Dr. Debra Laefer

Professor

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Biography

Debra Laefer is a full professor in the NYU Tandon School of Engineering with a specialization in geotechnical structural engineering, art history, and historic preservation. Her research focuses on the intersection of technology and community values through the development of technical solutions to preserve architecturally significant structures. With over 160 peer-reviewed publications, Laefer has made significant contributions to urban modeling, especially in understanding sub-surface construction methods influenced by aerial remote sensing datasets. She was awarded the prestigious €1.5 million ERC grant, becoming a principal investigator with diverse funding sources including the National Science Foundation and the European Research Council. Laefer has also supervised numerous doctoral and master's theses, and contributes to national research policy developments as an appointee to the Irish Research Council.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Professor

2017-02-01 — Present

University College Dublin • Dublin, Ireland

Served as Associate Professor contributing to various civil engineering projects.

Building Risk Assessment Management Consulting Engineers

2011-04-01 — 2013-04-01

Founding Director •

Led a consulting firm focused on risk assessment in building projects.

Founding CEO

2011-04-01 — 2013-04-01

Corpora Systems •

Founded a company that developed systems focusing on geospatial data management.

Assistant Professor

2001-09-01 — 2004-09-01

North Carolina State University •

Instructed undergraduate and graduate courses in civil engineering.

Research Assistant & Instructor

1996-08-01 — 2001-08-01

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign •

Conducted research and supported instruction in civil engineering.

Awards

#

Irish Research Council Delegate

#

Women Walls Project

#

UCD’s Presidential Teaching Award

#

Science Foundation Ireland Career Advancement Award

Requirements for New York University Tandon School of Engineering

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE General
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Electrical and/or Computer Engineering or preparatory discipline Sufficient mathematics preparation
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Official transcripts
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.