Portrait of Kimberly Kurtis in a black blazer and a tan blouse standing next to a brick wall
GT Infrastructure Materials Research Laboratory, School of Materials Science and Engineering
Resilient Infrastructure, Smart Cities, Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Materials, Construction and Infrastructure Systems Engineering
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Kimberly E. Kurtis

Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Scholarship, Raymond Allen Jones Chair & Professor
Email Address
kkurtis@gatech.edu
Telephone
404.385.0825
Office Building
Mason
Office Room Number
4154
Biography

Dr. Kimberly (Kim) E. Kurtis is Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Scholarship in the Georgia Tech College of Engineering and the Raymond Allen Jones Chair & Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, with a courtesy appointment in Materials Science and Engineering. Her research focuses on the multi-scale structure, properties, and performance of cement-based materials, integrating advanced experimental characterization, materials processing, and data-driven approaches to improve the durability, sustainability, and resilience of concrete infrastructure.

Dr. Kurtis has led more than $25 million in sponsored research and authored over 200 scholarly publications and reports spanning fundamental cement chemistry, engineered cementitious composites, nondestructive evaluation, and low-carbon materials systems. Her work has informed state and national guidance for performance-based specifications, durability assessment, and service-life extension of concrete infrastructure. She is a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute and the American Ceramic Society and has held numerous leadership roles in professional societies, editorial boards, and national research initiatives.

 

Research

Dr. Kurtis’s research advances the fundamental understanding and practical performance of cement-based materials for sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Core interests include:

  • Multi-scale structure–property–performance relationships in cementitious materials
  • Low-clinker and alternative cement systems
  • Durability of concrete under coupled chemical, thermal, and mechanical loading
  • Nondestructive evaluation and sensing of infrastructure materials
  • Data analytics and machine learning for materials design and performance prediction

This work emphasizes translation of materials science discoveries into performance-based design tools, specifications, and policy-relevant outcomes.

Education

PhD                    Civil Engineering, University of California at Berkeley                   1998

MS                      Civil Engineering, University of California at Berkeley                   1995

BSE                     Civil & Environmental Engineering, Tulane University                    1994
 summa cum laude                      (minor: Art History)

Teaching

Dr. Kurtis teaches and mentors students in civil and environmental engineering and materials science, emphasizing strong connections between materials chemistry, microstructure, and engineering performance. Her teaching interests include cementitious materials, materials characterization, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and data-informed engineering design.

Distinctions & Awards
  • Election to the University of California, Berkeley Academy of Distinguished Alumni
  • ACI Anderson Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Concrete Science
  • ASCE Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize
  • Outstanding Senior Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, Georgia Tech
  • ACI Del Bloem Award for Service
  • ACI James Instruments Award for Research on Nondestructive Evaluation of Concrete
  • ACI Walter P. Moore, Jr. Faculty Achievement Award
  • Fellow, American Concrete Institute
  • Fellow, American Ceramic Society
Publications
  1. Kopp, T., Kurtis, K.E., Grubert, E.
    Life-Cycle Analysis of Proposed Performance-Based Specifications for Structural Concrete and Portland Cement Concrete Pavement in Georgia.
    Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part B: Pavements (2026)
  2. Bradford, K., Gentry, R., Ben-Alon, L., Kurtis, K.E.
    Construction 3D Printing Material Selection: Minimizing Cost and Carbon Footprint of Residential Wall Assemblies.
    Construction and Building Materials (2025)
  3. Childs, C., Miller, A., Neiswanger, W., Poczos, B., Stewart, L., Kurtis, K.E., et al.
    Bayesian Machine Learning for Inverse Design of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete.
    Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A (2025)
  4. Qoku, E., Reuschle, D., Fitzgibbons, T., Wilkinson, A.P., Kurtis, K.E.
    HEMC Modifications to Tricalcium Silicate Hydration: Changes in Kinetics and Nanostructure Examined by Time-Resolved High-Energy X-Ray Scattering.
    Cement and Concrete Research (2025)
  5. Szeto, C., Jin, Q., Zunino, F., Kurtis, K.E.
    Assessment of Particle Packing Approach for Design of Low-Clinker, LC3 Binders at Low Water-to-Solids Ratio.
    Cement and Concrete Composites (2025)
  6. Kumar, D., Kim, J.Y., Fjeran, C., Stewart, L., Kurtis, K.E., Jacobs, L.J.
    Detection of Alkali–Silica Reaction within Large-Scale Concrete by Ultrasound Non-Collinear Wave Mixing.
    Materials and Structures (2025)
  7. Burney, D.C., Kurtis, K.E., Jacobs, L.J., Sherman, R.J.
    Comparison of Nondestructive Methods for Detecting Reinforcing Bar Placement.
    ACI Materials Journal (2024)
  8. Park, J., Brown, J.B., Al-Hasani, L.E., Gentry, T.R., Kurtis, K.E., Cho, Y.K.
    Cost-Effective Thermal Control Planning for Mass Concrete Construction Using Nomograms.
    Journal of Construction Engineering and Management (2024)
  9. Kurtis, K.E., Stewart, L.K., Kumar, D.
    Recommendations for Extension in Service Life of ASR-Affected Concrete.
    Georgia Department of Transportation Report (2024)
  10. Kurtis, K.E., Burris, L., Alapati, P., Ley, M.T., Peery, J., Hajibabaee, A., Behravan, A., et al.
    Novel Alternative Cementitious Materials for Development of the Next Generation of Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure.
    Federal Highway Administration Research Report (2024)

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