Andre H. Tahmassian

Andre H. Tahmassian joined the Department of Civil Engineering at WVU Tech in 2025 as an Assistant Professor. He contributes over 20 years of academic, research, and professional engineering experience to both teaching and research.

Professor Tahmassian is completing his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering at Lehigh University, where his research examines non-ductile shear failure in reinforced concrete squat walls through advanced numerical simulations and damping solutions. He also holds an M.Eng. in Structural Engineering from Texas A&M University and a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Azad University, Iran.

Before his current academic appointment, he held extensive industry experience as a structural designer, contributing to projects such as hospital seismic retrofits in Southern California and bridges in New Jersey, as well as numerous industrial projects. His research interests integrate practice and theory, with emphasis on performance-based seismic design, nonlinear modeling, base isolation systems, and high-performance computing applications in structural engineering.

At WVU Tech, Professor Tahmassian teaches Structural Analysis, Steel Design, and Reinforced Concrete Design. His teaching philosophy prioritizes computational pedagogy, incorporating open-source tools to enhance applied problem-solving skills and bridge theoretical concepts with contemporary finite-element analysis practice.

In addition to teaching and research, Professor Tahmassian contributes to the engineering community as a reviewer for the Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering and as a technical advisor for international seismic safety initiatives. His combined experience as a researcher and practicing engineer informs his commitment to preparing students for the technical demands of the civil engineering profession.