Prof. Dr. Behrouz Shafei is an accomplished academic and professional in the fields of Civil Engineering and Construction Materials. He currently serves as the Director of Graduate Education for the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering while maintaining a courtesy appointment with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering of Iowa State University. Further to a rich academic background, Prof. Shafei holds a Professional Engineering license from the State of California, where he finished his Ph.D. and postdoctoral studies. His research efforts primarily aim to address the issues associated with the performance of structural systems under continuous deterioration processes and sudden extreme events. He has completed multiple research projects sponsored by various state, national, and international agencies. His contributions to the field have been recognized by the Hojjat Adeli Award for Innovation in Computing (2014), Charles Schafer Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research, and Service (2020), Postdoctoral Mentoring Award (2020), and Interdisciplinary Team Research Award (2023). In addition to his research endeavors, Prof. Shafei is dedicated to contributing to the academic community through editorial and review services for a wide variety of journals and proceedings. He is currently a Scientific Committee Member of several conferences, in addition to serving as a Co-Chair for the International Conference on Net-Zero Built Environment. With his extensive experience, leadership roles, and commitment to research and education, Prof. Behrouz Shafei is a well-respected figure in the fields of Civil Engineering and Construction Materials, contributing significantly to advancements in those fields and beyond.