NHERI Mentor Spotlight

Rachel Adams is a research associate at the Natural Hazards Center and the National Science Foundation-funded CONVERGE initiative. Her research interests include building community resilience, reducing social vulnerability to disasters, and translating evidence-based practices in emergency preparedness and response. She earned her PhD in community health sciences from the University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health and her Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology and biostatistics from the University of Southern California.

Adams joined the Natural Hazards Center in 2019. She is the lead developer of the CONVERGE Training Modules and co-lead administrator of the Center's Research Award Programs. She also contributes to several research activities that focus on enhancing the ethical conduct and practical application of hazards and disaster research.

“Serving as a mentor has reinforced for me that advancing natural hazards research isn’t just about generating knowledge—it’s about cultivating people. By supporting emerging scholars, sharing lessons from the field, and creating space for their ideas to grow, we strengthen the future of the discipline and ensure it becomes more inclusive, innovative, and responsive to the communities it serves.”

Facility: NHERI CONVERGE, University of Colorado Boulder
Programs Mentored: REU Summer Program, Graduate Student Council, Summer Institute for Early-Career Faculty

Daleen Torres‑Burgos is a civil engineering PhD student at the University of Florida and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. Experiencing Hurricane María as an undergraduate freshman sparked a deep curiosity in how communities can be better prepared and protected. She went on to participate in the NHERI REU program in both 2021 and 2022, conducting earthquake engineering research at Lehigh University and hurricane engineering research at the University of Florida. She earned her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez in 2023.

Today, her research explores how wind behavior influences structural response, with a particular focus on how statistical wind properties drive peak pressure loads on structures. Currently, she is building expertise in boundary layer wind tunnel methods, statistical characterization of wind loads and wind-structure interaction. Beyond her technical work, Daleen is committed to mentoring students and supporting aspiring engineers. She is always happy to share her experience and offer guidance to anyone who reaches out.

“Mentoring gives me the chance to support students the way others supported me. I'm grateful for all the guidance that shaped my journey and I'm honored to help the next generation grow into thoughtful, committed natural hazard researchers.”

Facility: NHERI Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel at the University of Florida
Programs Mentored: NHERI REU Summer Program

Liang Cao is an incoming Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Mississippi. Previously, he was a Research Scientist at the ATLSS Engineering Research Center at Lehigh University. His research centers on improving the resilience of civil infrastructure to natural and manmade hazards through high-performance control systems. He develops novel mechanical damping devices and intelligent control strategies and employs real-time hybrid simulation to experimentally evaluate structural performance under multi-hazard conditions. Dr. Cao earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University in 2016, with a minor in Electrical Engineering and Systems and Controls, and his M.S. in Civil Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2013.

“Since 2018, I have led the NSF-funded NHERI REU Summer Program at Lehigh University, which provides research opportunities to undergraduate students nationwide. In this role, I have supervised 12 undergraduate students from diverse U.S. institutions over the past eight years. Notably, 10 of these students have gone on to pursue graduate studies at leading universities, including Stanford and Duke University. Their successful academic trajectories reflect the impact of my mentorship and align with my broader goals as a researcher and educator.”

Facility: NHERI Cyber-Physical Simulation Facility, Lehigh University
Programs Mentored: REU Summer Program, Summer Institute for Early-Career Faculty

Mohamed Eissa came all the way from Cairo, Egypt, to pursue his Ph.D., and after eight years in structural design, made the switch to academia. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Florida International University, just days away from graduation, and a research assistant at the NSF NHERI Wall of Wind Experimental Facility.

His research focuses on investigating and quantifying the wind-induced response of structures subjected to hurricane and thunderstorm winds. These structures include low-rise and high-rise buildings, lattice towers, and other slender systems. His expertise extends beyond experimental simulations to the analysis of large-scale field-collected measurements, an area he further developed during his international internship at the University of Genoa, Italy, where he worked closely with Dr. Solari’s group. This unique experience helped shape his research by combining two complementary areas of expertise: experimental testing and field-data analysis, both aimed at advancing current knowledge of downburst-induced effects on structures.

He was also fortunate to serve as a Wind-Driven Rain Fellow at IBHS, a world-leading facility specializing in full-scale wind tunnel testing. That internship provided hands-on experience and deepened his understanding of how research can translate into practical solutions for real-world challenges. More recently, he received the SEI Futures Fund Student Scholarship to attend the 2026 Structures Congress in Boston.

Coming from Egypt to the United States, Mohamed’s journey has been shaped by both challenges and opportunities, through which he has continued to grow personally, strengthen his skills, and work toward reaching his full potential.

“Mentoring new researchers is a journey of guiding them through their discomfort, fears, and countless moments of self-doubt so they can discover who they truly are; the next generation of problem-solvers and innovators.”

