Current Position and Past Experience
Vistasp M. Karbhari is Professor in the Departments of Civil Engineering and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington where he served as President from 2013 to 2020. He is passionate about the mission of public research universities of enabling an affordable education at the highest levels of academic rigor simultaneously enabling talent development for immediate success in the workforce, and enhancing opportunities for access to higher education to all while substantially increasing the scope of the knowledge enterprise to meet the needs of the 21st century.

During his tenure as President UTA was classified as a Carnegie R-1 “very high research activity” university, designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution, ranked #1 in the nation for Veterans by Military Times, ranked #1 in Texas and #23 in the nation for success/performance of first-generation students by Washington Monthly, and ranked in the top 20 in the nation for Bachelors and Masters degrees awarded to African American and overall minority students.

Prior to joining UTA, President Karbhari served in administrative, teaching and research roles at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the University of California, San Diego, and at the University of Delaware.

An internationally recognized researcher, President Karbhari is an expert in the processing and mechanics of composites, durability of materials, infrastructure rehabilitation, and multi-threat mitigation and has authored/coauthored over 460 papers in journals and conference publications and is the editor/co-editor of 6 books.

Education, Honors and Achievements
Professor Karbhari earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree with a specialization in structures, both from the University of Poona in India, and a Ph.D. with a dissertation in composite materials from the University of Delaware.

During his more than 20 years in higher education, he has received numerous awards for research, teaching, and innovation. As an active member and leader of the community he has been honored with awards for his contributions to Diversity and Inclusion, Educational Leadership, Global Vision, and service to Veterans, among others.

He is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors; ASM International; the International Institute for Fiber-reinforced Polymers in Construction; the International Society for Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure; the American Society of Civil Engineers; and the ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute, in addition to being an elected member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts

Personal Details and Community Involvement
He and his wife, Lisa, reside in Arlington, Texas.

Connect
You can connect with Vistasp Karbhari through LinkedIn, by email at vkarbhari@uta.edu or vmkarbhari@gmail.com. Vistasp Karbhari is also on Twitter @VistaspKarbhari.