PhD Student Positions in Structural Engineering for Natural Hazards

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The research group of Prof. Matthew J. Bandelt at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is recruiting
one or more fully funded Ph.D. students in the area of structural engineering, beginning in Fall 2022. The
admitted candidates will enroll in the Ph.D. program in civil engineering at NJIT.
The project that the student will engage in will support research on the seismic behavior and design of
reinforced concrete structural systems using highly ductile concrete materials known as high-performance
fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCCs). This research will lead to a new understanding of
designing buildings with HPFRCCs, and quantify their impact on seismic performance, life safety, and life-
cycle costs. Students will be involved with experimental testing, finite element and structural system
modeling, and hazard and risk assessment. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation
(NSF) and additional information on this research can be found at the following link.
Prospective students will have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in civil engineering or a related field. The
candidate should have research experience in structural engineering, mechanics, and/or construction
materials. Interested students with knowledge in one or more of the following areas are preferred:
structural testing, finite element modeling, simulation of structural systems, hazard and risk assessment,
and programming.
Matthew J. Bandelt, Ph.D., P.E., is an Assistant Professor and Associate Chair of Graduate Studies in
the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology. He joined
NJIT after receiving his doctoral degree from Stanford University where he was an NSF Graduate
Research Fellow. In 2022, Dr. Bandelt received the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER)
Award for his work on the use of highly ductile concrete materials in structural systems for seismic design.
Dr. Bandelt has expertise in the areas of experimental testing and numerical simulation of novel concrete
materials in structural components and systems for improved performance against natural hazards and
environmental conditioning. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of mechanics,
structural analysis, and design. Dr. Bandelt's research has been funded by the NSF, the New Jersey
Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, the United States Department of
Transportation, and others.
New Jersey Institute of Technology is one of only 35 polytechnic universities in the United States and
is a Carnegie Classification ® Very High Research Activity (R1) institution that catalyzes economic growth
and prepares students to become leaders in the 21st century technology-dependent economy. NJIT
conducts more than $155 million in research activity each year and has a $2.8 billion annual economic
impact on the State of New Jersey. NJIT has been recognized as No. 1 nationally by Forbes for the upward
economic mobility of its lowest-income students and is ranked among the Top 50 Public Universities in
the 2022 edition of the U.S News and World Report’s rankings. NJIT is located in Newark, New Jersey's
largest city which is a cultural and economic capital, boasting performance spaces and professional sports.
Five other colleges are nearby and the campus is located just 20 minutes away from New York City.
Interested applicants should send a cover letter and CV to Prof. Matthew Bandelt by e-mail
(bandelt@njit.edu) under the subject heading “Fall 2022 PhD Student – Structural Systems”.

Phone: (973) 596-3011  Fax: (973) 596-5790  E-mail: bandelt@njit.edu  Web: http://web.njit.edu/~bandelt