Mustafa Mashal, Ph.D., P.E., CPEng, IntPE(NZ), F.SEI, F.ASCE

Vice President for Research & Economic Development & Professor, East Texas A&M University

Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , Idaho State University

Joint Appointee, Idaho National Laboratory 

Research Interests

Structural and Earthquake Engineering, Concrete Materials & Structures, Precast Concrete, Disaster Response, Large-Scale Testing,  Seismic Analysis & Design,  Environmental Security 

Sample Publications 

1. S. Khanal, U.S. Medasetti, M. Mashal, B. Savage, and R. Khadka (2022). Virtual and Augmented Reality in Disaster Management Technology: A Literature Review of the Past 10 Years. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 3:843195.

2. Z. Free, M. Hernandez, M. Mashal, and K. Mondal (2021). A Review on Advanced Manufacturing for Hydrogen Storage Applications. Special Issue Materials and Advanced Manufacturing for Sustainable Energy Applications, mdpi Energies, 14 (24): 8513.

3. M. Iqbal, M. Mashal, M. A. Khan, J. Grider, R. Squires, R. Richardson, J. A. Koudelka, A. Thornley, I. van Woerden (2022). Should We Offer Disaster Preparedness and Response Training Workshops Across Idaho? A Feasibility Study. Journal of Emergency Management. (In Press)

4. R. Khadka, M. Mashal, and J. Cantrell (2020). Experimental Investigation on Mechanical Properties of Titanium Alloy Bars: Comparison with High-Strength Steel, Special Publication of American Concrete Institute, ACI Symposium Publication Vol 341 (8), 160-187.

5. M. Mashal and A. Palermo (2019). Low-Damage Seismic Design for Accelerated Bridge Construction, Special Issue on Accelerated Bridge Construction, ASCE Journal of Bridge Engineering, Vol 24(7).

6. M. Casanova, C. Clauson, A. Ebrahimpour, and M. Mashal (2019). High-Early Strength Concrete with Polypropylene Fibers as a Cost-Effective Alternative for Field-Cast Connections of Precast Elements in Accelerated Bridge Construction, ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, Vol 31(11).

7. M. Mashal and A. Palermo (2019). Emulative Seismic Resistant Technology for Accelerated Bridge Construction, Elsevier Journal of Soils Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Special Issue on Earthquake Resilient Buildings, Vol 124, 197-211.

8. M. Mashal, A. Palermo, and G. Keats (2019). Innovative Metallic Dissipaters for Earthquake Protection of Structural and Non-Structural Components, Journal of Soils Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Special Issue on Earthquake Resilient Buildings, Vol 116, 31-42.

Biography 

Dr. Mustafa Mashal is the incoming Vice President for Research and Economic Development and Professor in the College of Science and Engineering at East Texas A&M University. In this role, he leads the university’s long-term research and innovation strategy, advances institutional research capacity, supports faculty success in securing competitive external funding, cultivates strategic partnerships with government agencies, industry, and academic institutions, and promotes economic development through applied research, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and technology commercialization. Building on ETAMU’s R2 Carnegie research classification, he is focused on strengthening the university’s research enterprise and expanding its role as a driver of innovation and economic growth in Northeast Texas.

Dr. Mashal continues to hold a joint appointment with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL), where he contributes to collaborative research initiatives involving advanced materials, infrastructure resilience, and energy systems. He joins ETAMU from Idaho State University (ISU), where he most recently served as Associate Vice President for Research, Innovation Partnerships and Professor of Civil Engineering. With more than 18 years of experience spanning higher education, national laboratory collaborations, and private industry across three continents, Dr. Mashal has developed a distinguished record of building research enterprises, creating high-impact partnerships, securing competitive funding, mentoring researchers, and translating discoveries into solutions with societal and economic impact.

During his tenure at ISU, Dr. Mashal played a key leadership role in expanding the university’s research and innovation ecosystem. He served as the primary institutional liaison for ISU’s Strategic University Partnership for Research (SUPER) Agreement with INL, helped establish the Critical Materials and Energy Systems Innovation Center, expanded collaborative opportunities and joint appointments between ISU faculty and national laboratories, and supported initiatives that connected university research strengths with national priorities in energy, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. He also founded and directed two of ISU’s signature research facilities: the Structural Laboratory (SLAB), one of the largest structural testing facilities in the region, and the Disaster Response Complex (DRC), a nationally recognized training and research facility focused on disaster preparedness and community resilience.

An internationally recognized researcher in structural and earthquake engineering, Dr. Mashal’s research has advanced resilient infrastructure systems through innovations in precast concrete structures, ultra-high-performance concrete, advanced construction materials, large-scale structural testing, accelerated bridge construction, low-damage seismic design, and emerging technologies for next-generation nuclear energy systems. His research has contributed to improved engineering practices, national transportation infrastructure, and the development of more resilient and sustainable communities. His work has included collaborations with federal agencies, state transportation departments, industry partners, and national research organizations, resulting in the translation of fundamental research into practical engineering solutions.

Dr. Mashal has authored or co-authored more than 200 scholarly publications, holds multiple patents and intellectual property disclosures, and has secured more than $7.4 million in competitive external research funding, including over $4.15 million as Principal Investigator. His research portfolio has supported graduate and undergraduate researchers, interdisciplinary collaborations, workforce development, and partnerships with industry and government agencies. He has also contributed to national engineering standards and professional organizations, including leadership roles within the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and transportation research communities.

He earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with a focus on Structural Engineering from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, following graduate study at the State University of New York at Buffalo as a Fulbright Scholar. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Idaho, a Chartered and International Professional Engineer in New Zealand, and a Fellow of both the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Structural Engineering Institute. His professional recognitions include the ASCE Alfred Noble Prize, three Fulbright awards, Idaho State University’s Distinguished Researcher Award, Idaho Business Review’s Accomplished Under 40 recognition, the University of Canterbury Erskine Visiting Fellowship, the AASHTO High Value Research Award, and numerous honors recognizing his contributions to engineering research, innovation, and education.