Shideh Dashti

Shideh Dashti is a Professor and Associate Chair for Administration in Geotechnical Engineering & Geomechanics at the University of Colorado Boulder's Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering within the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She holds a PhD (2009) and MS (2005) from UC Berkeley and a BS (2004) from Cornell University where she graduated Magna cum Laude.

Dr. Dashti's research focuses on the intersection of geotechnical engineering, infrastructure resilience, and environmental sustainability. Her work spans physical modeling (particularly centrifuge testing), seismic soil-structure interaction, liquefaction mechanisms in urban environments, and the impact of compound hydrologic-seismic hazards on infrastructure. She has pioneered research on the seismic response of underground structures in dense urban settings and performance-based design of liquefaction remediation techniques.

Analysis of her recent publications (2021-2025) reveals a strong emphasis on liquefaction mitigation techniques, particularly using dense granular columns and ground densification. Her work increasingly incorporates machine learning approaches and examines the intersection of infrastructure resilience with social equity, as evidenced by her research on environmental vulnerability in incarceration facilities. Her publications predominantly appear in top-tier journals like the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and GeoEnvironmental Engineering.

• 2025 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Distinguished Lecture Award
• 2024 Campus Sustainability Award, CU Boulder
• 2021 Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Price, ASCE
• 2015 National Science Foundation Early CAREER Award
• 2018 Arthur Casagrande Professional Development Award, ASCE

Dr. Dashti has received significant research funding including the prestigious NSF CAREER award. She serves as Co-leader and Steering Committee member of GeoEngineering Extreme Event Reconnaissance (GEER), having participated in 8 reconnaissance efforts since 2011 (leading 3). She is also an ISSMGE TC104 committee member and one of two U.S. representatives. Her professional service includes editorial roles, notably as Associate Editor of the Year for the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical Engineering and Geomechanics (2020).

As a leader in the field, Dr. Dashti directs research focused on resilient infrastructure with sustainability and equity. She leads the GAANN fellowships in Integrative Reengineering of Infrastructure and is affiliated with the Center for Infrastructure, Energy, and Space Testing. Her work bridges traditional geotechnical engineering with contemporary concerns about social justice and environmental sustainability in infrastructure systems.