Dr. Dimitrios Lignos

Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Dimitrios Lignos. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Dimitrios Lignos is a Full Professor and Department Chair of Civil Engineering at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). He joined EPFL in 2016 after serving as a tenured Associate Professor at McGill University, Canada. Lignos has held postdoctoral positions at Stanford University and Kyoto University. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Structural Engineering from Stanford University and a 5-year Diploma in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). His research focuses on the understanding and modeling of extreme limit states of structural collapse, particularly in steel structures. He has contributed to the development of new design paradigms in seismic design through multiscale experimental testing and advanced computational modeling techniques. Lignos has received several prestigious awards including the 2022 Raymond Reese Research Prize and the 2019 Walter L. Huber Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is actively involved in standards development and serves as an editor for the journal Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics.

Research Interests

Experience

Department Chair, Full Professor

2016-01-01 — Present

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne • Lausanne, Switzerland

Leading the Department of Civil Engineering, focusing on research and educational excellence.

Associate Professor

2010-01-01 — 2016-01-01

McGill University • Montreal, Canada

Conducted research on seismic performance of steel structures.

Postdoctoral Researcher

2009-01-01 — 2010-01-01

Stanford University • Stanford, USA

Investigated seismic response and collapse of steel frames.

Postdoctoral Researcher

2008-01-01 — 2009-01-01

Kyoto University • Kyoto, Japan

Conducted research on seismic retrofitting and performance of steel structures.

Awards

#

Special Achievement Award

2025-01-01
#

Raymond Reese Research Prize

2022-01-01
#

Walter L. Huber Prizes

2019-01-01
#

Outstanding Teaching Award

2021-01-01

Requirements for École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.2
IELTS
Listening
Required:6.5
Reading
Required:6.5
Writing
Required:6.5
Speaking
Required:6.5
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:100
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in a related field Strong foundation in Calculus, Linear Algebra, and Probability Proficiency in programming (Python, Java, or C++)
Application Checklist
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Copy of University Degree(s)
  • Official Transcripts
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Copy of Passport or Identity Card
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Proof of English Proficiency
Specialization Notes

Standard requirements for Engineering and Basic Science Master's programs. Architecture requires an additional portfolio.