Our group does research in geotechnical engineering and geomechanics, focusing on the influence of extreme events on interacting soil-foundation-structure systems and specifically, the resilience of urban infrastructure. Please explore our site for recent news, publications, and presentations on the topic. The names and research areas of our group members are provided under research team.

Background on Shideh Dashti:

Office: ECAD 108 | Email: shideh.dashti@colorado.edu

 

 

I grew up in Tehran and moved to the United States in 1999. I completed my undergraduate studies at Cornell University in Civil Engineering and subsequent graduate work at UC Berkeley in GeoEngineering. After completing B.S. and M.S. degrees I worked briefly with ARUP (New York City) and Bechtel (San Francisco) Geotechnical groups, where I worked on several engineering projects in the US and around the world involving the design of foundation systems, slopes, and underground structures and tunnels. In my doctoral research at UC Berkeley, I used centrifuge testing and numerical analyses to study the seismic response of shallow-founded structures on liquefiable soil deposits.

I started my academic career at CU Boulder in January of 2011. I am currently working with postdoctoral scholars, doctoral students, masters, and undergraduate students on various projects (more information under research team). I have worked on a range of projects previously but my overarching academic goals are first, to examine technical topics relating to Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and second, to promote multidisciplinary and global approaches to engineering using innovative knowledge dissemination tools and information technology. Further, one of my primary goals is to help train engineers that are more globally-engaged in research and practice, through engaging them in internationally relevant projects and collaborating with experts in other countries. I also currently serve as the acting Associate Dean for Research in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) at CU Boulder.

Education:

• Ph.D. University of California at Berkeley (2009)
• M.S. University of California at Berkeley (2005)
• B.S. Cornell University (2004)

Academic Appointments and Work History:

• Acting Associate Dean for Research, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder (2022-present)
• Director of IRT-Resilient Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RISE) (2020-Current)
• Director of the Civil Engineering program, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder (2019 – present).
• Visiting Professor (on sabbatical) at ETH-Zurich (January-August 2019)
• Co-Director of the Center for Infrastructure, Energy, and Space Testing, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder (2015 – 2022).
• Associate Professor, Geotechnical Engineering and Geomechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder (2018 – present)
• Assistant Professor, Geotechnical Engineering and Geomechanics, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder (2011 – 2018)
• Graduate Student Researcher, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California at Berkeley (2006-2010).
• Geotechnical Engineer, Bechtel National, Inc., San Francisco, California (2005-2006).

Research Interests:

• Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
• Liquefaction (consequences and mitigation)
• Seismic soil-structure-interaction
• Seismic response of underground structures
• Physical and numerical modeling
• Use of innovative sensing technologies, knowledge dissemination tools, and information technology in earthquake engineering
• Resilience of cities and societies to natural disasters

Honors and Distinctions:

• 2021 Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Price, ASCE
• 2020 Associate Editor of the Year, ASCE Journal of Geotechnical Engineering and Geomechanics
• 2020 Provost Faculty Achievement Award, CU Boulder
• 2018 Arthur Casagrande Professional Development Award, ASCE
• 2015 Outstanding Reviewer Recognition, ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and GeoEnvironmental Engineering.
• 2015 Departmental Young Researcher Award, Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, CU Boulder
• 2015-16 Dean’s Faculty Fellowship, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, CU Boulder
• 2015 National Science Foundation Early CAREER Award
• 2014 Departmental Teaching Award, Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, CU Boulder
• 2009 Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, UC Berkeley
• 2004–2005 UC Berkeley Graduate Fellowship in GeoEngineering
• 2004 Magna cum Laude distinction, Cornell University
• 2004 Distinguished Leadership Award, Cornell University

Professional Affiliations:

• The United States Universities Council on Geotechnical Education and Research (USUCGER)
• Member of the steering committee and co-principal investigator of GeoEngineering Extreme Event Reconnaissance (GEER)
• Committee Member of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE TC 104), http://www.tc104.group.shef.ac.uk/
• Associate Editor of ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
• Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics (EESD) Committee of ASCE
• Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)