Jari Puttonen is a Professor of Structural Engineering at Aalto University's Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering. His research focuses on structural analysis, fire safety, materials science, and nuclear infrastructure safety. He has held roles as Principal Investigator in projects related to nuclear waste repository concrete modeling and aging management of NPP infrastructure. He has advised over 20 academic visitors and served in doctoral thesis committees. Education: Doctoral degree (1987), Licentiate (1984), and Master's degree (1979) in Engineering and Technology from Helsinki University of Technology (now part of Aalto University). Research Interests: Steel and composite materials behavior under extreme conditions Fire resistance of structural systems Long-term performance of concrete in nuclear facilities Non-destructive testing of construction materials Seismic resilience of critical infrastructure Awards: Recipient of the Knight, First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (2020), PUUPalkinto 2010, and Schweighofer Prize 2011 for innovative energy facade research. Grants & Projects: Led 13 research projects including PERCO2_2023 (nuclear waste repository modeling) and CONAGE2022 (NPP concrete aging). Active in EU-funded initiatives and industry collaborations. Labs & Teams: Core member of Aalto's Structural Engineering Research Group, collaborating with Chalmers University and Technical University of Munich on advanced materials testing.
Prof. Ivan Cole is an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University's School of Engineering, specializing in rapid materials discovery for corrosion protection, nanostructures, and additive manufacturing. His work integrates computational modeling with high-throughput experimentation, focusing on corrosion inhibitors, biocompatible surfaces, and additive manufacturing process optimization. With over 30 years of experience across academia and industry (including leadership roles at CSIRO and Centro-Svilluppo Materiali), he leads the Rapid Discovery & Fabrication Team (RDF) to advance these research areas. Research Interests: Corrosion science, microbially induced corrosion (MIC), additive manufacturing surfaces, nanostructure sensing, multiscale modeling, and green materials discovery. His team addresses challenges in corrosion protection, biomedical implants, and environmental remediation through innovative methodologies. Awards: 2019 Australian Corrosion Medal 2016 CSIRO Lifetime Achievement Award 2013 Best Paper in NACE Corrosion Supervision & Projects: Active in mentoring PhD/Master’s students across corrosion inhibition, additive manufacturing, and nanostructure design. Notable projects include developing quorum sensing inhibitors for biofilm control, in-situ monitoring for metal AM, and eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors. Labs & Collaborations: Leads the Rapid Discovery & Fabrication Team and collaborates with industry partners to translate research into practical solutions for materials durability and sustainability.
Dr. Farhad Aslani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering at the University of Western Australia (UWA), serving as Director of the Materials and Structures Innovation Group. He leads the $250M Australian Composites Manufacturing CRC and co-leads UWA's Engineering Materials Research Cluster. His research focuses on innovative construction materials, including self-sensing concrete, 3D-printed composites, and fire-resistant materials. He has secured over $20M in CRC funding and holds leadership roles in national/international conferences. Key awards include the 2024 Concrete Institute WA Rising Star Award and multiple citation milestones. His work aligns with sustainable development goals, emphasizing eco-friendly materials and infrastructure resilience. Education: PhD in Structural Engineering, University of Technology Sydney (2014) Certificates in Leadership, Research Commercialization, Public Policy, and Project Management from Curtin University, Queensland University of Technology, RMIT, and UTS. Research Interests: Smart materials, sustainable concrete technologies, additive manufacturing, blast/fire resistance, and composites for infrastructure. His lab develops self-sensing concretes, lightweight engineered composites, and electromagnetic shielding materials. Grants & Projects: $4.3M ACM CRC project on composite repairs ARC grants for nanocomposite coatings and fire facilities Main Roads WA funding for timber bridge strengthening Expertise: Structural design, composite materials, and industrial collaborations (e.g., Woodside, Holcim). He advises on major projects like the Morley Ellenbrook Rail Line and Forrestfield Airport Link. Awards: 2024 Concrete Institute WA Rising Star Highly Cited Scholar (ScholarGPS, 2024) Most Cited Paper Awards (2018–2020)
Roy Johnsen is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), specializing in corrosion and surface technology. With a Dr.ing. degree from NTH (1984), he has extensive industry experience from Statoil Research Centre (1985-1991) and CorrOcean (1991-2004), where he expanded the company globally. His current research focuses on hydrogen embrittlement, corrosion protection, and integrity management in offshore systems, with collaborations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Professor Andrea Frangi is affiliated with the Institute of Structural Engineering at ETH Zurich, where he leads research and teaching in Structural Timber Engineering , Hybrid Structures , and Fire Safety Engineering . Education: Dipl. in Civil Engineering (ETH Zurich, 1995), Ph.D. in Technical Science (ETH Zurich, 2001). His research interests focus on timber structures, hybrid systems, and fire safety. Recent work explores rate-dependent connections, adhesive bonding in timber-mortar composites, and fire resistance of cross-laminated timber. Notable publication trends include: Advancements in strip-reinforced timber beams and epoxy hybrid-adhesives . Fire safety studies on charring rates , compartment fires , and progressive collapse in timber structures. Material testing under cyclic loading , high-speed loads , and moisture exposure . He teaches courses such as Timber Structures I/III , Fire Science , and Structural Fire Design , and collaborates with organizations like Eurocode 5 committees and the International Association for Fire Safety Science.
