Core Faculty

Dr. Burak F. Tanyu

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Co-Director of the SGI Research Group - Professor of Geotechnical/Geotransportation Engineering in the Civil, Infrastructure, and Environmental Engineering Department of George Mason University.

Prior to joining George Mason, Burak Tanyu worked as a senior geotechnical engineer for 8 years. 

Education:

• Ph.D., Geo-Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2003
• M.S., Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas, Arlington, 1999
• B.S., Geological Engineering, Dokuz Eylul University, Turkey, 1996

Dr. Kuo Tian

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Co-Director of the SGI Research Group - Assistant Professor of Geotechnical/Geoenvironmental Engineering in the Civil, Infrastructure, and Environmental Engineering Department of George Mason University.

Prior to joining George Mason, Kuo Tian worked as a researcher (post-doc) at the University of Virginia for 2 years. 

Education:

• Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2015
• M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2012
• B.S., Civil Engineering, Huazhong University of Sci. & Tech., China, 2010

Doctoral Students

Sana Ullah

PhD Student     Joined in Spring 2024

Research Topic: Leaching of Microplastics from Geosynthetic Materials Under Ageing Conditions

Education:

• M.S., Geotechnical Engineering, NUST Institute of Civil Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2022
• B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan, 2018

Abdulrahman Almalki

PhD Student     Joined in Spring 2024

Research Topic: Geotechnical Infrastructure Resilience of Near-Coastal Arid Regions

Education:

• M.S., Geotechnical/Geoenvrionmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, 2023
• B.S., Civil Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, KSA, 2015

Furkan Egemen Kahya