Michael C. Constantinou

Michael C. Constantinou is the Samuel P. Capen Professor and SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. His research focuses on seismic protective systems for buildings, bridges, and infrastructure, with an emphasis on seismic isolation technologies and structural resilience.

He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1984), an MS from the same institution (1981), and a BE from the University of Patras, Greece (1980). His work integrates experimental testing, computational modeling, and standards development to enhance structural safety under extreme seismic events.

Dr. Constantinou’s research spans seismic isolation systems for critical infrastructure (e.g., nuclear facilities, power transformers), adaptive negative stiffness devices, and the effects of frictional heating in isolation bearings. His studies often combine shake-table experiments with advanced numerical simulations to validate performance under realistic seismic conditions.

His contributions include developing performance-based testing protocols for seismic isolators and assessing rotational ground motion effects on structural response. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles on seismic isolation, energy dissipation, and structural dynamics.

Dr. Constantinou is a recipient of the SUNY Distinguished Professorship, reflecting his impactful research and leadership in earthquake engineering. His work directly informs codes and standards for resilient infrastructure design.