Jonathan Cullen is Professor of Sustainable Engineering at the University of Cambridge and President of Fitzwilliam College, specializing in resource efficiency and decarbonization through top-down analysis of industrial material and energy systems. His work bridges academic research with industry applications across energy-intensive sectors. Education: Bachelor's in Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, New Zealand MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development, University of Cambridge PhD in Engineering Fundamentals of Energy Efficiency, University of Cambridge His research develops metrics for quantifying energy and material consequences of production systems, focusing on circular economy implementation, minimum energy requirements, and zero-carbon transition pathways. Key applications target cement, steel, plastics, and petrochemicals where he pioneers methods like exergetic analysis and material flow accounting to expose carbon lock-ins and circularity opportunities. Recent publications reveal three dominant trends: (1) Frameworks for theoretical minimum energy requirements across industrial processes, (2) Geopolitical analysis of critical mineral flows and ownership structures, and (3) Circular economy metrics for plastics and construction materials. These consistently employ system-scale modeling validated through industry partnerships. Research Funding: Lead: C-THRU ($4M, VKRF) - carbon clarity in petrochemical supply chains Co-I: UK FIRES (£5.2M, EPSRC) - industrial decarbonization program Co-I: CirPlas (£1.25M, UKRI) - plastic waste elimination 7+ projects (EPSRC, Innovate UK, Horizon 2020) Academic Leadership: Teaching: Energy Systems and Policy (MPhil in Energy Technologies) Undergraduate supervision in Materials/Mathematics Graduate Tutor at Fitzwilliam College IPCC AR6 Lead Author (Industry Chapter) He directs the Resource Efficiency Collective, which develops open-source tools like Mat-dp for material demand projections and Starter Data Kits for energy planning. Current work focuses on scaling circular business models for construction retrofitting and quantifying geopolitical risks in critical mineral supply chains.
Prof. Sam Salem, Ph.D., P.Eng., is a Full Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Lakehead University's Faculty of Engineering. He founded the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)-sponsored Fire Testing and Research Laboratory (LUFTRL), the only facility of its kind in a Canadian university. Ph.D. in Structural Fire Engineering, Carleton University M.A.Sc. in Structural Engineering, Zagazig University (Egypt) B.A.Sc. (Honors) in Civil Engineering, Zagazig University (Egypt) Dr. Salem specializes in structural fire engineering, focusing on performance-based fire resistance design, large-scale fire endurance testing, and finite element modeling of steel/concrete/timber structures. His research program investigates structural fire performance of innovative building systems, particularly mass timber construction, through experimental testing and computational modeling. His work has attracted over $2.1 million in research grants from NSERC, CFI, OMRI, NOHFC, MNRF, MTI, and other agencies. He has authored/co-authored 60+ peer-reviewed publications and holds two patents (Canada/USA) for beam-end connection mechanisms in mass timber buildings. Lakehead University 2023 Research Excellence Award Lakehead Merit Awards (Research 2022, Teaching & Research 2020/2015) Contribution to Teaching Awards (2022, 2018, 2014) ASFE 2019 Outstanding Paper Award Dr. Salem trained 40+ highly qualified personnel through a balanced approach emphasizing academic excellence, practical implementation, professional development, and career skills. He served as Dept. Chair (2021-2023), graduate program coordinator (2017+), and sits on multiple university and technical committees including ULC Standards Technical Committee and Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes.
