Team – Stochastic Structures

Dr. Mohsen “Zaker” Esteghamati

“StoStruct” Director [Bio]

Structure Group Head at USU

Assistant Professor of Structural Engineering

Graduate researchers

Shivalinga Baddipalli

Ph.D. student

Shiva is a PhD student dedicated to improving the resilience of our built environment using data-driven techniques. His research centers on seismic resilience, specifically advancing computational tools for large-scale functional recovery assessment in multi-hazard settings with an emphasis on cascading effects. Motivated by a vision to create safe, resilient, and sustainable structures, he pursued his master’s in Structural Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, India. He subsequently worked as a project associate at IIT Mandi. His research experience includes performance-based earthquake engineering, blast response of RC buildings, seismic vibration control, and rapid visual screening (RVS)-based seismic assessment of RC buildings. [Personal Website]

Parham Bakhtiari

Ph.D. student

Parham is a PhD student with a keen interest in utilizing machine learning and advanced data analysis techniques to enhance the seismic resilience of civil structures. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran, and a master’s degree in earthquake engineering from the University of Tehran, Iran. He brings over four years of industry experience as a structural engineer. In his research at Utah State University, Parham will employ state-of-the-art computational methods to simulate structural behavior under seismic loads and forecast post-earthquake functionality.

Negin Fayaz

Ph.D. student (Co-advised by Dr. Matt Hebon, USU)

Negin is a PhD student interested in seismic hazard and risk analysis. She got her BSc and MSc in Civil-Structural Engineering from the University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran. Her research is focused on developing and refining methodologies for processing earthquake records and using statistical approaches to analyze large datasets of ground motion records, aiming to enhance the quality and reliability of these data for seismic analyses.

Shailaja Ratna Pandey

MS student

Shailaja is an MS student from Nepal who is passionate about seismic risk assessment and performance-based engineering of critical structures. Inspired by her country’s seismic challenges and her father’s stories of engineers, she earned her bachelor’s in civil engineering from Pulchowk Campus. With nearly two years of professional experience, Shailaja has worked on designing,
analyzing, and retrofitting structures, including international projects focused on existing structures. Her goal is to contribute to post-earthquake reconstruction by creating safe, cost-effective, and sustainable structures.

Ali Montazeri Namin

MS student

Ali is a civil engineer with 8 years of experience in construction. He is passionate about data science and its application in his field. Ali received his BS from Iran University of Science and Technology in Iran. Ali enjoys using machine learning-assisted modeling to understand the behavior of structures under extreme conditions. In his free time, he enjoys playing water polo and working out in the gym.

Brig Adams

MS student

Brig is an MS student interested in data-driven solutions for modern engineering problems. His passion for engineering and data is rooted in a love for solving problems and helping others. He completed his BS in Civil Engineering at Utah State and hopes to further his knowledge in the field of Structural Engineering. Outside of studying engineering, Brig enjoys golf, fishing, and basketball.

Undergraduate researchers

Annalee Thompson

Annalee is a student at Utah State University pursuing a BS in Civil Engineering with a focus in Structural Engineering. She grew up in Richfield, Utah, and her passion for engineering started young by building backyard projects with her dad. She enjoys taking on a challenge and is involved in the university Tau Beta Pi and EERI chapters. In her free time, she likes to run, watercolor paint, and read.

Nicholas Leavitt

Nicholas is an undergraduate student in Civil Engineering at Utah State University. Growing up in Las Vegas, he always had an interest in engineering thanks to the influence of his father, who is a civil engineer for the City of Las Vegas. He intends to receive his bachelor’s with a focus in structural engineering from USU to achieve his desire to help make the world more sustainable for others. In his free time, Nick loves to build Lego sets, go to the gym, and play music.

Support members

Nacho

PI’s left hand

Thrives on chaos. Expertise in hunting squirrels. Does not keep his GitHub in order. 12/10 a good boi.

YaYA

PI’s right hand

The friendly one. Expertise in getting attention and belly rubs. Very bad at respecting personal boundaries. Definitely a team player. No scale available to measure his good boi-ness.