Daniel M. Dowden, PE, SE
- Assistant Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering
- PhD, Civil Engineering – Structural Engineering, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York
- MS, Civil Engineering – Structural Engineering, University of Wyoming
- BS, Civil Engineering – Structural Engineering, Washington State University
Biography
Dr. Dowden was a structural design professional in Seattle, WA for 10 years prior to returning to graduate school to pursue doctoral studies. His experience as a practicing structural engineer, in a highly seismically prone region of the country, has largely influenced his interest in pursuing research in the area of earthquake engineering. The goal of his research is to provide innovative and practical solutions for the design of the next generation of buildings and other structures for earthquake resistance. Particular interests include self-centering and low-damage- systems for the reduction of earthquake impacts and other extreme loading events.
After earning a PhD from the University at Buffalo in 2014, Dr. Dowden remained on as the Structural and Testing Engineer for the Structural Engineering and Earthquake Simulation laboratory (SEESL) at UB until October 2016. At SEESL, he was involved with service-to- industry seismic qualification shake-table testing. Dr. Dowden joined Michigan Tech as an Assistant Professor in January 2017. His teaching interests include earthquake engineering, structural dynamics, structural analysis, steel and reinforced concrete design.
Teaching Interests
- Earthquake engineering
- Structural dynamics
- Steel design
- Reinforced concrete design
- Structural analysis
Research Interests
- Earthquake engineering
- Self-centering systems
- Resilient infrastructure
- Structural control
- Nonlinear response of steel structures due to extreme loadings
- Experimental testing using static, pseudo-dynamic, and dynamic methods