Geo Congress 2026
Our team had the opportunity to represent CIEST at Geo-Congress 2026 in Salt Lake City and share the breadth of our work with the broader geotechnical community. The conference provided an excellent platform for CIEST members to present current research, participate in technical discussions, contribute to conference leadership, and engage with industry and academic colleagues from across the country. Overall, CIEST’s presence at Geo-Congress 2026 reflected the strength of our program in natural hazards, earthquake engineering, infrastructure resilience, and research-to-practice impact.
CIEST students and researchers contributed through both poster and oral presentations. Jenna Stein, Angela Mink, Amir Alam Sayari, Sina G. Senji, Jonathan Schmidt, Allison Kunz, and other members of the broader CIEST community shared their work during the conference, highlighting ongoing research efforts across a range of geotechnical topics. These presentations gave our team valuable visibility and created opportunities to discuss our work with researchers, practitioners, and industry leaders. The conference also served as an important venue for professional growth for our students, allowing them to present their findings, answer questions, and build connections within the geotechnical engineering community.
CIEST’s contribution extended beyond research presentations. Prof. Shideh Dashti served in a major leadership role as Technical Chair of Geo-Congress 2026, reflecting national recognition of her expertise and service to the field. In addition to this leadership role, she also participated in technical discussions focused on the challenges facing the profession, particularly those related to natural hazards and resilience. Prof. Srikanth Madabhushi also played an important role in the conference program through technical session leadership and discussions that connected advanced research with engineering practice. Together, these contributions demonstrated CIEST’s active role not only in generating new knowledge, but also in helping shape important conversations in the geotechnical community.
Another important aspect of the conference was industry engagement. Geo-Congress 2026 brought together researchers, consultants, contractors, public agencies, and technology providers, creating a valuable setting for CIEST members to exchange ideas and strengthen relationships with industry partners. Through presentations, panel sessions, networking events, and informal discussions, our team had the opportunity to highlight CIEST’s research capabilities and reinforce its visibility as a leader in addressing geotechnical challenges associated with natural hazard disasters and resilient infrastructure systems.
