Behzad Esmaeili, Ph.D., an associate professor with joint appointments in the Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering and Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Purdue, has been named the Dr. Rohan & Mrs. Merle Phillips Rising Star Associate Professor.

Dr. Esmaeili holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering from the Amirkabir University, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in civil engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. His research focuses on making breakthrough discoveries in human factor–related theories and applying data analytics to advance occupational safety. Dr. Esmaeili’s research in this field has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Construction Industry Institute (CII), Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Indiana Department of Transportation (InDOT), Department of Labor (DOL), and Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR). He has authored 45 refereed journal articles, 91 conference papers, 12 research reports, 4 book chapters, and 32 invited talks.