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Varma-Portrait

Dr. Amit H. Varma
Karl H. Kettelhut Professor of Civil Engineering
Director, Bowen Laboratory of Large-Scale CE Research
Lyles School of Civil Engineering
Purdue University
HAMP 4123
West Lafayette
IN 47907
Office No. (765) 496 3419
Mobile. No. (517) 974 0936
Home No. (765) 463 3357
Email: ahvarma@purdue.edu

Bio-Sketch: Dr. Varma is originally from Mumbai, India. He received his B.Tech in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Bombay in 1994. He received his M.S. in civil engineering (structures) from the University of Oklahoma (OU) in 1996. He completed his Ph.D. in civil engineering (structures) from Lehigh Univerisity in 2001. He joined Michigan State University as an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Civil and Env. Eng. in 2001.

He joined Purdue University as an Assistant Professor in the School of Civil Engineeing in August 2004. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2008 and Full Professor in 2014. He was appointed Associate Director of Bowen Laboratory in 2015, and since 2017 he has been serving as the Director of the Robert L. and Terry L. Bowen Laboratory for Large-Scale Civil Engineering Research.

In Fall 2018, he was ratified as the Karl H. Kettelhut Professor of Civil Engineering.

Prof. Varma has dedicated his academic and professional life to the development of innovative steel-concrete composite structures for the built infrastructure including commercial and residential buildings, and industrial structures such as nuclear power plants. He has conducted fundamental research including large-scale experimental investigations and numerical analyses to evaluate and improve the structural behavior of steel-concrete composite members, connections and overall structural systems subjected to various extreme loading conditions including seismic, fire, blast, and missile impact loading. His research products are the basis of (and directly cited in) several AISC codes / specifications for the design of steel-concrete composite structures for building structures and safety-related nuclear facilities. These codes / specifications govern the design and construction of all steel building structures and safety-related nuclear facilities in the US, and are also used / referenced extensively around the world by engineers, consultants, regulators, and building officials.

Prof. Varma has conducted fundamental experimental and analytical research on the behavior of structural components and systems under various loading conditions. His areas of research interest include: (1) development of innovative steel-concrete composite structures, (2) seismic behavior, analysis, and design of structures, (3) fire behavior, analysis and design of structures, (4) design, analysis, and testing of structures for safety-related nuclear facilities, (5) testing, analysis and design for impactive and impulsive loading, (6) fatigue and fracture behavior of bridge structures, (7) repair, retrofit, and rehabilitation of damaged or deteriorating transportation structures.

EDUCATION

Degree	Year	University	Field
B.S.	1994	Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay	Civil Engineering (Structures)
M.S.	1996	University of Oklahoma, Norman	Civil Engineering (Structures
Ph.D.	2001	Lehigh University	Civil Engineering (Structures)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2018 - Present	Karl H. Kettelhut Professor of Civil Engineering
2017 - Present	Director, Robert L. and Terry L. Bowen Laboratory of Large-Scale Civil Engineering Research
2014 - Present	Professor Purdue University, School of Civil Engineering
Aug. 2008 - 2014	Associate Professor Purdue University, School of Civil Engineering
Aug. 2004 - 2008	Assistant Professor Purdue University, School of Civil Engineering
Jan. 2001 - Aug. 2004	Assistant Professor Michigan State University, Dept. of Civil and Env. Eng.
Summer 1999	Course Instructor Lehigh University, Dept. of Civil and Env. Eng.
Aug. 1996 - Nov. 2000	Graduate Assistant and Ph.D. Candidate Lehigh University, Dept. of Civil and Env. Eng. ATLSS Engineering Research Center
Aug. 1994 - Aug. 1996	Graduate Assistant and M.S. Student University of Oklahoma, Dept. of Civil and Env. Eng.

AWARDS

2003- 2007	AISC Milek Faculty Fellowship Award The American Institute of Steel Construction gives this award annually to a faculty member involved in steel design research, education and testing. Prof. Varma was the inaugural recipient of this award for the research and development of innovative long-span composite floor systems for residential construction.
2009	Roy E. and Myrna G. Wansik Research Award 2009 The School of Civil Engineering gives this award annually to one faculty member based on research accomplishments.
2010 And 2012	Seeds for Success ACORN Award The Office of the Vice President for Research gives this award in recognition of the accomplishments of single investigators and teams of investigators for their efforts in obtaining a $1 million dollar or more research grant.
2011 - 2016	University Faculty Scholar The Office of the Provost recognizes outstanding faculty members who are on an accelerated path for academic distinction by the University Faculty Scholars Program
2012	Harold Munson Outstanding Teacher Award The School of Civil Engineering gives this award annually to one faculty member. The recipient is selected based on student votes for instructors of all courses in Civil Engineering.
2017	AISC Special Achievement Award Prof. Amit H. Varma received this award for facilitating the development, design, and licensing of the next generation of nuclear power plants in the US and around the world by developing fundamental knowledge in terms of experimental data, numerical models, and design specifications for steel-concrete composite (SC) walls and connections
2017	Roy E. and Myrna G. Wansik Teaching Award The School of Civil Engineering gives this award annually to one faculty member based on teaching evaluations and student votes
2019	ASCE Shortridge Hardesty Award ASCE Structural Engineering Institute gives this award annually. Prof. Varma received this award for “research contributions to the stability and design of steel and composite members and service to the profession as the chair of the ASCE-SEI Metals TAC and chair of the SEI/ACI joint committee on Composite Construction”
2020	AISC Special Achievement Award Prof. Varma is recognized for his groundbreaking work in developing and promoting SpeedCore, a concrete-filled composite plate shear wall system that is revolutionizing the speed at which steel-framed buildings are constructed. His research and lab tests on tall shear walls significantly contributed to the successful implementation of the system.

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS (Follow Link)