Dr. Sharon Wood

Biography

Sharon Wood is a professor in the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, where she also serves as the dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering. She was formerly the provost at the University of Texas at Austin. Wood began her academic career at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as an assistant professor and later became an associate professor. She had a stint as a visiting associate professor at the University of Washington before joining the faculty at her current university. During her tenure as dean, she advocated for innovative hands-on and project-based learning models. Wood launched online master's degree programs in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering, as well as new bachelor's degree programs in computational engineering and environmental engineering. She has been instrumental in the opening of a large multidisciplinary engineering building on campus and has significantly impacted outreach programs targeting K-12 students. Wood is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and has previously held the position of president of the American Concrete Institute. Her research focuses on earthquake response and reinforced structures and has contributed to national advisory committees for various organizations.

Research Interests