Program

Teng Wu is a Professor and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at the University at Buffalo. Dr. Wu’s research interest is the development of analytical and computational methods focusing on nonlinear and transient structural aerodynamics, performance-based wind design, and community resilience to hurricane (wind, rain and surge hazards) under changing climate. His contributions have been recognized through the 2014 American Association for Wind Engineering (AAWE) Best Paper Award, 2016 ASCE Alfred Noble Prize, 2017 AAWE Robert Scanlan Award, 2017 International Association for Wind Engineering (IAWE) Junior Award, 2018 International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) Prize, 2023 and 2024 IABSE Outstanding Paper Awards. Dr. Wu currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Advances in Wind Engineering. He also serves on the Executive Committee of ASCE Infrastructure Resilience Division, and is the Chair of ASCE/SEI Cable-Supported Bridges Committee, ASCE/EMI Fluid Dynamics Committee and ASCE/Changing Climate Technical Committee on Future Weather and Climate Extremes. Dr. Wu is an executive board member of IAWE and a member of AAWE board of directors.

Forrest Masters is a professor in the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment and currently serves as Interim Dean for Research and Facilities in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida. His research primarily focuses on hurricane effects on the built environment. Dr. Masters has conducted field experiments in 36 named storms, including recent Category 4 storms Harvey and Laura and Category 5 Michael. He also created one of seven NSF Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) experimental facilities for the study of damaging effects of extreme wind events on civil infrastructure. Dr. Masters serves on the Board of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes and recently served on the NIST National Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction. In 2014, he was awarded the junior International Association of Wind Engineering award, which is the highest award in his field that recognizes significant and original contributions to research by an individual under the age of 40. He also received the Outstanding Achievement Award in Mitigation at the National Hurricane Conference.

Chris Letchford is a Professor and the Head of Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Letchford completed a doctorate at Oxford University in 1987 and has held academic appointments at the University of Queensland, Texas Tech University, the University of Tasmania. He chaired the Australasian Wind Engineering Society (’95 -‘99 and ’08 -‘09) and the American Association for Wind Engineering (’15 -‘16). He was a member of the wind load committee for AS1170.2-2001 and 2011 and is a voting member of the similar committee for ASCE 7-16 and 28. He has given keynote lectures in the International Wind Engineering Conference and at European and Asia-Pacific Regional Wind Engineering Conferences. In 2015 he gave the Scruton Lecture at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London. His research interests include fundamental bluff body aerodynamics, physical simulations of boundary layer, thunderstorm downburst, and tornado winds and the loads induced in structures.

Partha P. Sarkar, Ph.D., F.SEI, F.ASCE, is a professor of Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University (ISU). Prior to joining ISU as a Wilson/Miller chaired professor in 2000, he was a faculty in the department of civil engineering at Texas Tech University for 8 years and worked in the industry for 2.5 years. He recently served as his department’s interim chair and research director and is currently leading the NSF-Mid-scale RI1 Project NEWRITE at ISU. Sarkar, who earned his doctoral degree from Johns Hopkins University, is widely acclaimed for his contributions as an educator and researcher in structural wind engineering.