Research Interests

• Structural Reliability/Probabilistic Modeling
• Agent-Based Modeling
• Computational Intelligence Applications in Civil Engineering
• Philosophy of Engineering
• Wood Structures and Elements
• Structural Wood Engineering
• Load-Duration Behavior of Wood Members and Connections
• Traditionally Connected Timber Frames
• Wood Structural Systems - floors, roofs, and walls
• Wood Connection Design and Behavior
• Prestressed Concrete Design and Behavior

Funded Research Project

• Optimizing the Interdisciplinary Course:  Introduction to Electrical Engineering (EE) for Non-EE Majors, NSF, (9/04 – 8/08), $20,996 out of  $462,398 (8 other P.I.s)
• Load-Sharing and System Factors for Light-Frame Walls
  USDA (9/99 – 9/02), $64,876
• Load-Duration Behavior of Steel Doweled Wood Connections
  USDA (10/97 - 9/00), $73,000
• Ultimate Capacity Reliability of Wood Structural Systems
  USDA (9/92 - 9/94), $70,000
• Behavior of Traditionally Connected Timber Frames
  NSF and the Timber Framers Guild (1/92 - 6/94), $89,964 (Co.-P.I., Dr. L. B. Sandberg)
• Improving Writing in Engineering Design Courses
  NSF (6/89 - 9/92), $17,558 out of $175,580 (9 other Co.-P.I.s)
• Lifetime Reliability of Wood Structural Systems
  USDA (9/87 - 12/88), $42,600
• Stochastic Response of Metal-Plate Connected Wood Trusses
  NSF (9/86 - 3/89), $106,030
• Steel Reinforced Composite Wood (Co. P.I., Dr. L. B. Sandberg)
  MTU Creativity Grant (7/85 - 6/86), $6,917
• Assessment of Current Design Practice for Wood in Bending and in Tension
  McIntire-Stennis (10/83 - 4/85), $9,000
• Reliability of Wood Beams in Flexure
  MTU Creativity Grant (7/83 - 6/84), $7,947
• Nondestructive Testing of Wood Utility Poles
  Detroit Edison (9/82 - 9/83), $10,000
• Creep Extrapolation in Oriented Flakeboard
  MTU Faculty Research Grant (7/82 - 6/83), $2,000