Christopher Earls began his engineering education at Virginia Tech, earning both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the Via Department. He worked with Dr. Siegfried Holzer as his advisor for his master’s degree in structural engineering. After graduation, Chris continued his education at the University of Minnesota, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1995 with a research focus on nonlinear finite element analysis techniques.



In 1996 he joined the faculty in the Department of Civil and Mechanical engineering at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, as an assistant professor. He stayed there for three years and in 1999 joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh as an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. In 2000 Dr. Earls was appointed the William Kepler Whiteford Faculty Fellow and in 2002 was named an associate professor with tenure. He became the chairman of the department in March 2004.



His areas of technical specialization include the behavior and design of steel structures, the stability of structural components and systems, and the experimental testing of steel and composite structures. He has taught several courses at the University of Pittsburgh, including nonlinear structural behavior and advanced steel design.



Dr. Earls also specializes in the use of advanced supercomputer technology in the analysis of structures, and he has earned grants from the Minnesota Supercomputer Institute, Cray Research Corp. and Army Research Labs. Over a period spanning seven years, he has logged more than 5,000 hours on a Cray X-MP and Cray C916, collectively, and more than 2,000 hours on a Cray T90.



In his relatively young career, Chris has garnered a variety of honors. In 2001 he was the recipient of the Professor of the Year Award from the Pittsburgh section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He also received the 2000 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities. In 1999 he was the recipient of the Phi Kappa Phi Scholastic Achievement Award. He has authored or co-authored 29 refereed journal papers and authored or co-authored 25 conference proceedings papers. Dr. Earls is a registered professional engineer in Texas.



As a professional member of ASCE, Dr. Earls has served since August 2001 as associate editor of the society’s Journal of Structural Engineering and has served on numerous committees. He also is an editorial board member of Steel and Composite Structures: An International Journal and a member of the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.



While a student at Virginia Tech, Chris was a member of the student chapter of ASCE. He was also a member of the varsity track team from 1987 to 1988 and a member of the Virginia Tech Powerlifting Team.



Chris has fond memories of his time as a Hokie. “Virginia Tech was a great place to go to school and the civil and environmental engineering department provided me with a magnificent education,” he said. “I will always be thankful for this and the many wonderful memories.”



“Chris is a good friend of the CEE Department,” said Dr. Sam Easterling, one of Chris’ professors at Virginia Tech. “He regularly encourages students at Pitt to apply to our graduate program. Likewise, he speaks highly of Virginia Tech and is proud to let people know where he went to school.”



Chris and his wife of six years, Cecilia, have three children: Benjamin, four years old, Jackson, two years old, and a baby girl, Sydney. In his spare time, Chris likes to run, spend time with his family and read.