Dr. Marina Bock is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Lecturer in Civil Engineering at Aston University's College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. She specializes in structural engineering with expertise in metallic structures, additive manufacturing, and numerical modeling. Currently accepting PhD students, her work bridges academic research and industry applications in sustainable construction. Her educational background includes: PG Cert in Building and Design and Construction Technology, University of Wolverhampton (2017-2018) PhD in Local Buckling and Web Crippling Response of Stainless Steels, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (2010-2015) MSc in Patch Loading of Hybrid Plate Girders, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (2004-2010) Dr. Bock's research integrates laboratory experiments and numerical modeling to advance metallic structural systems, with pioneering work in additive manufacturing for construction. Her investigations span stainless steel design code development, corrosion prevention in reinforced concrete using hydrogels, and cold-formed steel behavior. Recent projects focus on sustainable infrastructure solutions through novel composite materials. Analysis of her 2022-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in additive manufactured aluminum structures, cold-formed steel design methodologies, and sustainable paving materials for urban heat island mitigation. Her work consistently addresses practical engineering challenges through experimental validation and code-compliant design solutions. Scientific recognition includes: IStructE Academic Research Award Commendation (2021) for research on aluminum SHS/RHS under biaxial bending Dr. Bock has secured significant research funding including a Royal Society Research Grant (£20k, 2023) for additive manufactured Al7075 aluminum and Innovate UK funding (£437k) for UV-reflective resin-based paving. Previous internal projects (£20k) focused on structural aluminum applications. She supervises PhD research in additive manufacturing and corrosion prevention while maintaining industry collaborations. Her experimental work utilizes advanced university laboratories for structural testing, with collaborations spanning European research consortia and industrial partners. Current projects involve multi-institutional teams developing reusable structural systems and solar-energy-harvesting building envelopes.
Maria Garlock is the Daniel Tsui Professor in Engineering at Princeton University, serving as Co-Director of the Program in Architecture and Engineering and Head of Forbes College. Her roles also include membership in the Executive Committee of the Council on Science and Technology, Associated Faculty in the School of Architecture, and Associated Faculty in the Program in Latin American Studies. Garlock holds a PhD in Structural Engineering (Lehigh University, 2002), an MS in Civil Engineering (Cornell University, 1993), and a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering (Lehigh University, 1991). Her research focuses on resilient structural design for extreme hazards like fires, earthquakes, and storm surges. She explores both isolated and cascading multi-hazard scenarios while also analyzing historical structural designs (e.g., Félix Candela’s thin-shell concrete umbrellas) and improving STEM education for non-technical majors through innovative teaching methods, including MOOCs and scale model exhibitions. Recent work emphasizes coastal defense systems using hyperbolic-paraboloid forms and steel-concrete girder performance under shear stress. Garlock has received notable honors including the ASCE SEI Fellowship (2016 T.R. Higgins Lectureship), President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching (2012), and the Emerson Electric Co. Faculty Advancement Award (2006). In education and grants, she teaches courses like Structures and the Urban Environment and Advanced Design of Steel/Concrete Structures , and has secured government funding for STEM literacy initiatives. Her research collaborations include the BRITE Pivot project and studies on Cuba’s historic National School of Ballet domes. She also leads efforts in deploying kinetic umbrellas as flood barriers and advancing probabilistic models for fire fragility in multi-hazard contexts. Garlock’s work bridges engineering and art, exemplified by her preservation studies of Candela’s architectural masterpieces and pedagogical innovations that emphasize creativity in structural design.
