Mostafa Tazarv 

PhD, PE, Associate Professor

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

South Dakota State University

326 Crothers Engineering Hall, Box 2219,  Brookings, SD 57007, USA

Tel:  (605) 688-6526,  Fax: (605) 688-6476,  Email:  mostafa.tazarv@sdstate.edu

Short Bio  

Dr. Mostafa Tazarv is an associate professor in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at South Dakota State University (SDSU).  Prior to joining SDSU in 2015, Dr. Tazarv was a post-doctoral scholar at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he also received his Ph.D.  His research interests include the behavior of concrete structures, advanced materials for civil infrastructure, accelerated bridge construction, computer vision in structural engineering, and large-scale testing.  Dr. Tazarv is currently working on multiple research projects as PI and Co-PI with a total funding exceeding $7.25 Million.  His past research led to the development of a new generation of bridges that can be built faster, last longer, perform better in severe events, and cost less in long term.  The first shape memory alloy (SMA) bridge in the world was constructed in Seattle, in which design and construction guidelines were based on his study on advanced materials.  The unique aspect of this bridge is its continuous functionality after severe events with minimal damage and repair needs.  Furthermore, his large- and full-scale testing of bridges and buildings resulted in new design alternatives for the State of South Dakota and its local governments to save millions of dollars in bridge replacement, maintenance, and performance.  He also invented a new connection for concrete buildings and bridges to expedite their construction and to quickly repair them after a severe event such as earthquake.  He is currently working with a team of expert from computer and mechanical engineering to utilize computer vision in the routine- or event-based damage assessment of civil infrastructure. 

Education

• Ph.D in Structural Engineering, University of Nevada Reno, USA, August 2014

• M.Sc. in Earthquake Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Iran, Jan. 2009

• B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, University of Tabriz, Iran, Sept. 2006 

Positions Held

• 2021 - Present: Associate Professor, South Dakota State University, USA.

• 2021 - Present:  Founder and Director of Sustainable and Resilient Civil Infrastructure (SARCI)

• 2021 - Present: Site Director, Regional Center, Mountain-Plains Consortium (MPC).

• 2019 - Present: Site Director, National Ctr., Trans. Infrastructure Durability and Life-Ext (TriDurLE).

• 2015 - 2021: Assistant Professor, South Dakota State University, USA.

• 2014 - 2016: Research Associate, Infrastructure Innovation, LLC, Reno, USA

• 2014 - 2015: Post-Doctoral Scholar, University of Nevada, Reno, USA

• 2011 - 2014: Research Assistant, University of Nevada, Reno, USA

• 2010 - 2011: Research and Teaching Assistant, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

• 2009 - 2010: Structural Engineer (Designer), Mahbad Consulting Engineers, Tehran, Iran

• 2008 - 2009: Structural Engineer (Designer), BASA, Tehran, Iran

• 2007 - 2010: Teaching Assistant, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran