Research

Professor receives Fulbright award to study combined natural hazards in Chile

sugl6437 — Fri, 15 May 2026 16:36:18 +0000

Professor receives Fulbright award to study combined natural hazards in Chile sugl6437 Fri, 05/15/2026 - 10:36

Susan Glairon

Shideh Dashti, a professor of geotechnical engineering and geomechanics, has received a Fulbright award to study combined seismic and rainfall-related geohazards at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile (PUC).

As part of the prestigious U.S. State Department program, Dashti will spend four months at PUC developing tools and curriculum to help engineers better understand and prepare for overlapping rainfall and earthquake geohazards.

Chile faces multiple natural hazards—including drought, floods, wildfires and earthquakes—that increasingly occur concurrently or sequentially.

“Chile offers unique access to case histories of combined geohazards that could support our research and modeling efforts, along with advanced building codes and outstanding expertise in the field of hazards engineering,” said Dashti, who studies compound climatic-seismic geohazards.

The project aims to help shift infrastructure design and engineering education from focusing on single hazards to addressing the compound impacts of hazards on critical infrastructure.

Rainfall simulation box designed for ��ӽ紫ý’s 400 g-ton centrifuge facility at the Center for Infrastructure, Energy and Space Testing (CIEST) to simulate how combined rainfall and earthquake loading affect scaled slopes and embankments.

“The effects of compound geohazards have been understudied, partly due to the lack of well-documented field data and partly lack of related physical model studies,” she said. “They are currently not included in the training of future hazards engineers and professionals or in our codes and standards. My goal is to collect and analyze well-documented case histories in Chile that support a fundamental study of these effects.”

Perfect storm

Simultaneous seismic and rainfall-related hazards can destabilize hillsides, weaken soil and increase the risk of infrastructure failure, Dashti said. For instance, intense rainfall followed by even a minor earthquake can trigger significant landslides, while rain-saturated soil may lose strength during earthquake shaking and undergo liquefaction, behaving more like a liquid and damaging roads, buildings and other critical infrastructure.

“The aging physical infrastructure, such as the earthen slopes and embankments that support critical transportation, water, telecommunication and power lifelines in Chile and the U.S. is not ready for increasingly likely concurrent or sequential extreme events, amplifying risk imposed on our communities” she said.

Dashti was also a principal investigator and steering committee member of the National Science Foundation-funded Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER), which coordinates geotechnical data collection and field investigations following major international disasters.

In Chile she will work with colleagues to collect multi-hazard case histories, while sharing findings and best practices through lectures, seminars and workshops with Chile’s practicing geotechnical engineers.

After the four-month Fulbright Fellowship in Chile, she will use centrifuge and computational modeling inspired by the collected case histories to study how combined rainfall and earthquake hazards affect slopes and earthen infrastructure using ��ӽ紫ý’s unique experimental and computational resources. The models will help interpret real-world case studies, evaluate current engineering tools and identify conditions where existing single-hazard design approaches may be unsafe.

The research will also help determine how different rainfall conditions change earthquake risks and will support the development of preliminary engineering guidelines tailored to Chile’s hazards, geology and infrastructure vulnerabilities.

Shideh Dashti, a professor of geotechnical engineering and geomechanics, has received a Fulbright award to study the combined impacts of seismic and rainfall-related geohazards at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC). The project seeks to advance infrastructure design and engineering education by shifting the focus from single-hazard approaches to addressing the compound effects these hazards pose to critical infrastructure.

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Data centers don’t have to be a burden on local communities – and can even support them by generating power and repurposing waste heat

sugl6437 — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 20:27:23 +0000

Data centers don’t have to be a burden on local communities – and can even support them by generating power and repurposing waste heat sugl6437 Tue, 04/21/2026 - 14:27

In this article in The Conversation, Professors Gregor Henze and Sean Shaheen explain how waste heat from data centers could be reused to warm nearby buildings if the centers are carefully designed, constructed and operated.

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Modeling the Colorado River’s uncertain future

sugl6437 — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:30:38 +0000

Modeling the Colorado River’s uncertain future sugl6437 Fri, 04/10/2026 - 15:30

As the Colorado River faces historic declines in flow, decision-makers are turning to advanced modeling tools to manage an increasingly uncertain future. At the center of this effort is Research Professor Edith Zagona, who leads the development of RiverWare, a widely used modeling platform that simulates how water moves through the basin. Her work includes leading a multidisciplinary team at the Center for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems (CADSWES), advancing RiverWare and other decision- support tools.

Originally developed in the 1990s at the University of Colorado Boulder, RiverWare allows states, cities and tribes to run their own scenarios through complex systems like the Colorado River Simulation System, increasing transparency and trust in water management decisions.

Read the IEEE Spectrum article

Research Professor Edith Zagona leads the development of RiverWare, a widely used modeling platform that helps simulate how water moves through the basin.

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Winter never came to Colorado. What does it mean for water supplies?

sugl6437 — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:54:10 +0000

Winter never came to Colorado. What does it mean for water supplies? sugl6437 Tue, 03/31/2026 - 10:54

Associate Professor Ben Livneh, who’s also the director of the Western Water Assessment (WWA) at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), shares insights on what this “snow drought” means for water availability, how it compares to past trends and what may lie ahead as Colorado approaches peak snowpack season.

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Professor interviewed on Colorado River crisis

sugl6437 — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:57:25 +0000

Professor interviewed on Colorado River crisis sugl6437 Thu, 02/19/2026 - 08:57

Professor Rajagopalan Balaji was interviewed by NPR's KGNU about the extreme difficulties facing western states as they renegotiate the Colorado River Compact that governs water use.

