Research Team
Prof. Sherif Abdelaziz, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE
Group Lead
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Prof. Abdelaziz is an associate professor in the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. Prof. Abdelaziz holds a doctoral degree from the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech with an emphasis on Geotechnical Engineering. Prof. Abdelaziz has over fifteen years of practical experience in the geotechnical engineering field. Prof. Abdelaziz's primary research interests are focused on (1) thermal and energy geotechnics and (2) the use of innovative materials for sustainable geotechnical engineering applications. Prof. Abdelaziz's research has been funded by different federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Research Office (ARO), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
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Dr. Karam Jaradat, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE
Post-doctoral Associate
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Dr. Jaradat is a postdoctoral associate in the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. Dr. Jaradat holds a doctoral degree from the Department of Civil Engineering at Stony Brook University, with an emphasis on Geotechnical Engineering. Dr. Jaradat has over five years of practical experience in the geotechnical engineering field. Dr. Jaradat is an expert in multiscale clay behavior and discrete element modeling (DEM) of both granular and cohesive soils.
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Current Students​
Ph.D. Students
Seyed Morteza Zeinali
Mr. Zeinali, a Ph.D. student in our team, performs research in the multiscale thermo-mechanical behavior of earth material. Mr. Zeinali's research has been recognized by top journals, including the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering.
Shijun Wei
Mr. Wei's main expertise is molecular dynamics (MD) modeling of cohesive systems. He focuses on the impact of elevated temperature on the behavior of saturated clays at the molecular scale level.
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Alumni
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Karam Jaradat Degree: M.Sc., Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate, Virginia Tech
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Aditya Katyayan Degree: Masters Current Position: Geotechnical Engineer, AECOM
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Fahim Shahi Degree: Masters Current Position: Geotechnical Engineer, Langan
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Soji P. Abraham Degree: Masters Current Position: Mechanical Engineer, NYSDOT
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Zubin M. Darbari Degree: Masters Current Position: Ph.D. student, BNL
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Max Chiang Degree: Masters Current Position: Assistant Project Manager, Mega Construction Company
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Angelou Paul Degree: Masters Current Position: Engineer Technician at R&M Engineering
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Justin Antonette Degree: Masters Current Position: Lab Manager, Stony Brook University
Hwanik Ju
Mr. Ju, a Ph.D. student in our team, focuses on the influence of different additives, temperature, and curing conditions on the behavior and efficiency of deep soil mix columns.
Mohamed Alassal
Mr. Alassal focuses on the thermomechanical behavior of corase-grained soils treated with different types of biopolymers. He also studies the rheological properties of different treating agents under different temperatures using advanced nanoscale testing.
Behrooz Daneshian
Mr. Daneshian focuses on the behavior of saturated clays under extreme cold temperatures, both at the macro- and micro-scale levels.
M.Sc. Students
Aidy Ung
Ms. Ung studies the temperature impact on the residual shear strength of saturated clays.
Jirees Fakhouri
Mr. Fakhouri studies the impact of temperature on lateral earth pressure, utilizing a fully instrumented retaining wall at the prices forks lab facility.
Quinten Prieur
Mr. Prieur studies the impact of temperature on lateral earth pressure, utilizing a fully instrumented retaining wall at the prices forks lab facility.
Anisha Pokhrel
Ms. Pokhrel studies the potential use of geo-acoustic signals to design early warning systems for geo-infrastructure including slopes, retaining walls, and foundations.
Abesh Jung Karki (CGPR Funded student)
Mr. Karki studies (1) the concept of critical depth in the design of driven piles in cohesionless soils, and (2) the durability of soil admixtures.
Open Positions
We have several positions available for doctoral students. Exceptional Masters candidates will also be considered. Students with a master degree in geotechnical engineering with different research backgrounds that fit within our research are encouraged to apply. If you meet the following criterion, please forward your academic CV to Dr. Abdelaziz.
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All students (domestic and international) need to have valid GRE scores. Your score in the GRE is a primary factor for admission at Virginia Tech, and more importantly for funding.
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International students need to meet the minimum English proficiency requirements for non-native speakers of English to get admitted to the Ph.D. program at Virginia Tech. Ph.D. candidates are required to meet the requirement for teaching assistants even if they are funded from research projects. Therefore, your score on the speaking section for TOEFL or IELTS needs to be more than 22 or 6.5, respectively. Please, do NOT contact me if you have not met the minimum English proficiency requirements or if you have not had the TOEFL or the IELTS exams.
Note: The final admission decision is made by the graduate committee of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (even for research assistants). The higher your GRE and TOEFL/IELTS scores are, the higher the possibility for your admission with funding.