USU Engineering Professor Earns National Recognition Through 2026 Terry Peshia Early Career Award

Mohsen Zaker Esteghamati, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Utah State University, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Terry Peshia Early Career Faculty Award from the American Institute of Steel Construction. The national award recognizes outstanding early-career faculty who demonstrate exceptional promise in advancing the field of structural steel research and education. The institute presented this award during the opening session of The Steel Conference on April 22 in Atlanta, Georgia.

“I’m honored to be recognized by an institution and industry I deeply care about,” Esteghamati said. “At Utah State we are building an excellent cohort of structural engineering students and researchers that will shape the future of steel industry, especially in this important time where technology is disrupting many fields.”

Esteghamati’s research focuses on transforming steel design practices by integrating artificial intelligence with performance-based earthquake engineering. This results in more resilient structures, smarter design choices, and more efficient use of materials, advancing the future of structural engineering.

The Terry Peshia Early Career Faculty Awards are named for the late president of Garbe Iron Works in Aurora, Illinois, who served with great distinction in many leadership roles in the industry. His namesake award recognizes young professors who demonstrate promise in structural steel research, teaching and other contributions to the structural steel industry.

The American Institute of Steel Construction is a not-for-profit technical organization supported by the steel industry. It partners with the architecture, engineering and construction community to develop safe, efficient steel specifications and codes. It drives innovation to position steel as the most sustainable, economical and resilient structural material. For more than a century, the institute has served as a trusted resource for information and guidance on the design and construction of domestically fabricated structural steel buildings and bridges.