Phd, May 2009)
Matthew Speicher is a PhD studen working Drs. DesRoches and Leon.  His research is focused on the analysis and full-scale testing of innovative shape memory alloy (SMA) devices.  Specifically, he is concentrating on developing SMA bracing systems to be implemented into steel buildings to help mitigate earthquake damage.  Matthew earned a B.S. from Purdue University in 2004 and a M.S. from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2006.  When he is not working in the lab or behind a computer, he enjoys sports, biking, hiking, and traveling.

Ms. Laura Jacobs (Phd, May 2010)

Laura Jacobs graduated with her B.S. from Purdue University in 2005.
She worked for 9 months as a research engineer at Los Alamos National
Laboratory before beginning her graduate studies at Georgia Tech. She is currently a Ph.D.
student studying seismic retrofit of container cranes through analytical and experimental models. Laura is fluent in Spanish, plays French Horn, and is an avid mystery reader. Her favorite places in Atlanta include the Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta and the High Museum of Art.

Mr. Ben Kosbab (Phd, May 2010)

Ben Kosbab is a PhD student studying the seismic response of container cranes. Specifically,he is investigating the interaction of portal frame ductility and column uplift, and their effects on seismic performance. He is advised by Drs. DesRoches and Leon. Ben earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Rice University in 2003.

 Ms. Emily Nilsson (MS, May 2008)

Emily Nilsson is a masters student performing a seismic risk assessment and lifeline evaluationof the transportation network in Charleston, SC. She started her research in 2006 as an undergraduate research assistant and has continued her work on the project into her graduate semesters. She obtained her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech in May 2007 and is expected to graduate with her M.S. in May 2008. In her spare time, Emily enjoys watching Tech sports and traveling any chance she can get.

Ms. Lynne Schleiffarth (BS/MS, May 2010)

Lynne Schleiffarth is an undergraduate student at Georgia Tech pursuing a Bachelor's in Civil andEnvironmental Engineering. She is currently enrolled in the BS/MS program and is on track to earn a Master's in Structural Engineering in Spring '10. She is conducting research on 1/20th scale testing of container cranes as part of the NEES-R Grand Challenge Project. She is a member of the Georgia Tech Color Guard, Alpha Chi Omega Social Sorority, and enjoys running 5K's.

Recent Doctoral Graduates

Dr. Berk Taftali (Phd, December 2007) [Co-Advised with Bruce Ellingwood]
Research: Seismic Fragility of Partially Restrained Connections.

email: Berk@csiberkeley.com

Prof. Jamie Padgett (May 2007)
Research: Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Retrofitted Bridges Using Probabilistic Methods
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Rice University

email: jamie.padgett@ce.gatech.edu

Prof. Monique Hite (May 2007) - [Co-Advised with R. Leon]
Research: Evaluation of the Performance of Bridge Steel Pedestals under Low Seismic Loads
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Texas A & M University

email: mhite@civil.tamu.edu

Dr. Walter Yang (August, 2006) – [Co-Advised with R. Leon]
Research: Performance of Zipper Frames
Current Position: Post Doctoral Fellow, Georgia Tech

email: walter.yang@ce.gatech.edu

Prof. Jason McCormick ( May, 2006)
Research:  Cyclic Behavior of Shape Memory Alloys: Material Characterization and Optimization
Current Position: Assistant Professor, University of Michigan

email: jmccormick@steel.mbox.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Prof. Bryant Nielson (December 2005)
Research: Analytical Fragility Curves for Bridges in Moderate Seismic Zones
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Clemson University, Clemson, SC

email: bnielso@CLEMSON.EDU

Prof. Bassem Andrawes (May 2005)
Research: Seismic Design and Retrofit of Bridges Using Smart Materials
Current Position:  Assistant Professor, University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign

email: andrawes@uiuc.edu

Dr. Davide Fugazza (May, 2005, Rose School of EQ Engineering)
Research: Advanced Models of Shape Memory Alloys
Current Position: Finite Element Specialist, Samtech Italia, Milan, Italy

email: davide.fugazza@samcef.com

Dr. Susendar Muthukumar (Dec 2003)
Research: A Contact Element Approach with Hysteresis Damping for the Analysis and Design of Pounding in Bridges
Current Position: Graduate Engineer, Research & Development, Walter P Moore, Austin, TX

email: SMuthukumar@walterpmoore.com

Prof. Eunsoo Choi (May 2002)
Thesis Title: Seismic Response, Analysis, and Retrofit of Mid-America Bridges
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Hongik University, Korea

email: eunsoochoi@hongik.ac.kr