The Team
Catalina González-Dueñas
Assistant Professor
She obtained her PhD in Civil Engineering from Rice University, focusing on the vulnerability of coastal systems to multi-hazard events. Her background includes a postdoctoral fellowship at University College London, UK, and a Master's degree in Structural Engineering from Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. Her research interests center on applying probabilistic methods to assess risks during extreme events, enhancing community resilience in a changing climate, and the application of AI to evaluate interactions among built, natural, and social systems.
Amirhossein Chegini
PhD Student
Amir holds a Master's degree in Earthquake Engineering from K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Iran, where he specialized in the seismic performance assessment of buildings. He also gained valuable work experience as a Civil Project Engineer at Nestlé for two years. Currently, Amir's research focuses on the multi-hazard risk analysis of coastal structures under extreme events in a changing climate.
Featured Quote: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit” - Will Durant
Rohith Swaminathan
PhD Student
Rohith holds a master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India. He specializes in Finite Element Modeling and Analysis, gained through his experience at Midas R&D India. Additionally, he has worked on projects focusing on slope stability, landslide mitigation, retaining structures, and reinforced soil structures during his time at Maccaferri.
Outside of work, Rohith is passionate about music, movies, and sports. He enjoys exploring different cuisines and embracing the unique experiences each place has to offer, enriching his perspective both personally and professionally.
Jaya Shah
Junior Researcher
Jaya is a high school student based in Arlington, Virginia, currently working towards her IB Diploma. She is passionate about supporting marginalized communities through structural engineering. Currently, her research focuses on climate communication and natural hazard engineering.
Featured Quote: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou
