UBC Okanagan Civil Engineering Professor, Dr. Solomon Tesfamariam, was recently appointed as a Guest Professor at Tongji University through China’s National High-End Foreign Expert Program. As part of the program, Dr. Tesfamariam will be teaching, mentoring and collaborating with researchers in the areas of hybrid structures and earthquake engineering. Tongji University is one of China’s oldest, strongest and most comprehensive civil engineering programs. “I am thrilled have been appointed for this prestigious program” says Dr. Tesfamariam, “and I am looking forward to the knowledge maintenance and transfer that will take place.”
The 3-year appointment will see Dr. Tesfamariam visit the Shanghai campus of Tongji several times while working with Professor Kaoshan Dai and his research team. Together, they have already submitted two papers for review and have a further two in the works. Dr. Tesfamariam has been thrilled with the partnership so far, “as a researcher, the opportunity to work within different systems and explore different problems is very exciting.” The appointment with Tongji will run until the end of 2018.
In addition to Dr. Tesfamariam’s work in China, he has a network of institutions across the globe that he collaborates with. He spent his recent sabbatical at Kyoto University, Japan and at Sapienza University of Roma, Italy working with researchers there to build better timber and steel hybrid structures and seismic risks, respectively. He has also been selected as IAS Benjamin Meaker Visiting Professorship at Bristol University.
As a result of his contributions since 2015, Tesfamariam has been named a member of CSA O86 – Engineering Design in Wood and subcommittee on Systems Design Subcommittee and Connection. His contribution in the hybrid structure has gained international recognition in the academia and professional institutions. Tesfamariam is a guest editor for the Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities (ASCE) and solicited and edited over 10 papers. He has traveled the World presenting his research including in Canada, Europe (University of Athens, University of Thessaloniki, University of Bristol, La Sapienza University), and Japan (Kyoto University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Oita University, Architectural Institute of Japan), Asia (Technical University of Istanbul) and Africa (Addis Ababa University).
For more information about Professor Tesfamariam visit http://engineering.ok.ubc.ca/faculty/stesfama.html and https://people.ok.ubc.ca/stesfama/