Ramla Qureshi

Dr. Ramla Qureshi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at McMaster University. Her research focuses on structural resilience against extreme hazards such as earthquakes, fires, and blasts, employing advanced experimental mechanics and real-time hybrid simulation techniques. She also advocates for gender equity in STEM through her role as founder of Women Engineers Pakistan (WEP), recognized by a 2020 Global Finalist nomination at the Falling Walls Conference.

Education: She holds a Ph.D. (2021) and M.Sc. (2016) in Civil Engineering from the University at Buffalo, SUNY, USA. Her doctoral thesis evaluated steel columns under fire using real-time hybrid testing, supervised by Dr. Negar Elhami-Khorasani, while her master’s thesis addressed steel plate shear walls under long-duration earthquakes under Dr. Michel Bruneau.

Research Interests: Qureshi’s work integrates structural resilience with sustainability, emphasizing risk assessment, uncertainty modeling, and reliability analysis for performance-based design. Her recent projects explore wildfire impacts on infrastructure and climate-resilient urban planning, leveraging computational tools and cyber-physical testing methodologies.

Awards & Grants: Recipient of the NSERC Discovery Grant (2022), BC Forestry Innovation Investment (2022-23), Fulbright Scholarship, and AAUW Doctoral Fellowship. Her contributions to STEM equity have earned global recognition.

Teaching: Instructs CIVENG 4N04 Steel Structures, covering gravity/lateral load design, member behavior, and connection detailing. She emphasizes practical applications of structural mechanics principles.

Labs & Teams: Engaged in interdisciplinary resilience research, collaborating on large-scale simulations and finite element modeling. Her work bridges academia and industry, addressing real-world challenges in hazard-resistant infrastructure design.