Dr. Shahandashti is an Associate Dean of Administration and a tenured Professor of Civil Engineering in the UTA's College of Engineering. He previously held the role of Associate Chair for Research and Graduate Studies in Civil Engineering. Dr. Shahandashti’s educational goal is to engage learners of all backgrounds by adapting innovative and student-focused teaching methods, integrating state-of-the-art educational technologies, and creating opportunities for experiential learning. He believes learning neither begins nor ends at UTA: K-12 engagement and lifetime learning matter. Guided by these principles, he has developed and taught ten graduate and undergraduate courses and three continuing education courses for industry professionals. UTA has recognized his “effective and innovative teaching efforts and professional impacts on students” with the UTA’s 2020 President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. As a principal advisor, Dr. Shahandashti has graduated 12 Ph.D., 10 M.S., and 12 B.S. students, in addition to mentoring four postdoctoral fellows. He currently supervises four Ph.D., two M.S., and two B.S. students. His mentorship was honored with UTA’s 2020 Distinguished Student Supervisor of the Year Award. In 2023, he was inducted into UTA’s Academy of Dist– Research Experience in Singapore,” engineering editor of ASCE Natural Hazards Review, and editorial board member of ASCE Journal of Infrastructure Systems.