Education
Doctorate in Philosophy - Structural Engineering (2013)
I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in structural engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am studying, under the guidance of Prof. Larry Fahnestock, an innovative new seismic lateral force resisting system, Steel Plate Shear Walls with Coupling (SPSW-WC). This work includes numerical simulation as well as two large-scale experimental tests. Researching this new system has been an exhilarating and rewarding experience. I have passed my Ph.D. qualifying and preliminary exam, and plan to graduate in May 2013.
Master of Science - Structural Engineering (2009)
I entered the graduate program at the University of Illinois in 2007 concentrating in Structural Engineering. Although I intended to pursue a quick 1-year coursework-only M.S., I was quickly bitten by the academic bug. In order to gain teaching experience, I was a Teaching Assistant (TA) for three semesters for an introductory structural engineering course.
While attending a steel design course, I became very interested in research. I volunteered to work on AISC sponsored slip-critical bolted connections research under the guidance of Jerome Hajjar. After this work was concluded, I decided that I wanted to pursue a research-based M.S. and continue on to earn a Ph.D. My M.S. research was based on the investigation of a collapsed bridge in Illinois. This work was an excellent blend of on-site experience, experimental testing and numerical simulation.
Bachelor of Science - Civil Engineering (2007)
I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for my undergraduate education. I began college intending to study Physics, however, my studies quickly transitioned to Civil Engineering, concentrating in Structural and Geotechnical Engineering. I also had an interest in computer science during undergrad, which I will still dabble in from time to time.
During undergrad, I joined the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. I was also active in the Civil Engineering honor society, Chi Epsilon. I was fortunate to be able to experience the Fighting Illini Basketball team competing in the NCAA Tournament championship game. My undergraduate education was rich in personal experiences and I cultivated many friendships during that period.