Richard joined the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in the Fall of 2013 after being a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). His research interests are within remote sensing, structural characterization, structural dynamics, and earthquake engineering. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Structural Engineering from UC San Diego and previously his B.S. with greater distinction in Civil Engineering (Structural Concentration) from Clarkson University.
At Nebraska, research is centered on the structural characterization and damage quantification of civil infrastructure. This includes point cloud data mining for structural response and damage quantities. Point cloud sources include lidar scanning and aerial or drone-based structure-from-motion. Examined infrastructure has included multi-story masonry infilled buildings, high rise apartment buildings, school buildings, and one Hindu temple as well as larger spatial data sets of terraced fields, a built-up urban center, various gravel roads, geotechnical features, and agriculture. In addition to point cloud and other image diagnostics, structural identification of infrastructure is investigated to understand the modal properties of structures including inverted-tee bridge systems and the Hindu temple. Other experimental projects have been conducted in the lab as well. Please inquire if you have any questions or seek additional details.
In previous projects, research focus included nonstructural components (including partition walls and suspended piping systems) under seismic loading and the sensitivity and integrity of historic buildings. One case study of a historic building examined the cracked frescoes in the Sala degli Elementi in Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. Other research interests include numerical building simulation, seismic qualification, experimental validation, and structural assessment. When not working on his research, "Ricky" enjoys hiking, biking, photography, tennis, and playing with his two doggies, Noel (husky rescue mix) and Luna (ridgeback rescue mix).
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