Facility: NHERI Wall of Wind Experimental Facility, Florida International University
Programs Mentored: NHERI REU Summer Program

Tanner Field is a PhD Candidate at Oregon State University specializing in the seismic performance of hybrid mass timber and steel buildings. His research focuses on the structural behavior of mid-rise systems that integrate mass timber self-centering rocking walls and combined steel moment frames and concentrically braced frames. By combining large-scale experimental testing with advanced computational analysis, Tanner’s work focused on optimization and automation for the design and resilience of sustainable, high-performance buildings.

His technical expertise encompasses finite element modeling in OpenSees and the development of metaheuristic algorithms for experimental model updating. His work also includes modal identification using acceleration time-series data and the creation of design automation and optimization procedures for lateral systems. These methods allow him to bridge the gap between theoretical simulations and the observed physical performance of complex structures.

A recipient of the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) and TallWood Design Institute fellowships, Tanner has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout his academic career. He served as the President of the OSU Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) for three years and was the Lead Chair for the 2025 EERI Seismic Design Competition. Beyond his research, Tanner is a volunteer youth soccer and basketball coach in Corvallis.

“My experience as a mentor with NHERI ECO taught me that mentoring is an opportunity to help guide the learning of future natural hazard researchers, while also providing a chance for collaborative exchange of ideas from new perspectives that enhanced my own understanding of impactful natural hazard research.”

Facility: NHERI Large High Performance Outdoor Shake Table 6
Programs Mentored: REU Summer Program

Michael Gardner is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Davis, in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He received his BS in Civil Engineering and his MS and PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Before joining UC Davis, he was faculty in the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering at the University of Nevada in Reno and worked as a postdoc at the NHERI SimCenter where he developed software for natural hazards engineering. Prior to pursuing his graduate studies, he worked as a geotechnical engineer in San Francisco and prior to attending university he served in the US Army as a combat engineer. His professional and research interests include geological engineering, rock mechanics, rock scour, natural hazards engineering, and the application of numerical and stochastic methods to shallow earth processes and engineering analysis.

“I am continually impressed by how quickly students are able to launch into their research! They often have to generate creative solutions, as for many of these projects we are trying something quite new. The opportunity for students to experience high-caliber research is of fundamental importance. It inspires young researchers to pursue careers in natural hazards engineering, so they can help us meet the challenges posed by natural hazards in an evolving climate. And, of course, doing research with dedicated, excited students is the most fun part of my job!”

Facility: NHERI SimCenter, University of California, Berkeley; NHERI Center for Geotechnical Modeling, University of California, Davis
Programs Mentored: REU Summer Program, Graduate Student Council

Manuel Matus, PhD, PE, is a Civil and Structural Engineer at DDA Forensics and specializes in conducting thorough investigations of structural damages, product failures, and other incidents. He meticulously collects and analyzes data through site inspections, material samples, and design specifications to reconstruct events leading to structural failures. Utilizing engineering principles and advanced simulation techniques, Dr. Matus determines the root cause of failures, assessing factors such as human error, design flaws, and manufacturing defects. His expertise in wind damage assessment and building code development makes him an invaluable asset in forensic engineering, where his findings contribute to safer engineering practices and improved structural resilience.

One of his significant achievements includes an important contribution to the ASCE 7 code through his research on “Wind-Induced Loads on Canopies Attached to Mid-rise Buildings,” which was cited by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE 7-22). His work emphasizes the importance of codifying experimental results to enhance building codes and ensure public safety.

“Mentoring the next generation of engineers isn’t just about passing on calculations and codes, it’s about shaping the minds that will design safer, smarter, and more resilient communities. Every lesson shared today becomes a foundation someone else will build upon tomorrow.”

Facility: NHERI Wall of Wind Experimental Facility
Program Mentored: REU Summer Program

Jinyan Zhao is a postdoctoral research associate in the Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department at the California Institute of Technology. His research focuses on physics-consistent, uncertainty-aware performance-based engineering methods for resilient infrastructure systems under natural hazards. He is particularly interested in integrating machine learning and high-performance computing to quantify deep uncertainties across scales, from hazard physics and soil–structure interaction to regional infrastructure networks and interdependent systems.

Prior to joining Caltech, Jinyan was a postdoctoral scholar and software developer at the NSF NHERI SimCenter, where he served as the main developer of the Regional Resilience Determination (R2D) simulation platform, which is an open-source tool that enables high-resolution assessment of infrastructure damage, recovery, and community resilience. His work has contributed to advancing regional-scale risk modeling by integrating multi-hazard simulations, infrastructure interdependencies, and recovery dynamics within a unified computational framework.

“Participating in the REU as a mentor has been a very rewarding experience, as I not only support students’ growth but also continuously learn from them. The students I worked with come from diverse backgrounds, bringing fresh perspectives and ideas that challenge my own assumptions and broaden how I approach problems in natural hazard research.”

Facility: NHERI SimCenter, University of California, Berkeley
Programs Mentored: NHERI REU Summer Program