Profile

A geotechnical engineer, lecturer and consultant that ventured into applied and predictive analytics, operating at the intersection of civil engineering and computer science. Areas of expertise include Machine Learning (small/local & large-scale/distributed), database management systems (relational & NoSQL), risk assessment, foundation design, instrumentation, load testing, A.I.-driven image analysis, collection and analysis of sensor and geotechnical data (IoT).

I help businesses transform their information to data and insights by designing and deploying custom software, databases, analytical procedures and business intelligence solutions. Eager to remain at the forefront of the digital transformation of the Geoprofession, I apply advanced analytics to geotechnical engineering while working on next-gen processes for handling geotechnical data (ASCE G-I DIGGS), enabling A.I.-driven engineering design and risk assessment. I have been invited to train, write and present on this subject at conferences and the private industry.

Skills

  • Domain: Data Engineering, Data Science, Geotechnical Engineering, Foundation Design, Higher Education
  • Strengths: Deeply analytical, delivering insights by restructuring and analyzing ’messy’ data, detail-oriented and time-efficient, comfortable working independently, known as the ‘go-to’ person in a team.
  • Modeling: Plaxis 2D/3D, Ansys, Ensoft APILE/LPILE/GROUP/TZPILE, DeepEx, DeepFND, GRLWEAP, SAP2000, ETABS, SAFE
  • Programming: Python (experienced developer), Matlab, R, Bash scripting, Git
  • Viz & B.I.: Bokeh, Matplotlib, Seaborn, ggplot, PowerBI, Tableau, Metabase
  • Databases: Data Warehousing & ETL, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Oracle, MS SQL Server
  • Big Data: Apache Spark, Hadoop, Impala, BigQuery
  • Cloud Dev.: Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure
  • Web Dev.: Flask, Django, PHP, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Bootstrap, Bulma, Drupal, Wordpress

Formal Education

  • Ph.D., Civil (Geotechnical) Engineering (strong emphasis on Computer Science) (2019)
    New York University, Brooklyn, NY
    Assessment of Pile Design Methods Using Advanced Data Analytics (Advisor: Dr. Magued Iskander)

  • M.Sc., Civil (Structural) Engineering (2011)
    Columbia University, New York, NY

Work Experience

  • Online Graduate Program Manager and Course Developer, Systems Administrator (2013 - 2019)
    New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
    Overlooking, organizing, coordinating and leading the design and development of the first online graduate degree for the Department of Civil and Urban Engineering at NYU.

  • Project Manager (2012 - 2013)
    PMTE Construction Co., Athens, Greece
    Running day-to-day operations of this family-owned company leading the design and construction of a variety of projects, from apartment buildings and villas to special projects such as radio station facilities and renovations of historic sites.

  • Superintendent (2002 - 2007)
    PMTE Construction Co., Athens, Greece
    Supervised master builders (carpentry, masonry) as well as iron workers, plumbers, and electricians.

Teaching Experience

  • Lecturer, Applied Analytics (Sep 2017 - present)
    Columbia University in the City of New York, School of Professional Studies, New York, NY
    Course developer & lead instructor: Relational & NoSQL Databases, Data Warehousing & ETL, Machine Learning and Analytics in an Organizational Context

  • Adjunct Instructor (Jun 2018 - present)
    New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
    Courses: Machine Learning, Computing in Civil Engineering, Principles of Professional Practice I-III (Ethics, Management, Leadership)

  • Competition Mentor (2016 - 2018)
    New York Academy of Sciences, Global STEM Alliance, The Junior Academy, New York, NY
    Mentored talented students, STEM experts, and companies around the world to design innovative solutions to global challenges.

Research Experience

  • Research Fellow: Ultimate Capacity of Driven Piles (2013 - 2019)
    New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
    P.I.: Dr. Magued Iskander, PE, F.ASCE

  • Research Fellow: BiLab (2015 - 2016)
    New York University, Tandon School of Engineering, Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, Brooklyn, NY
    P.I.: Dr. Semiha Ergan

Invited Lectures & Presentations

  • Application of Dynamic Image Analysis for Sand Particle Classification Using Deep Learning, ASCE G-I Geo-Congress 2020, Minneapolis MN, January 27, 2020
  • Evaluation of Pile Design Methods for Large Diameter Open-Ended Piles, Transportation Research Board (TRB) 99th Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., January 13, 2020

Publications

  • (in review) Rizk, A., Machairas, N., Kodsy, A., Iskander, M. (2021). Efficacy of Design Methods for Predicting the Capacity of Large Diameter Open-Ended Piles ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
  • (in print) Kodsy, A., Machairas, N., Iskander, M. (2021). Assessment of Several Interpreted Pile Capacity Criteria for Large Diameter Open-Ended Piles ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal

Leadership

  • Advisory Member / Task Force (Sep 2020 - present)
    ASCE G-I Innovative Technologies and Tools in Geotechnical Engineering (INNC)

  • Member (Mar 2020 - present)
    TRB AKG70 Standing Committee on Foundations of Bridges and Other Structures

Relevant Projects

  • edafos: A Python Module for Soil Mechanics (ongoing)
    Technologies: Python, Sphinx. Outcomes: Author of a first-of-its-kind Python module.
  • DIGGS: A GML Geospatial Schema for the Transfer of Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Data (ongoing)
    Technologies: XML, GML, Python.

Professional Education & Career Development

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
    Short & Digital Programs, Experimental Learning (Spring - Fall, 2016)
    Data Science, Big Data and Social Analytics, Data and Models in Engineering, Science, and Business, Internet of Things: Roadmap to a Connected World.

Awards & Scholarships

  • Best Paper Award, Machairas, N. P., et al. (2018) Evaluation of FHWA Pile Design Method Against the FHWA Deep Foundation Load Test Database Version 2.0.
  • Geo-Institute Graduate Scholarship, ASCE Met Section, 2017
  • Underground Construction Association of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (UCA of SME) Scholarship for RETC, 2017
  • Graduate Scholarship Recipient, The International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC), 2016
  • Magna Cum Laude, top 15% of graduating class, B.Sc., Civil Engineering, 2010
  • Dean’s List, GPA of 3.4 or higher, 2008 - 2010.