Nuno Miguel Fonseca Ferreira is a Full Professor at the Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Coimbra (ISEC), part of the Polytechnic of Coimbra, where he currently serves as President of the Scientific Council. His academic career spans over 25 years at ISEC, progressing from Assistant to Professor Coordenador Principal. He has held significant leadership positions including Vice-President of ISEC (2001-2005), Pro-President of the Polytechnic of Coimbra (2009-2010), President of ISEC (2010-2013), and Vice-President of the Polytechnic of Coimbra (2013-2017), where he was responsible for internationalization initiatives. His educational background includes a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Porto (1996), a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (2006), and a Habilitation Title (Aggregation) from the same institution (2020). His research focuses on Robotic Systems, with specialization in cooperative robotic systems as evidenced by his Habilitation work. Professor Ferreira's research spans multiple domains of robotics and intelligent systems, with particular emphasis on multi-robot coordination, environmental applications, and medical robotics. His work bridges theoretical control systems with practical applications across diverse fields including forestry, healthcare, manufacturing, and education. He has developed innovative approaches to robotic manipulation, sensor integration, and human-robot interaction, often incorporating advanced techniques from artificial intelligence and machine learning. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward practical applications of robotics in real-world environments, particularly in forestry maintenance, industrial automation, and medical applications. The research shows progression from theoretical control systems to applied robotics in challenging environments, with increasing integration of computer vision, deep learning, and collaborative systems. His work spans both fundamental robotics research and immediate industrial applications, reflecting a balance between academic inquiry and practical implementation. Professor Ferreira has supervised two doctoral theses and participated in numerous research projects with substantial funding. His leadership extends to coordinating 15 of the 33 national and international R&D projects he has participated in, demonstrating significant grant acquisition and management capabilities. His international collaborations through Erasmus+ and other European programs highlight his role in fostering global research partnerships. He is an integrated member of GECAD (Research Group in Engineering and Intelligent Computing for Innovation and Advanced Development), a Portuguese R&D unit classified as Excellent by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation. Additionally, he is a member of LASI (Associated Laboratory for Intelligent Systems), the Portuguese laboratory associated with Artificial Intelligence, connecting him to a broader national research ecosystem.
Professor Hao Wang is a distinguished academic and researcher in materials science and manufacturing at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ). He holds the position of Professor (Materials and Manufacturing) within the School of Engineering and serves as the Theme Leader for Functional Materials at the Centre for Future Materials. His career spans over 30 years, with a PhD from the University of Queensland (2001) and a GCertEd from Queensland (2005). Professor Wang’s research focuses on advanced materials, including carbon fiber composites, flame retardants, CO2 conversion technologies, and green concrete (geopolymer). He has authored over 450 papers, earning a Google Scholar H-index of 100 and recognition as a Clarivate Highly Cited Author (2023) and Top 2% World Scientist. He leads the Asian-Australasian Association for Composite Materials and was Chair of the 2018 Asian-Australasian Conference on Composite Materials. His recent publications emphasize sustainable materials, recyclable polymers, and fire-safe composites. Over 150 doctoral students have been supervised under his mentorship, focusing on topics like CO2 electrolysis, geopolymer concrete, and flame-retardant epoxy resins. His work bridges academia and industry, addressing global challenges in materials innovation and environmental sustainability.
Paolo Riva is a Full Professor of Structural Engineering at the Department of Design and Technologies of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Bergamo. He has served as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering (2009-2012) and Director of the Department of Engineering at the same university since 2012. His expertise lies in seismic engineering and structural analysis of reinforced concrete structures. Professor Riva graduated in Civil Engineering from Politecnico di Milano in 1984 and earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Canada in 1987. He began his academic career as a researcher at the University of Brescia (1991-2001), became Associate Professor there in 2001, and joined the University of Bergamo as Full Professor in 2005. His primary research interests focus on the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete structures, particularly structural walls and prefabricated structures. He also specializes in seismic retrofitting of historic buildings, nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete structures, and fire behavior of reinforced concrete structures. His work bridges theoretical analysis with practical applications for enhancing structural safety in earthquake-prone regions. Professor Riva's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on seismic damage assessment, structural retrofitting solutions, and sustainability in structural engineering. His research often addresses practical challenges in post-earthquake scenarios, including damage identification through advanced monitoring techniques and development of innovative retrofit strategies for existing structures. A notable trend is his increasing emphasis on integrating sustainability principles into seismic retrofitting practices. Seismic Reliability of Structures (WP3 - Reluis), 2022, 24 months Structural vulnerability models for natural hazards and industrial cascading effects, 2024, 33 months Sustainable Approaches For Earthquake Resistant_REhabilitation solutions for the BUILT environment, 2024, 15 months Professor Riva has directed all these research projects as Scientific Director. His expertise has been recognized through appointments to post-seismic emergency commissions following major earthquakes in Italy, where he provided critical guidance on intervention methods for seismic repairs and improvements for public and monumental buildings.
