Henri Gavin

Henri Gavin is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His research focuses on developing innovative solutions for structural resilience, control systems, and earthquake engineering. He leads interdisciplinary projects integrating sensor technology, IoT systems, and machine learning for real-world applications such as earthquake early warning systems.

Research Interests:
Professor Gavin's work spans earthquake engineering, structural dynamics, vibration isolation, robotics, optimization, and machine learning applications in civil infrastructure. His signature project—Pilot Earthquake Early Warning in Kathmandu (Data+, 2022)—demonstrates his approach to combining AI models with geophone sensors and IoT networks for on-site seismic alerts.

Publication Trends:
His recent articles (2020-2024) emphasize structural reliability, decentralized control of robotic systems (UAVs/swarms), optimization algorithms, and seismic protection strategies. This reflects a consistent focus on theoretical rigor applied to practical engineering challenges, particularly in nonlinear dynamics and multi-agent coordination.

Projects and Advising:
He mentors students through Duke's Data+ program, guiding projects in energy data analytics and earthquake early warning systems. Notable funded initiatives include instrumentation and modeling of seismic isolation systems (EAGER, 2012) and performance analysis of base-isolated structures during seismic events.