Education

• PhD, Civil Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA, 2007
• Laurea (5-year program), Civil Engineering, University of Padova, Italy, 2003

Research Interests

Dr. Matta is a civil engineer who’s passionate about helping students understand the know-how and know-why of building materials and structures, and inspiring them to benefit society by solving problems through science and engineering. His team of undergraduate and graduate assistants investigates cool construction materials and their structural performance, with an emphasis on extreme stressors such as high wind pressures and flying debris impact, earthquakes, and radionuclide exposure. Materials of interest range from low-cost earth masonry that resists tornadoes and earthquakes, to concrete with fiberglass reinforcement that doesn’t corrode —like the one hidden inside the new Low Battery seawall in Charleston!

Areas of interest include: low-cost and hazard-resistant dwelling structures; infrastructure strengthening and repair; multi-scale and multi-functional reinforcement for cement composites; load testing, monitoring and assessment of constructed facilities; and corrosion in steel and concrete structures. Research sponsors include National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Federal Highway Administration, SC Department of Transportation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and industry.

Experience

• Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (2016–present).
• Visiting Professor, College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Shenzhen University International Academic Impact and Promotion Program, Shenzhen, China (spring 2024).
• Graduate Director, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (2015–2023).
• Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (2010–2015).
• Associate Director and Co-PI, National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for “Integration of Composites into Infrastructure,” University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL (2009–2010).
• Research Assistant Professor, Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL (2007–2010).
• Associate Director, National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for “Repair of Buildings and Bridges with Composites,” University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL (2007–2009).

Research Projects (selected)

• “Durability and Cost-Benefit Assessment of Innovative Materials for Bridge Deck Maintenance and Construction,” award SPR 773, SC Department of Transportation/FHWA, 2024–2028.  Role: PI (Co-PI at USC: N. Berge; Co-PI at Clemson University: P. Rangaraju).
• “Extremely Durable Graphene Oxide Nanoribbon Reinforced Concrete,” award G-SOW-A-00033, Savannah River National Laboratory, 2020.  Role: Co-PI (Co-PI at USC: M. Baalousha.  Lead institution: SRNL/DOE; PI: C. Langton; Co-PI: J. Gaillard).
• “Collaborative Research: Engineered Earth Masonry for Affordable Seismic Resistant Low-Rise Buildings,” award 1537776 , National Science Foundation, 2015–2019.  Role: PI, Lead Institution (Co-PIs at USC: C. Pierce, M. Sutton; PI at University of California, Davis: M. Barbato).
• “Radionuclide Waste Disposal: Development of Multi-scale Experimental and Modeling Capabilities,” subaward 1750-219-2020199 to DE-SC0012530, US Department of Energy/EPSCoR, 2014–2020.  Role: PI (Co-PIs at USC: J. Flora, J. Caicedo, T. Knight, P. Ziehl; Project PI: B. Powell, Clemson University).
• “Prevention, Assessment and Remediation of Corrosion in Corten Steel Transmission Line Structures,” award TLAM/TODEM 3260/33100, Centre for Energy Advancement through Technological Innovation (CEATI), 2014–2016.  Role: PI.  Project monitors: Avista Utilities, Florida Power & Light Company, San Diego Gas & Electric, SaskPower.
• “NUE: Nanotechnology LINK: An Integrated Approach for Nanotechnology Education: End-of-life Management of Nanomaterial-Containing Wastes,” award 1343756, National Science Foundation, 2013–2016.  Role: Co-PI (PI: N. Berge; Co-PIs: J. Caicedo, C. Pierce, Y. Yoon).
• “Collaborative Research: Resilient and Sustainable Engineered Fiber-Reinforced Earthen Masonry for High Wind Regions,” award 1131161, National Science Foundation, 2011–2015.  Role: PI, Lead Institution (PI at University of Nebraska-Lincoln: E. Erdogmus; PI at University of Florida: E. Obonyo).

