Faculty Preparing Next Generation of Bridge Engineering Experts

Our faculty are conducting research with impact and ensuring the next generation is well prepared to tackle real-world problems like designing structurally sound bridges and keeping them safe as they age. 

For example, all the PhD candidates who have worked under Civil Engineering Professor Jimmy Kim  have been hired as faculty members at universities worldwide. They include: 

• Dr. Abdulaziz Alqurashi (graduated in 2023). Dissertation title: Torsional behavior of concrete beams strengthened with advanced composite sheets. Assistant Professor at the Islamic University of Madinah  

• Dr. Ali Alatify (graduated in 2024). Dissertation title: Behavior and design of composite rebars interfaced with concrete. Assistant Professor at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University 

• Dr. Ibrahim Bumadian (graduated in 2023). Dissertation title: Performance of concrete members strengthened with CFRP sheets subjected to various hazard environments. Assistant Professor at the University of Derna 

• Dr. Jun Wang (graduated in 2020), Dissertation title: Multi Object Interactions and Complexity in Concrete Materials and Structures. Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa 

• Dr. Yongcheng Ji (graduated in 2018). Dissertation title: Design guidelines for bridges subjected to light rail loads. Professor at Northeast Forestry University 

“These accomplishments clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of structural engineering education in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Colorado Denver,” Kim said, while acknowledging the students’ hard work and professionalism in pursuing various research projects.  

Kim’s research interests encompass bridge engineering, advanced composite materials for rehabilitation, structural informatics, complex systems, and science-based structural engineering, including statistical, interfacial, and quantum physics. Kim, a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute and Council Member of the International Institute for FRP in Construction, serves as President of the Bridge Engineering Institute, an International Technical Society. He has received many honors over the past decades including the Chester Paul Siess Award for Excellence in Structural Research, the highest honor in structural concrete bestowed by the American Concrete Institute.