Dr. Ahmed Elgamal

Professor

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Biography

Ahmed Elgamal is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Structural Engineering at the University of California, San Diego's Jacobs School of Engineering. He specializes in earthquake engineering with a focus on experimental computational geomechanics and soil-structure interaction. His research includes the application of sensor networks for monitoring civil infrastructure and real-time condition assessment decision-making algorithms. Before joining UC San Diego, he was a faculty member at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Columbia University, and served as technical director of the Rensselaer Geotechnical Centrifuge Research Center. Elgamal has a comprehensive educational background, having obtained his Bachelor's degree from Cairo University, followed by a Master's and Ph.D. from Princeton University. He has been recognized with several awards including the ASCE H. Bolton Seed Medal and the Shamsher Prakash Award, and has served in various editorial and leadership roles within academic journals and associations. Elgamal's contributions to the field include significant publications in reputable journals and impactful research in earthquake engineering.

Research Interests

Experience

Distinguished Professor

2003-01-01 — Present

University of California, San Diego • La Jolla, CA

Leading research and education in earthquake engineering and structural engineering.

Awards

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H. Bolton Seed Medal

2025-01-01
#

Chandra S. Desai Excellence Award

2011-01-01

Requirements for University of California, San Diego

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:85
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in physical, biological, or earth sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Differential and integral calculus. One year of calculus-based physics with laboratory. One year of chemistry with laboratory.
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose (max 2 pages)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Application fee ($135 domestic / $155 international)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).