Mahdi Haddad

Dr. Mahdi Haddad is a Research Assistant Professor at the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) within the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. His expertise spans reservoir geomechanics, subsurface electromagnetic monitoring, hydraulic fracture modeling, and induced seismicity. He leads the revitalized BEG Rock Mechanics Lab and oversees projects at the Advanced Energy Consortium (AEC) lab and Devine Field Test Site (DFTS). His work focuses on developing diagnostic technologies to mitigate risks in subsurface energy operations, including CO2 storage, hydraulic fracturing, and fault reactivation analysis.

Education: B.S. in Mechanical and Petroleum Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Iran; M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Energy Conversion) from Sharif University; Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from UT-Austin.

Research Interests: Dr. Haddad specializes in hydraulic fracture dynamics, induced seismicity, poroelastic modeling, and subsurface electromagnetic monitoring. His projects integrate field experiments, numerical simulations, and advanced geophysical techniques to improve subsurface operation safety and efficiency.

Awards: Recipient of the 2020 SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering Journal Technical Reviewer Award and 2019 ARMA Future Leader designation. He co-founded the ARMA Induced Seismicity Webinar Series.

Advising & Grants: Served as Principal Investigator (PI) on an STTR project for fracturing-induced seismicity diagnostics. Mentored PhD students in petroleum engineering and a lab technician. Active in technical committees for SPE and ARMA.

Labs & Teams: Directs the BEG Rock Mechanics Lab and collaborates on initiatives at the AEC Lab and DFTS, advancing technologies for subsurface monitoring and energy resource management.