James Pawlikowski

James Pawlikowski is an Adjunct Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), holding dual roles: Clinical Professor in the School of Architecture and Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is a seasoned structural engineer with 27 years of experience, currently leading the Chicago office at Datum Engineers. Previously, he spent 25 years at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), where he served as Associate Director/Senior Structural Engineer and contributed to landmark projects like the Burj Khalifa, NATO Headquarters, and OKO Tower. He holds an MArch and BSAS from UIUC.

Education

• MArch, Structures, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1996)
• BSAS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1994)

Research & Teaching
His expertise spans structural engineering, tall building design, and geotechnical systems. He teaches courses such as Design of Tall Buildings, Foundations and Soil Mechanics, and Design of Structural Systems at UIUC. His professional work emphasizes large-scale infrastructure projects globally.

Awards

• Kerbis Fellow, University of Illinois School of Architecture (2021–present)

Advising & Professional Contributions
He has advised UIUC programs for over 20 years, contributing guest lectures and serving on the CEE External Advisory Committee. His industry collaborations blend academic rigor with real-world engineering challenges.