Infrastructure and Resilience

Preserving the Past, Building the Future

Perched atop the Cascadia Subduction Zone and nestled at the confluence of two major rivers in the heart of the Willamette Valley, the Maseeh College is the perfect living laboratory for advancing infrastructure solutions that strengthen communities in the face of natural hazards, aging systems, and a changing climate. Our research spans structural, geotechnical, transportation, and water systems, where our world-renowned faculty use cutting-edge techniques to assess, retrofit, and design our built environment to withstand extreme weather and serve community needs.

By partnering closely with public agencies like the City of Portland and Oregon Department of Transportation, industry leaders like DCI Engineering and Jacobs, and community stakeholders across the region, our research insights translate directly into safer, more reliable infrastructure throughout the region. These collaborations position our campus as a regional hub for resilient infrastructure innovation—delivering practical solutions for communities, a skilled workforce for employers, and immersive, real-world learning opportunities for students.

Whether you are a student preparing to address society’s most pressing infrastructure challenges, a public or private partner seeking resilient design strategies, or an employer looking for engineers ready to lead, our work in infrastructure for community resilience is building the foundation for a safer, more sustainable future.

Our Faculty

two men stand on a wooden platform attached to a Pyramid of Giza; one is scanning the pyramid with a device, the other is looking down at something in his hands

FEATURED: Thomas Schumacher Is Mapping Pyramids in Giza and Saving Bridges in Portland

Less than 10% of the Egyptian Pyramids in Giza have been charted, but new technological advances and innovative thinkers are looking to change that. Maseeh College’s Civil Engineering Professor Thomas Schumacher’s ongoing work with the ScanPyramids project in Egypt is part of that effort.

SPECIALTY AREAS

Structural Preservation

Research in structural assessment and preservation at Portland State University centers on extending the life, safety, and sustainability of existing infrastructure. With much of the nation’s bridges, buildings, and transportation systems aging beyond their original design life, PSU engineers are developing advanced tools to evaluate structural condition, predict deterioration, and guide cost-effective preservation strategies.

A major emphasis is on non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health monitoring (SHM)—technologies that allow engineers to assess damage and material degradation without intrusive testing. Research led in part by faculty such as Thomas Schumacher explores acoustic sensing, ultrasonic techniques, and vision-based monitoring systems to detect cracking, corrosion, and fatigue in concrete and steel structures.

Complementing this work, David Yang's research centers around probabilistic life-cycle modeling and risk-informed decision frameworks integrates uncertainty, climate stressors, and long-term deterioration into predictive models. This research allows agencies to manage their assets smarter, giving them tools to determine when preservation, retrofit, or replacement investments will deliver the greatest benefit.

Together, these efforts strengthen the resilience and longevity of critical infrastructure by reducing lifecycle costs and creating more sustainable infrastructure systems, all while supporting data-driven policy and investment decisions at local, state, and national levels.

Seismic Resilience

Seismic resilience research at Portland State University addresses one of the most pressing hazards facing the Pacific Northwest: major earthquakes associated with the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Our engineers are advancing solutions that span structural engineering, geotechnical analysis, and systems-level risk modeling to ensure infrastructure not only survives earthquakes, but recovers quickly afterward.

Large-scale experimental testing plays a central role through facilities such as the iSTAR (infraStructure Testing and Applied Research) Laboratory, where researchers simulate realistic ground motions to evaluate how bridges, buildings, and critical components perform. Peter Dusicka's work on performance-based design approaches moves beyond minimum life-safety standards by prioritizing rapid re-occupancy and functional recovery.

Equally critical is understanding how soils behave during earthquakes. Research teams under Arash Khosravifar and Diane Moug examine soil-structure interaction, liquefaction susceptibility, and ground improvement strategies. By combining field testing, laboratory experiments, and advanced numerical modeling, PSU researchers develop tools to predict and mitigate ground failures that can compromise transportation networks, utilities, and foundations.

This integrated approach—from subsurface soils to full structural systems—provides actionable guidance for engineers and policymakers. The impact extends beyond technical innovation: it supports resilient community planning, informs retrofit prioritization, and strengthens the region’s ability to withstand and recover from major seismic events.

Healthy Buildings

As people spend the majority of their time indoors, improving air quality and reducing harmful exposures has become a critical engineering and public health priority; and at Portland State University, engineers are advancing our community's understanding of how indoor environments influence human health, comfort, and productivity.

In PSU's Healthy Building Research Lab, Elliott Gall examines indoor sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter, and combustion byproducts, as well as the effectiveness of ventilation and air cleaning technologies. Laboratory and field studies evaluate both conventional and low-cost filtration systems, with particular attention to real-world challenges such as wildfire smoke infiltration in the Pacific Northwest.

Beyond identifying contaminants, PSU researchers develop practical strategies for reducing exposure. This includes assessing building design features, occupant behavior, and energy-efficient ventilation approaches that balance air quality improvements with sustainability goals. These findings in turn inform building codes, operational guidelines, and public health recommendations, particularly for vulnerable populations.

By integrating engineering, environmental science, and health perspectives, Healthy Buildings research delivers tangible benefits: safer indoor spaces, evidence-based policy, and improved resilience to emerging environmental threats.

PSU Researchers Develop Better Ways to Assess Transportation Infrastructure Risk

Lacey Friedly | June 18th 2025

A report by Portland State University (PSU) researchers offers an improved framework for assessing the seismic risk of transportation structures. Earthquake preparedness is a high priority for the Pacific Northwest, and cities and state agencies will benefit from having a more accurate and consistent way to prepare. In collaboration with the Oregon...

Our Graduates at Work

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Milad Souri, PhD '21

a woman with short dark hair smiles in an office

Kathering Keeling, MS '22

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Kayla Sorenson, PhD '26

Milad Souri, PhD '21

Milad Souri graduated from Portland State University in 2021 with a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering. While at PSU, he devoted his doctoral research to the Development of a Design Guideline for Pile Foundations Subjected to Liquefaction-Induced Lateral Spreading. After 5 years as a project engineer for GRI, Milad took a position with WSP in early 2026.

Kathering Keeling, MS '22

Katherine Keeling graduated from Portland State University in 2022 after earning both her bachelor's and Master's degrees in civil engineering. She is now a Senior Analyst in Operations & Finance Planning at TriMet, using her notes from transportation engineering courses to improver her interpretation of transit data.

Kayla Sorenson, PhD '26

As an undergraduate student in 2017, Kayla Sorenson discovered a passion for geotechnical engineering. With that passion, she earned three degrees from PSU’s civil and environmental engineering department, culminating with a PhD in 2026 after successful defense of her thesis entitled "The Effect of the Degree of Saturation on the Liquefaction Resistance of Non-Plastic and Low-Plastic Soils". Before graduating, she accepted a position with Cornforth Consultants.