Current Position:
Associate Professor in Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering; Associate Dean for Impact and Belonging; Director of the Self Engineering Leadership Fellows Program
Institution:
University of Kansas
Discipline:
Civil Engineering
Recognized for: Comprehensive, systematic computer modeling and engineering to address disaster mitigation and recovery, informing building codes and disaster readiness policies across the country.
Areas of Research Interest and Expertise:
Community Resilience, Natural Hazards, Disaster Recovery, Interdisciplinary Methods, Longitudinal Research
Previous Positions:
BS, University of Alabama
MS, University of Alabama (Advisor: Jialai Wang)
PhD, Colorado State University (Advisor: John van de Lindt)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Colorado State University (Advisor: John van de Lindt)
Assistant Professor, University of Kansas
Associate Professor, University of Kansas
Associate Dean, University of Kansas
Research Summary:
Earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornadoes – as population growth and climate changes make these disastrous events more unpredictable and extreme, how can we ensure that people living in hazard-prone areas are kept safe and with stable housing before, during, and after these forces of nature? Remarkable research being led by structural engineer Elaina Sutley, PhD, PE, seeks to address this question. Using an interdisciplinary and longitudinal approach, Sutley is helping to modernize building codes across the country to make homes more resilient, while helping policymakers make informed decisions about the most effective ways to prepare for and recover from these disasters.
“Natural hazards and disasters leave communities with damaged infrastructure, disrupted services and displaced households. My research aims to prevent hazards from becoming disasters through engineering and policy solutions that help all and prioritize those with the greatest needs.”
Key Publications:
R.K. Mazumder, S.A. Enderami, N. Rosenheim, E.J. Sutley, M. Stanley, M. Meyer. Estimating Long-term Homeless K-12 Students after a Catastrophic Flood Disaster. Resilient Cities and Structures, 2023.
Other Honors:
2025 University Scholarly Achievement Award, University of Kansas
2024 Graduate School Centennial Scholar Award, University of Alabama
2024 School of Engineering Bellows Faculty Scholar Award, University of Kansas
2021 Appointed Young Professional Board of Governors, Structural Engineering Institute
2021 Appointed Young Professional Executive Committee, Infrastructure Resilience Division, American Society of Civil Engineers
2021 School of Engineering Miller Faculty Scholar Award, University of Kansas
2019 Early Career Research Fellow, Gulf Research Program, National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine
2019 Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award, National Science Foundation
In the Media: