George Deodatis

SANTIAGO AND ROBERTINA CALATRAVA FAMILY PROFESSOR OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND PROFESSOR OF EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

610 S.W. Mudd
Mail Code 4709

Tel(212) 854-9728
Fax(212) 854-6267

George Deodatis uses probabilistic methods for the study of civil infrastructure systems subjected to natural and technological hazards. He uses the results to determine the reliability and safety of structures and in risk assessment and management. 

Research Interests

Probabilistic mechanics, risk and reliability, uncertainty quantification, hazards analysis

He also studies the effects of climate change and extreme weather on the civil infrastructure with the goal of establishing adaptation and mitigation strategies. Much of Deodatis’s research is based on introducing novel techniques for simulation of stochastic processes and fields to model uncertain earthquake, wind, and wave loads, as well as material and soil properties, for applications in earthquake engineering, structural dynamics, offshore engineering, wind engineering, environmental engineering, materials science, atmospheric science, oceanography, finance, and other fields.

Deodatis received a five-year diploma in civil engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, in 1982, and MS and PhD degrees in civil engineering from Columbia University in 1984 and 1987, respectively. He started his academic career at Princeton University where he served as assistant professor and associate professor (with tenure). He moved to Columbia University in 2002 where he served as associate professor and professor, before becoming the Santiago and Robertina Calatrava Family Professor in 2007. In 2009, he was elected president of the International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability. In 2017, he was elected president of the Engineering Mechanics Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers. His many honors and awards include Columbia University’s Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching, 2009; Princeton University’s Presidential Award for Distinguished Teaching, 1995; the American Society of Civil Engineers Walter Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize, 1998; and the National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award, 1992. Deodatis is a Fellow of the Engineering Mechanics Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers. 

 

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

  • Research associate, Princeton University, 1988–1991
  • Postdoctoral research scientist, Columbia University, 1987–1988

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Chair of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, 2013–2019
  • Santiago and Robertina Calatrava Family Professor, Columbia University, 2007–
  • Professor, Columbia University, 2002–2007
  • Associate professor, Columbia University, 2002
  • Director, program in mechanics, materials & structures, Princeton University, 1997–1999
  • Associate professor (with tenure), Princeton University, 1997–2001
  • Assistant professor, Princeton University, 1991-1997

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • American Society of Civil Engineers
  • International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability

HONORS & AWARDS

  • Engineering Mechanics Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Fellow, 2014.
  • Society of Columbia Graduates Great Teacher Award, 2011.
  • Columbia University’s Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching, 2009.
  • Columbia University’s Engineering School Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award, 2003.
  • Princeton University's E-Council Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2001.
  • American Society of Civil Engineers Walter Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize, 1998.
  • Educator of the Year, American Society of Civil Engineers, New Jersey Section, 1999.
  • International Association for Structural Safety & Reliability Junior Research Prize, 1997.
  • Princeton University's President's Award for Distinguished Teaching, 1995.
  • National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award, 1992.

 

 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

  • Shinozuka, M. and Deodatis, G. (1991). “Simulation of Stochastic Processes by Spectral Representation,” Applied Mechanics Reviews, ASME, Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 191-204.
  • Deodatis, G. (1996). “Non-Stationary Stochastic Vector Processes: Seismic Ground Motion Applications,” Probabilistic Engineering Mechanics, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 149-167.
  • Deodatis, G. (1996). “Simulation of Ergodic Multi-Variate Stochastic Processes,” Journal of Engineering Mechanics, ASCE, Vol. 122, No. 8, pp. 778-787.
  • Popescu, R., Prevost, J.H. and Deodatis, G. (1997). “Effects of Spatial Variability on Soil Liquefaction: Some Design Recommendations,” Geotechnique, Vol. XLVII, No. 5, pp. 1019-1036.
  • Graham, L. and Deodatis, G. (2001). “Response and Eigenvalue Analysis of Stochastic Finite Element Systems with Multiple Correlated Material and Geometric Properties,” Probabilistic Engineering Mechanics, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 11-29.
  • Arwade, S. and Deodatis, G. (2011). “Variability Response Functions for Effective Material Properties,” Probabilistic Engineering Mechanics, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 174-181.
  • Shields, M.D., Deodatis, G. and Bocchini, P. (2011). “A Simple and Efficient Methodology to Approximate a General Non-Gaussian Stationary Stochastic Process by a Translation Process,” Probabilistic Engineering Mechanics, Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 511-519.
  • Jacob, K., Deodatis, G., Atlas, J., Whitcomb, M., Lopeman, M., Markogiannaki, O., Kennett, Z., Morla, A., Leichenko, R. and Vancura, P. (2011). “Responding to Climate Change in New York State: The ClimAID Integrated Assessment for Effective Climate Change Adaptation in New York State: Transportation,” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol. 1244, No. 1, pp. 299-362.
  • Teferra, K. and Deodatis, G. (2012). “Variability Response Functions for Beams with Nonlinear Constitutive Laws,” Probabilistic Engineering Mechanics, Vol. 29, pp. 139-148.
  • Miranda, M. and Deodatis, G. (2012). “Generalized Variability Response Functions for Beam Structures with Stochastic Parameters,” Journal of Engineering Mechanics, ASCE, Vol. 138, No. 9, pp. 1165-1185.
  • Lopeman, M., Deodatis, G., and Franco, G.  (2015). “Extreme Storm Surge Hazard Estimation in Lower Manhattan: Clustered Separated Peaks-Over-Threshold Simulation (CSPS) Method,” Natural Hazards, Vol. 78, pp. 355-391.