Yousef Darestani

Dr. Yousef Darestani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering at Michigan Technological University (MTU). Previously, he served as a postdoctoral researcher at Rice University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from The Ohio State University (2019), an MSc in Structural Engineering from Sharif University of Technology (2014), and a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Tehran (2011).

• Affiliations: Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), MTU
• Teaching: Structural Analysis, Structural Reliability

His research focuses on enhancing the resilience of infrastructure systems against natural hazards, particularly wind and storm-induced risks. Key areas include machine learning applications for risk assessment, wildfire mitigation in power grids, and lifecycle cost analysis of structural components. He develops probabilistic models to evaluate infrastructure vulnerability and devise cost-effective enhancement strategies.

Recent publications highlight advancements in hurricane resilience frameworks, wildfire-affected power distribution networks, and multi-hazard assessment methodologies. His work bridges engineering principles with socio-technical systems, emphasizing community resilience and climate adaptation.

Teaching and research activities are complemented by interdisciplinary collaborations, including data-driven approaches in biomedical engineering (e.g., prosthetic valve performance prediction). His lab integrates computational modeling, field data analysis, and experimental validation to address real-world challenges in critical infrastructure.