Yahya (Gino) Kurama, PhD—Co-Principal Investigator
Yahya (Gino) C. Kurama received his B.S. in civil engineering (1990) from Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey, and his M.S. (1993) and Ph.D. (1997) in civil engineering from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Dr. Kurama is a registered engineer in Indiana and Michigan. He is a recipient of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) Charles C. Zollman Award in 2015, PCI Distinguished Educator Award in 2014, PCI Central Region University Professor of the Year Award in 2012, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) State-of-the-Art of Civil Engineering Award in 2012, University of Notre Dame Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C. Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2008 and 2013, PCI Young Educator Achievement Award in 2005, ASCE T.Y. Lin Award in 2003, and PCI Martin P. Korn Award in 2002. He was a faculty fellow of the Kaneb Center for Teaching & Learning at the University of Notre Dame in 2010-2011. He received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award in 1998. Dr. Kurama is a member of American Concrete Institute (ACI) Committees on Performance-Based Seismic Design of Concrete Buildings, Precast Concrete Structures, and Concrete with Recycled Materials; ASCE Composite Construction Committee; and PCI Seismic and Student Education Committees. He also serves as an associate editor for the ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering.
Ashley Thrall, PhD—Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Ashley P. Thrall is the Myron and Rosemary Noble Assistant Professor of Structural Engineering in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences at the University of Notre Dame where she directs the Kinetic Structures Laboratory (athrall.nd.edu). Her research investigates the behavior, design, and optimization of kinetic civil infrastructure utilizing analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches. Kinetic bridges, shelters, and buildings include modular systems, which are rapidly movable, erectable, and deployable. Dr. Thrall has won several distinguished awards, including an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award, the Hangai Prize from the International Association for Shells and Spatial Structures, and the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Foundation Structural Engineering Traveling Fellowship. Dr. Thrall earned her PhD and MSE in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Princeton University and her BA in Physics from Vassar College.
Scott Sanborn, PhD—National Laboratory Collaborator
Dr. Scott Sanborn graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2004 with a BE Civil Engineering. Following his graduation, he attended Princeton University where he received his both his MA (2008) and PhD (2010) in Civil Engineering. At Princeton, Dr. Sanborn researched on-the-fly modelling of elastoplactic soils and nanocomposites From 2009 to 2014, Dr. Sanborn worked at Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) as a research engineer where he conducted structural analyses of the Hanford nuclear waste storage tanks. Dr. Sanborn also modelled nuclear fuel disposition and performed predictive engineering of carbon fiber thermoplastics during his time at PNNL. Since 2014, Dr. Sanborn has worked at Sandia National Laboratories as a research and development mechanical engineer where he conducts research into blast and impact analysis for radioisotope powered space systems. With over a decade of modelling acumen, much of which is focused on nuclear power plant related work, Dr. Sanborn provides the research team with valuable finite element modeling insights and advice.
Matthew Van Liew, PE—Industry Collaborator
Matthew Van Liew attended Stevens Institute of Technology where he completed his BE in Civil Engineering and his MS in Structural Engineering in 2005. Since graduation, he has worked at AECOM as a structural engineer. Mr. Van Liew has extensive experience the fields of fossil power, supporting existing nuclear plants, and new nuclear power technology. He worked as a project manager for Fermi 2 upgrades and helped design the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries US Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor containment internal structure. Mr. Van Liew has extensive experience in both the seismic design of nuclear power plant structures and large scale physical testing of structural components, making him an incredible resource to the research team.
Steve Barbachyn—Postdoctoral Research Associate
Steven Barbachyn is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Notre Dame under the direction of Dr. Kurama and Dr. Thrall. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering at Hope College (Holland, MI) where he participated in undergraduate research on the design and control of reconfigurable tetrahedral robots in connection with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. At Hope College, Steve also spent two years on the planning, design, and on-site construction of a diversion dam and water distribution system for the village of Nkuv, Cameroon as part of Engineers Without Borders (EWB). Steve's rewarding experience with EWB sparked his interest in the civil engineering field and led to the pursuit of a Master's degree and PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. As a Master's student, he was awarded the Portland Cement Association (PCA) Education Foundation Fellowship. Steve's research at Notre Dame has primarily focused on the seismic behavior, analysis, and design of reinforced concrete structures, particularly medium- and high-rise coupled shear wall systems. He believe his extensive work in these areas will allow him to provide important contributions as a postdoctoral researcher to a recently-funded Department of Energy project centering on the accelerated construction of nuclear concrete structures using high-strength materials and prefabrication methodologies.
Robert Devine—Graduate Research Assistant
Robert Devine is graduate student co-advised by Dr. Kurama and Dr. Thrall. His interests are in Structural Engineering specifically in novel reinforced concrete design. Robert completed his undergraduate studies at Notre Dame in 2015 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. As an undergraduate, Robert did research advised by Dr. Kurama on the Adequacy of Recycled Concrete Aggregates in Prestressed Concrete. For this undergraduate research Robert was awarded the Gibran Kareem Undergraduate Research Prize. Robert also holds the Richard and Peggy Notebaert Fellowship, awarded by the Graduate School of Notre Dame, and the U.S. Department of Energy Integrated University Program Fellowship. In 2016, he was also awarded a National Science Foundation East Asian and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students Fellowship. Over a 10 week period, he collaborated with Professor Toshimi Kabeyasawa at the Earthquake Research Institute (ERI) at the University of Tokyo, modelling low-rise reinforced concrete walls and assisting with experiments at the ERI laboratory. Furthermore, in 2016 he was awarded the American Concrete Institute Stewart C. Watson Scholarship, reserved for graduate students whose research focuses in the field of joints, bearings, or seismic systems for concrete structures. He has also earned a Striving for Excellence in Teaching at College and Universities Certification from the Kaneb Center at Notre Dame for his committment to better himself as a teaching assistant. His career goals are to pursue a tenure track faculty position and continue researching sustainable and innovative structural designs.
Chris Garcia—Undergraduate Research Assistant
Chris is a sophomore Civil Engineering student living in Keenan Hall. He enjoys playing basketball and meeting new people. He is interested in sustainable solutions, design for seismic hazards, and how different materials and/or structural systems affect a building's energy usage and structural efficiency. It is a goal of his to work for a large firm and aid in the design of tall structures, specifically ones that implement innovative damping systems.
Molly Phillips—Undergraduate Research Assistant
Molly is a junior from Richmond, Virginia studying civil engineering. She serves as a research assistant for Dr. Thrall and Dr. Kurama studying the use of high strength materials and prefabricated systems for nuclear concrete structures. She is interested in structural engineering and plans to pursue a career in that field. At Notre Dame, she serves as the Vice President of the Club Field Hockey Team and is a member of the Society of Women Engineers.
Coleman Blakely—Undergraduate Research Assistant
Coleman is a sophomore studying civil engineering at Notre Dame. Through Notre Dame's ASCE chapter, he is involved in concrete canoe as well as serving as the club's public relations chair. The design of large structures, such as buildings, bridges, and dam, has always fascinated him and is the reason he chose to study Civil Engineering. He hopes to someday work at a firm designing large structures.
For more information contact Dr. Yahya Kurama (ykurama@nd.edu) or Dr. Ashley Thrall (athrall@nd.edu)