PhD Positions in Civil and Environmental Engineering: Fault–Damage–Fluid Coupling, Fluid-Induced Fault Slip, and Scientific Machine Learning University of Houston in United States

Mohamed Abdelmeguid is recruiting two fully funded PhD students in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Houston, with a start date in Fall 2026 or Spring 2027.

The positions are part of the Mechanics of Complex Subsurface Systems (MCSS) Group, which studies earthquake mechanics, geohazards, induced seismicity, fault-zone processes, and scientific machine learning. Research directions include: (1) fault–damage–fluid coupling in earthquake cycles, with numerical and theoretical modeling of coupled fault slip, damage evolution, and fluid flow; (2) fluid-induced fault slip, combining experiments and theory to study injection-rate effects and interface conditions; and (3) scientific machine learning for subsurface failure, including neural-operator-based surrogate models for multiphysics simulations.

Ideal applicants will have a strong background in applied mathematics, computational mechanics, geomechanics, or closely related areas. The post emphasizes students interested in connecting observations, laboratory experiments, and high-fidelity modeling to understand how subsurface systems deform, fail, and trigger hazards.

The positions are fully funded for five years. No deadline is stated in the post, so interested candidates should contact the supervisor as soon as possible.

To apply, email [email protected] with your CV, transcripts, and a brief description of your research interests. More information is available via the linked page and the MCSS group website.