Building bridges in structural engineering
On August 14, 2025, ARISE welcomed Professor Dr. Eleni Chatzi for a Lighthouse Presentation, Building Bridges — Between Research, Innovation, and Representation in Structural Engineering.
Professor Chatzi reflected on her journey through academia and structural engineering research: from early-career uncertainty to leading interdisciplinary initiatives at the intersection of mechanics, monitoring, and machine learning. The discussion considered how researchers can navigate a path that balances scientific progress with leadership, inclusion, and representation.
The presentation invited the ARISE community to consider how supportive communities can help advance science while also shaping a more inclusive future for the profession.
Speaker bio
View Professor Chatzi’s ETH Zürich profile
Professor Eleni Chatzi is Professor of Structural Mechanics and Monitoring at the Institute of Structural Engineering in ETH Zürich’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering. She serves as President of the European Academy of Wind Energy (EAWE).
Her research interests include structural health monitoring, hybrid modelling for digital twinning, and data-driven decision support for engineered systems. Her work on self-aware infrastructure has been recognized with a 2016 ERC Starting Grant, the 2020 ASCE Huber Research Prize, the 2020 EASD Junior Research Prize in Computational Structural Dynamics, and the 2024 SHM Person of the Year Award.