Shiva Pooladvand

Shiva Pooladvand says engineering is about leveraging technology and innovation to solve problems and overcome challenges. 

“The quote ‘I shall either find a way or make one,’ attributed to Hannibal when his army faced the challenge of crossing the Alps to invade Italy, has been a significant source of inspiration for me and shaped my motivation while encountering challenges in my career path,” she says.

Pooladvand starts a new role as an assistant professor of civil engineering in the Del E. Webb School of Construction in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.

Pooladvand was drawn to ASU because the Fulton Schools’ values — cultivating excellence, delivering innovation that matters, encouraging bold thinking, fostering a community of learning and collaboration and building a foundation for all to be successful — are closely aligned with the mission and vision of her work.

“ASU has one of the largest and most comprehensive engineering programs in the country, offering exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary and practical research, particularly in the field of construction,” Pooladvand says. “The inclusive and collaborative environment at ASU has also greatly resonated with me.

Prior to joining the Fulton Schools, Pooladvand earned her doctoral degree at the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering at Purdue University.

Accolades for her doctoral research include the 2022 Oral Excellence Award from the Society of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and the 2022 Industrial Choice Award from the Construction Industry Institute. She was also named as a finalist for the best research poster by the IEEE Industrial Applications Society. Her work was the 2023 Editorial Choice Paper in the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, and she received the 2023 Nellie Munson Teaching Assistant Award from Purdue University.

Her interdisciplinary research incorporates civil engineering, cognitive psychology, human behavioral science and computer science to advance construction automation, smart safety and productivity.

“I believe my work can further facilitate the integration of technology and data-driven methods in the construction industry to overcome challenges in complex construction projects while increasing productivity and safety,” Pooladvand says.

Pooladvand will teach graduate and undergraduate courses about novel technologies, construction automation and leveraging AI and data-driven methods in construction.

Outside the classroom, she enjoys traveling, hiking, camping and playing volleyball. 

Meet the newest faculty members of the Fulton Schools of Engineering here.

Written by Lisa Irish