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Taha selected as chair of Civil Engineering

May 16, 2014 - By Kim Delker

Mahmoud Reda Taha, a professor of civil engineering, has been selected as the new chair of the University of New Mexico School of Engineering’s Department of Civil Engineering, effective July 1, 2014.

Taha has contributed significantly and importantly to Civil Engineering, the school, and UNM as an outstanding teacher and as a very accomplished researcher with international visibility and distinction, said dean Joseph L. Cecchi.

"I am most grateful that he has agreed to take on this important leadership role, and I look forward to working closely with him to advance the department's agenda," Cecchi said.

Taha is professor and Regents’ Lecturer in the department. He received his bachelor of science degree and master of science degree in structural engineering from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, in 1993 and 1996, respectively. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada, in 2000. He worked for years as a structural designer in Canada before moving to UNM in 2004.

Taha's research is focused on crossing the gap between structural and materials engineering for integrating nanotechnology, structural health monitoring and uncertainty quantification to develop resilient infrastructure systems.

Current chair of the department, John Stormont, will be stepping down as chair at the end of the academic year.