Prof. Tarek Abdoun

Professor Abdoun Tarek H. Abdoun earned his B.S. in Structural Engineering from Cairo University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is the Thomas Iovino Chair Professor, Technical Director of the Geo-Centrifuge Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and holds a Global Distinguished Professorship at NYU Abu Dhabi, where he also leads as Program Head of Civil and Urban Engineering. Prof. Abdoun’s research focuses on how soils and foundations behave under extreme conditions — earthquakes, floods, hurricanes — and develops experimental (centrifuge and full-scale) and computational tools to understand and improve resilience. He has published over 200 technical papers, and has received several major awards, including the ASCE Walter L. Huber Research Prize, the Shamsher Prakash Research Award, and the U.S. Army Commander’s Award for Public Service, among others. He is also the recipient of several educational society awards, including the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Section Outstanding Teaching Award.