President’s Message
Vistasp M. Karbhari the President of SCSHM
Dear Members,
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as the President of the Society for Civil Structural Health Monitoring (SCSHM). As we look to the future, our mission has never been more urgent nor more filled with possibility. Around the world communities depend on infrastructure systems that are increasingly complex and exposed to unprecedented stresses from harsh and changing climates, and effects of aging and continuously evolving patterns of use and increasing demands of safety. Ensuring the safety, sustainability, and resilience of these systems requires not just engineering expertise, but multi- and cross-disciplinary innovation, collaboration, and a deep sense of responsibility. This is where our society – your society, stands at the forefront.
SCSHM, established in 2003 as ISHMII, has been a trusted convener of researchers, practitioners and innovators who understand that structural health monitoring is not merely a set of technologies, but a mindset that embraces sensors, data-driven decision making, intelligent systems, and continuous learning. As we begin this next chapter of our journey, we build on these strengths elevating the role of SHM in the stewardship of existing infrastructure systems while also adopting it to catalyze better design of new systems.
All of this is only possible through you – our members, corporate partners and university partners, and friends across academia, industry, and government. Your research, your development and implementation of innovations, your development of standards, your teaching and mentorship of the next generation of leaders, and your passion continue to catalyze new advances as we move our field forward. It is through your contributions that communities have safer bridges, more reliable transit systems, more resilient buildings, and infrastructure networks.
In the coming years, we will work together to
- advance innovative SHM science and practice harnessing AI, digital twins, advanced sensing, and data analytics to transform how we understand the behavior of structures
- strengthen global connections especially in regions facing the greatest infrastructure risks and opportunities
- champion real world impact ensuring that SHM becomes integral to design, construction, maintenance, and emergency response
- support the next generation of SHM professionals expanding training, mentorship, and pathways for emerging leaders,
- amplify the visibility and influence of our work demonstrating that safer infrastructure is not just an engineering imperative but a societal need.
I invite each of you to engage with your society, actively share your insights, showcase your innovations, mentor young professionals, participate in conferences, symposia and working groups, and help SCSHM lead the way towards a smarter, safer, and more resilient world. Together we will ensure that structural health monitoring remains at the heart of a global movement to safeguard the systems that connect, protect, and empower society. Thank you for your trust, your commitment, and your dedication to building a better future for all.
Vistasp M. Karbhari. President, SCSHM
Short biography
Vistasp M. Karbhari is a Professor in the Departments of Civil Engineering, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he served as the 8th president from 2013 to 2020. An internationally reputed researcher, Dr. Karbhari is an expert in the processing and mechanics of composites, durability of materials, infrastructure rehabilitation, structural health monitoring, and multi-threat mitigation. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); the National Academy of Inventors (NAI); the American Society of Civil Engineers; ASM International; the International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM); the International Institute for Fiber-reinforced Polymers in Construction; the International Society for Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure (ISHMII); ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute (SEI), and is an elected member of the European Academy of Science and Arts, as well as a Distinguished Fellow of the the International Engineering and Technology Institute (IETI).