Yue Li is the Leonard Case Jr. Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. He specializes in resilient and sustainable infrastructure systems, focusing on structural reliability, probabilistic design, and climate change adaptation. His research addresses risk assessment for infrastructure under extreme events, including earthquakes, hurricanes, and climate impacts. Education: PhD in Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005 Research Interests: Dr. Li’s work integrates advanced statistical methods and data-driven approaches to enhance infrastructure resilience. Key areas include: Probabilistic modeling of structural systems Risk-informed decision-making for multi-hazard mitigation Climate change impacts on material durability and performance Asset management and lifecycle cost analysis Notable Contributions: His recent publications emphasize data-driven resilience metrics for water systems and seismic risk assessment for bridges. He has pioneered frameworks for evaluating infrastructure vulnerability under climate change, including corrosion effects and extreme weather adaptation. Awards: ABSE Outstanding Paper Award (2023) Case School of Engineering Teaching Award (2020) Nomination for John S. Diekhoff Award (2019) Leadership Roles: Dr. Li serves as Section Editor for the ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering and chairs multiple technical committees on safety and reliability. He leads initiatives to standardize multi-hazard design practices and resilience evaluation methodologies.
Dr. Fatemeh Azhari is a Lecturer in Structural Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, Monash University, specializing in multi-scale computational tools for advanced materials and structures. She holds a Ph.D. from Monash University (2018), an M.Sc. and B.Sc. from Isfahan University of Technology (2012, 2010). Her research focuses on composite materials, additive manufacturing, and structural mechanics, with applications in sustainable construction and defense projects. Education: Ph.D. Structural Engineering, Monash University (2018) M.Sc. Structural Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology (2012) B.Sc. Civil Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology (2010) Research Interests: Multi-scale modeling, finite element analysis, composite materials (CFRP/GFRP), titanium alloys, fire dynamics, and structural stability. She leads projects funded by DST Group and collaborates with institutions like UNSW and the University of Melbourne. Research Trends: Her work emphasizes integrating computational models with experimental data to predict material behavior under extreme conditions, with recent studies focusing on pseudo-ductile composites, fire dynamics, and additive manufacturing. Awards: 2023 Advancing Women’s Success Grant 2023 ECA Seed Program Best Research Paper Award (2018, 2021) Supervision & Grants: Supervises multiple PhD candidates and co-leads projects on titanium alloys and dental implant mechanics. Active in teaching structural mechanics and materials courses at Monash. Teams/Labs: Collaborates on ICME projects and leads multi-institutional teams focusing on advanced materials and structural systems.
Professor Mikko Malaska is a faculty member at the Department of Civil Engineering, Tampere University of Technology, leading the Structural Fire Research Group. He holds a D.Sc. (Tech.) and has held professorial roles at both the University of Oulu (2009–2015) and Tampere University of Technology since 2015. His research focuses on structural engineering, fire safety of composite materials, and steel-concrete systems. Malaska has extensive industry experience as a Chartered Engineer in the UK and has contributed to reviving structural engineering education at the University of Oulu. Educations: Graduated from Helsinki University of Technology (1996), earned a PhD in Civil Engineering (2001), and conducted postdoctoral research at TNO Building and Construction Research Centre (Netherlands). Research interests include fire performance of structural components, composite materials, and fire engineering standards. His work emphasizes experimental and computational analysis of materials under fire conditions, such as steel-timber hybrids and cross-laminated timber. Recent studies explore sprinkler system integration and charring rates in timber panels. Advising and grants: Supervised 58 theses at the University of Oulu and remains active in academic leadership, including serving as Dean of Education at the Faculty of Technology (2014). His research group actively collaborates on international projects, addressing fire safety in construction materials. Labs/Teams: Head of the Structural Fire Research Group, focusing on experimental and computational studies of fire-resistant materials and structural systems.
