Hani A. Salim

Hani A. Salim is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Chair of the Department of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Missouri (Mizzou). He is also the Director of MU’s National Center for Explosion Resistant Design and a James C. Dowell Fellow in the College of Engineering.

Education:

• PhD, West Virginia University
• MS, West Virginia University
• BS, Jordan University of Science and Technology

His research focuses on blast mitigation and design, composite materials, and structures and solid mechanics. He develops advanced simulation models to predict structural failure under explosive loads, particularly in laminated glass systems used in buildings and vehicles. His work integrates computational modeling with experimental validation to enhance safety standards.

Recent publications highlight a novel approach using the Rankine Failure Criterion to model brittle failure in glass, offering improvements over traditional ductile-based models in software like Abaqus and ANSYS. This research was featured as a cover story in the journal Buildings.

Scientific Awards:

• William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence (2005)
• Outstanding Teaching Award, College of Engineering (2005)
• James C. Dowell Fellow

Dr. Salim has secured significant research funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Air Force Research Laboratory, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Applied Research Associates, and the Missouri Department of Transportation. He leads interdisciplinary teams working on blast-resistant curtain walls and sandwich wall systems, including a recent $3M project to improve building façade resilience. He actively mentors students and collaborates with industry partners to translate research into practical engineering solutions.

He played a foundational role in establishing the Department of Engineering and Information Technology in 2022, initially serving as interim chair before being appointed permanent chair in January 2024. He emphasizes hands-on, industry-relevant education and has engaged with policymakers and professional societies like ASEE to shape workforce development in engineering technology.