Shih-Ho Chao

Dr. Shih-Ho (Simon) Chao received his B.S. degree (Bioenvironmental System Engineering) from the National Taiwan University, and M.S. degree (Structural Engineering) from the National Chung-Hsing University. After graduation he joined the Marine Corps and served as a second lieutenant for two years, and then worked for the government as a civil engineer before coming to the U.S. for his research career at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He received his Ph.D. degree (Structural and Materials Engineering) from UM in December 2005. He worked as a post-doctoral research fellow and lecturer in the department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Michigan until July 2007. He was an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington from August 2007 to July 2012.

Dr. Chao is a member of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Concrete Institute (ACI), Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI), American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), ASTM Subcommittee on Fiber-Reinforced Concrete, and Structural Engineers Association of Texas (SEAoT). His research interests include high-performance fiber (tensile strain-hardening) concrete, Ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHP-FRC), earthquake engineering, seismic behavior of structural systems, performance-based plastic design (PBPD) for earthquake resistant structures, and large- to full-scale experimental testing of reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete, and steel members/frames (especially special truss moment frame, STMF; staggered truss framing system, STF; and eccentrically braced frame, EBF).

Dr. Chao was the recipient of the ACI Chester Paul Siess Award for Excellence in Structural Research and AISC Milek Young Researcher Fellowship Award, the Outstanding Civil Engineering Instructor Award at the University of Texas at Arlington, and the 2015 University of Texas System Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award.