Dr. Matta’s team does experimental and theoretical research on construction materials and their structural performance, ranging from affordable and high-quality earth masonry to advanced cement- and polymer-matrix composites. Emphasis is placed on extreme stressors such as high wind pressures and flying debris impact (tornadoes, hurricanes), earthquakes, and radionuclide exposure. Research sponsors include NSF, DoE, FHWA, NIST, and industry.
Biographical Profile
College
College of Engineering & Comp.
Department
Civil & Environmental Eng.
Tenure Status
Tenured
International Activity
International Activities
Yes
Type of Activity
Research
Countries
Mexico
Description
Collaboration as part of NSF award 1321489, entitled “EAGER/Collaborative Research: Overcoming Barriers to Adoption of Sustainable and Resilient Building Materials in Coastal Areas of Southern Mexico”, including: on-site visits to Merida, Celestun, Chelem, Chicxulub, Chuburna, Rio Lagartos, San Felipe, and Telchac; conducting 628 household surveys in coastal communities.
Institution/Entity
Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán (CICY)
Institutional Focus Areas
Nanotechnology, Social Sciences, Science and Engineering (Other)
Nanotechnology, Social Sciences, Science and Engineering (Other)
Personal Focus Areas
Hazard-resistant and affordable houses; corrosion-resistant concrete reinforcement, Advanced cement- and polymer-matrix composites; structural rehabilitation, Testing, monitoring and assessment of constructed facilities; corrosion in steel and concrete
International Institute for FRP in Construction (IIFC)
2008 - 2013
Membership
Member
ACMA Technical Papers Committee
2010 - 2016
Membership
Council Member
International Institute for FRP in Construction
2011 - 2013
Membership
Associate Member
Joint ACI-ASCE Committee 446 (Fracture Mechanics of Concrete)
2012 - Present
Membership
Member
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
2013 - Present
Membership
Voting Member
Joint ACI-ASCE Committee 446 (Fracture Mechanics of Concrete)
2016 - Present
Membership
International Editorial Board Member
ASCE Journal of Composites for Construction
2017 - Present
Membership
Voting Member
ACI Committee 241 (Nanotechnology of Concrete)
2018 - Present
Membership
Member
Committee on Publications Ethics (COPE)
2019 - Present
Membership
Voting Member
ACI Subcommittee 440-H (FRP-Reinforced Concrete)
2012
Membership
Member
ASCE/SEI Committee on Concrete and Masonry Structures (CCMS), Paper Award Task Group
2010 - Present
Professional Activity
Associate Editor
ASCE Journal of Bridge Engineering
2015 - Present
Professional Activity
Associate Editor
ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
2018 - Present
Professional Activity
Editor-in-Chief
ASCE Journal of Composites for Construction
Positions & Appointments
Dates
Description
Institution/Entity
2002 - 2003
UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) Scholar (undergraduate)
University of California, San Diego
2003 - 2004
Research Assistant
University of Padova
2004 - 2007
Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant
Missouri University of Science and Technology
2007 - 2009
Associate Director
NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center "Repair of Buildings and Bridges with Composites"
2007 - 2010
Research Assistant Professor
Dept. of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Miami
2009 - 2010
Associate Director and Co-PI
NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center "Integration of Composites into Infrastructure"
2010 - 2015
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Carolina
06/2015 - 08/2023
Graduate Director
Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Carolina
2016 - Present
Associate Professor
Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Carolina
2004
Visiting Scholar
UTC on Advanced Materials and Non-Destructive Testing Technologies (Missouri S&T)
Recognition Awards, Honors, & Fellowships
Dates
Type
Description
Foundation/Entity
2006
Award
NOVA Award for Outstanding Innovation in Construction (finalist)
Construction Innovation Forum (CIF)
2006
Award
ASCE/CERF Charles J. Pankow Award for Innovation (runner-up)
American Society of Civil Engineers / Civil Engineering Research Foundation
2006
Award
UTC Research Scholarship
National UTC on Advanced Materials and Non-Destructive Testing Technologies
2007
Award
Author Travel Award, Composites & Polycon
American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA)
2008
Award
US National Science Foundation delegate
NSF International Workshop on Use of Fiber-Reinforced Polymers for Sustainable Structures (Cairo, Egypt)
2009
Award
Best Technical Paper Award, Composites & Polycon, track "Infrastructure and Construction"
American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA)
2010
Award
US National Science Foundation delegate
NSF International Workshop "The Next Building Blocks - Designing the Future of Earthen Block Construction," (Boulder, CO)
2010
Award
US National Science Foundation delegate
16th International Conference on Mechanics of Composite Materials (MCM-2010) (Riga, Latvia)
2010
Award
2010 Outstanding Reviewer
ASCE Journal of Bridge Engineering
2011
Award
Promising Investigator Research Award (PIRA)
Office of the Vice President for Research, University of South Carolina
2014
Award
Advanced Support for Innovative Research Excellence Award (ASPIRE-I, Track I)
Office of the Vice President for Research, University of South Carolina
2015
Award
US National Science Foundation delegate
Joint FIU/UF Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure Experimental Facilities User Workshop (Miami/Gainesville, FL)
2017
Award
ASCE Associate Editor Award
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
2018
Award
Distinguished Research Service Award
Office of the Vice President for Research, University of South Carolina
2018
Award
Advanced Support for Innovative Research Excellence Award (ASPIRE-I, Track III)
Office of the Vice President for Research, University of South Carolina
2018
Award
Advanced Support for Innovative Research Excellence Award (ASPIRE-II)
Office of the Vice President for Research, University of South Carolina
2002
Fellowship
UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) Scholarship
University of Padova / University of California
The two sections below (Awards and Pending Proposals) are only viewable by PIs, business managers, chairs, and deans.
Facilities
Laboratory
Structures and Materials Laboratory (extensive structural testing capabilities from small to full-scale).
Animal
No.
Clinical
No.
Other
USC facilities are enlisted as needed, including those at the Electron Microscopy Center, and those made available by colleagues and Co-PI's from the USC Department of Mechanical Engineering.