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Biography of Dr. Satwant S. Rihal

Dr. Satwant S. Rihal is Professor Emeritus in the Architectural Engineering Department at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil (Structural) Engineering from the University of New Mexico and has a distinguished career in earthquake engineering, seismic hazard mitigation, and structural analysis. His expertise extends to the seismic safety of historic and vernacular architecture, focusing on cost-effective restoration and retrofitting solutions for earthquake-prone regions.

Dr. Rihal has been a faculty member at Cal Poly since 1969 and has held positions as a visiting professor and researcher at institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar. His professional experience includes working as a senior structural engineer at leading firms such as Skidmore Owings & Merrill and T.Y. Lin International. He has also led numerous NSF-sponsored research projectson earthquake hazard mitigation and has been part of EERI reconnaissance teams investigating the impact of major earthquakes worldwide.

Dr. Rihal’s research interests include AI/ML applications in heritage preservationstructural origami as an innovative design concept, and sustainable building practices. He is deeply committed to international collaborationon seismic risk assessment and cultural heritage conservation, contributing significantly to architectural engineering education and disaster resilience research.