Professional Service

• Editor-in-Chief, ASCE Journal of Composites for Construction.
• Associate Editor, ASCE Journal of Bridge Engineering.
• Associate Editor, ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering.
• Voting Member, ACI Committee 241 (Nanotechnology of Concrete).
• Voting Member, ACI Committee 446 (Fracture Mechanics of Concrete).
• Voting Member, ACI Subcommittee 440-0H (FRP-Reinforced Concrete).

Awards and Honors (selected)

• 2025 “Career Influencer”, University of South Carolina Career Center.
• 2025 ASCE Richard R. Torrens Award, American Society of Civil Engineers.
• 2025 Fellow, International Institute for FRP in Construction (IIFC).
• 2024 “Career Influencer”, University of South Carolina Career Center.
• 2018 Distinguished Research Service Award, University of South Carolina.
• 2017 ASCE Associate Editor Award, American Society of Civil Engineers.
• 2010 Outstanding Reviewer, ASCE Journal of Bridge Engineering.
• 2009 Best Technical Paper Award, track “Infrastructure and Construction,” Composites & Polycon, American Composites Manufacturers Association.
• 2006 finalist, Construction Innovation Forum NOVA Award for Outstanding Innovation in Construction, Construction Innovation Forum.
• 2006 runner-up, ASCE/CERF C.J. Pankow Award for Innovation, ASCE Civil Engineering Research Foundation.
• 2002-2003 University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) Scholarship, University of Padova and University of California, San Diego.

Presentations (selected)

• “Noncorrosive FRP Reinforced Concrete: Analysis, Design, and a Landmark Application in South Carolina,” invited Bechtel Fellows Seminar, March 19, 2025 (online, attendance ~150).
• “A Landmark Application of Noncorrosive FRP Reinforcement: The Low Battery Seawall Restoration in Charleston, South Carolina,” invited keynote presentation, 1^st International Conference on Engineering Structures (ICES2024), November 9, 2024, Guangzhou, China.
• “Scaling of Shear Strength in FRP Reinforced Concrete: Computational Simulation, Experimental Verification, and Code Perspective,” invited seminar, Tsinghua University, School of Civil Engineering, April 22, 2024, Beijing, China.
• “Graphitic Nanoamendment of Cementitious Composites: Truly Low Concentrations and Novel Particle Morphologies,” invited seminar, City University of Hong Kong, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, April 12, 2024, Hong Kong, China.
• “Engineered Earth Masonry for Sustainable Tornado-Resistant Dwellings,”invited ASCE Student Chapter Seminar, Case Western Reserve University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, November 19, 2021, Cleveland, OH.
• “Practical Amendment of Cement Composites with Low Concentrations of Unzipped Carbon Nanotubes,” invited presentation, ACS Fall 2021 — I&EC Fellow Award Symposium in Honor of Dr. Steven Serkiz: “Advanced Materials,” August 22, 2021, Atlanta, GA.
• “Computational Simulation and Experimental Validation of Size-Dependent Shear Response of FRP RC Beams without Stirrups,” invited presentation, Symposium on Fracture Mechanics, Size Effect, and Aging Phenomena of Concrete Structures Celebrating Professor Bažant’s 80^th Birthday, ACI Fall 2018 Convention, October 16, 2018, Las Vegas, NV.
• “Engineering for the Other 90%: Earth Masonry for Sustainable Tornado-Resistant Dwellings in US,” invited seminar, The Earth Institute, Columbia University, March 9, 2016, New York, NY.
• “Bio-Inspired Polymeric Binder for Sustainable and Resilient Cement Composites,” ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference (EMI 2013) — Symposium in honor of Prof. S.P. Shah: “Green Concrete: Materials Science for Improved Sustainability of Infrastructure Materials,” August 5, 2013, Evanston, IL.
• “Graphene Nanoplates and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for High-Performance Cement Composites,” invited presentation, 7^th MIT Conference on Computational Fluid and Solid Mechanics — Special Session: Multiscale Multiphysics Mechanics of Ultra-High Performance Cementitious Composites, June 14, 2013, Cambridge, MA.

Publications

• ResearchGate
• GoogleScholar