Reagan Herman

Reagan Herman is an Instructional Professor and Director of the Civil Engineering Undergraduate Program at the University of Houston's College of Engineering. Her career spans over two decades, with prior roles including Instructional Associate Professor, Research Associate Professor, and Senior Lecturer at the University of Houston and Johns Hopkins University.

Herman earned her Ph.D. (2001) and M.S. (1995) in Structural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, advised by Karl Frank and James Jirsa, respectively, and a B.S. in Civil Engineering - Structures Concentration (1993) from North Carolina State University.

Her research focuses on steel bridge design, innovative bracing systems, thermal load effects, and field monitoring. Key projects include evaluating Lean-On cross-frame bracing for skewed supports, metal deck form bracing systems, and thermal stress impacts on bridge performance. These studies integrate experimental testing, finite element analysis, and design guideline development.

Recent publications highlight advancements in lateral bracing mechanics, stability analysis, and steel girder performance under environmental loads. She has contributed to ASCE Journal of Bridge Engineering and Structural Stability Research Council proceedings.

Scientific awards include: Moisseiff Award (ASCE 2010), Vinnakota Paper Award (SSRC 2005), multiple Outstanding Teacher/Lecturer Awards (University of Houston 2002-2006), and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (1993-1996).

Her grants include $36,000 (2005-2007) for metal deck bracing studies, $72,500 (2005-2007) for Lean-On bracing (co-PI), and $768,098 (2004-2008) for doctoral training in infrastructure engineering.

She has supervised 10 graduate students and mentored numerous undergraduate researchers, with alumni contributing to projects on bridge girder stress analysis, field instrumentation, and composite system behavior.