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'Hiding in plain sight': Scientists reflect on years studying life in Antarctic desert

sugl6437 — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:52:44 +0000

'Hiding in plain sight': Scientists reflect on years studying life in Antarctic desert sugl6437 Wed, 02/11/2026 - 09:52

Researchers at the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological Research Program have spent more than three decades studying ecosystems in one of the world’s most hostile environments.

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Meet Assistant Professor Eduardo Montalto

sugl6437 — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 23:39:48 +0000

Meet Assistant Professor Eduardo Montalto sugl6437 Wed, 02/04/2026 - 16:39

Susan Glairon

What were you doing prior to joining the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering?

Before graduate school, I worked as a design engineer in Costa Rica on new design projects as well as conducted seismic assessments and retrofits of existing buildings.

In 2025, I obtained my PhD in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, under Associate Professor Dimitrios Konstantinidis. My doctoral work focused on the performance of seismic isolation devices, systems that reduce how much earthquake shaking reaches a building. This is done by placing flexible devices between foundations and buildings. During an earthquake, the ground can move, but the building above moves more slowly and less violently—helping prevent damage and collapse. These systems can achieve higher performance than traditional approaches in which buildings resist earthquakes by permitting damage in specific elements such as beams, columns or walls. The building stays standing, but those parts are damaged and often need major repairs.

My work combined mechanical theory, advanced numerical modeling and large-scale laboratory testing to understand how these devices perform and quantify their limits.

What are your main research interests or focus areas?

My research sits at the intersection of structural mechanics, earthquake engineering and innovative structural systems. As mentioned, one focus is developing affordable, sustainable, low-damage seismic protection devices. A second focus is the development of computer models that look at buildings from a microscopic scale to the entire structure. This helps us better understand how buildings behave under extreme conditions, especially when they use unconventional materials.

What drew you to ��ӽ紫ý?

I was drawn to ��ӽ紫ý and the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences for their strong commitment to innovation that creates real-world impact and sustainable solutions, supported by a strong culture of collaboration and interdisciplinary research. I believe this environment will enrich my work and amplify its impact. I was also deeply attracted to the institution’s inclusive culture. Of course, the proximity to the Flatirons and Rocky Mountains doesn’t hurt either.

How does your work connect to real-world problems or applications?

Natural hazards continue to cause significant human and economic losses worldwide because many buildings and infrastructure systems are not designed to withstand extreme events.

My work focuses on developing new technologies that make buildings and infrastructure safer and more reliable while keeping them affordable and environmentally friendly. This involves both hands-on testing and computer simulations to understand how these new technologies and materials behave under different conditions.

Are there any specific projects or collaborations you’re excited to start here?

I’m excited to use the facilities of the Center for Infrastructure, Energy and Space Testing (CIEST) to carry out material and large-scale tests that are necessary for the work I envision. I also believe that my work on computational simulations will foster valuable collaborations with other faculty and researchers of civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering. From a teaching standpoint, I’m looking forward to using the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory, a unique resource that provides engineering students with hands-on learning experiences.

What’s something you’re passionate about outside of work?

I’m a tennis fan who enjoys playing on the weekends—when the weather cooperates—and I follow professional tournaments. You’ll also find me exploring new hikes and parks with my family and my beloved dog, Iga. And last, but not least, I’m a coffee enthusiast who enjoys a freshly brewed cup in the afternoon, as well as sampling beans from around the world.

Eduardo Montalto researches affordable, sustainable seismic protection systems designed to reduce how much earthquake shaking reaches a building and minimize structural damage. He also develops advanced computer models to better understand how buildings perform under extreme conditions, particularly when constructed with unconventional materials.

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Reconstructing the ancient Indus River

Susan Glairon — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:18:20 +0000

Reconstructing the ancient Indus River Susan Glairon Thu, 12/11/2025 - 17:18

By combining hydrology and paleoclimate modeling, Professor Balaji Rajagopalan and colleagues uncovered the long-standing mystery behind the disappearance of the Harappan Civilization.

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Homes that can withstand extremes: New study reveals pathways to housing resilience

Susan Glairon — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 22:40:15 +0000

Homes that can withstand extremes: New study reveals pathways to housing resilience Susan Glairon Tue, 12/09/2025 - 15:40

Professor Abbie Liel and colleagues have identified building code features that have the biggest impact on hazard resilience and translated those features into tangible, practical building solutions. The findings were published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.

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Mark Hernandez joins global commission on indoor air quality

Susan Glairon — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 16:45:17 +0000

Mark Hernandez joins global commission on indoor air quality Susan Glairon Mon, 09/29/2025 - 10:45

Mark Hernandez is serving as a commissioner of the newly launched Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air to elevate indoor air as a critical public health priority and drive coordinated global action and solutions.

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Research

Professor receives Fulbright award to study combined natural hazards in Chile

Perfect storm

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Data centers don’t have to be a burden on local communities – and can even support them by generating power and repurposing waste heat

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Modeling the Colorado River’s uncertain future

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Winter never came to Colorado. What does it mean for water supplies?

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Professor interviewed on Colorado River crisis

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'Hiding in plain sight': Scientists reflect on years studying life in Antarctic desert

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Meet Assistant Professor Eduardo Montalto

What were you doing prior to joining the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering?

What are your main research interests or focus areas?

What drew you to ���ӽ紫ý?

How does your work connect to real-world problems or applications?

Are there any specific projects or collaborations you’re excited to start here?

What’s something you’re passionate about outside of work?

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Reconstructing the ancient Indus River

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Homes that can withstand extremes: New study reveals pathways to housing resilience

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Mark Hernandez joins global commission on indoor air quality

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What drew you to ��ӽ紫ý?