Ali Imanpour

Ali Imanpour, PhD, PEng, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Engineering. He joined the department in 2017 after a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University and prior industry experience as a structural engineer from 2006 to 2010. A licensed professional engineer in Alberta and British Columbia, he actively consults on structural design projects and contributes to national standards development.

Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Structural Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Québec, 2015
• Master of Science (M.Sc.), Civil-Earthquake Engineering, University of Tehran, Iran, 2008
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Civil Engineering, University of Tabriz, Iran, 2005

Research Interests:

Prof. Imanpour's research integrates analytical and experimental methods with Artificial Intelligence to develop civil infrastructure resilient against extreme natural hazards. His work spans seismic design of steel structures, stability analysis, connection behavior, and nonlinear simulation techniques. Key focus areas include:

• Seismic design procedures for steel framed structures using analytical/experimental methods
• Development of resilient structural systems for seismic and wind applications
• AI-based tools for improving steel design and fabrication
• Metamodels for steel seismic force-resisting systems
• Model updating techniques for seismic hybrid simulation
• Large-scale structural testing methodologies

Scientific Awards: No awards, prizes, or fellowships were mentioned in the provided text.

Advising and Grants: Prof. Imanpour teaches undergraduate courses including CIV E 374 (Structural Design I) and graduate courses such as CIV E 779 (Advanced Topics in Structural Engineering). His research is supported through industry partnerships via The Steel Centre, where he serves on technical committees for CSA S16 (Design of Steel Structures) and CSA A170 (Volumetric Modular Construction), contributing to national standards development while maintaining active industry consultation.

Labs and Teams: As Director of The Steel Centre (CISC Centre for Steel Structures Education and Research), he leads an industry-driven network encompassing student initiatives: SCORE (student-run consultancy with real industry projects), The Steel Squad (site visits to fabrication shops/construction sites), Steel for Lunch (seminar series), and the Steel Centre Bridge Team. The Centre also organizes the SuperTour for immersive exploration of landmark structures and partners with major industry players including CISC, Canam, Supreme Steel, and CWB Welding.