Abdolmajid Erfani

Biography

Abdolmajid (Mazi) Erfani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington and director of the Analytics for Infrastructure Management (AIM) Lab. His work broadly focuses on applying artificial intelligence and data analytics to improve decision-making in construction, transportation, and infrastructure systems.

Before joining the University of Washington, Erfani served as an Assistant Professor at Michigan Technological University. His sponsored research portfolio exceeds $2 million and includes projects supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), state departments of transportation (DOT), and construction industry partners.

Erfani’s scholarship has received national recognition from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), including the Arthur M. Wellington Prize, the Thomas Fitch Rowland Prize, and 2023 best paper award from the ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering. He serves also as an Associate Editor and Editorial Board member for the ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering and Nature Scientific Reports, as well as an Editorial Board member for the Journal of Smart and Sustainable Built Environment. Through his research, teaching, and professional service, he seeks to advance more intelligent, resilient, and human-centered approaches to infrastructure planning and management.

Education

• Civil Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, 2023
• Civil Engineering, University of Tehran, 2019
• Civil Engineering, University of Tehran, 2017

Previous appointments

• Assistant Professor, Michigan Tech, Civil Engineering, 2023-2026

Research Statement

My research seeks to improve how infrastructure is planned, delivered, and operated by enabling engineers, public agencies, and communities to make better decisions with data and artificial intelligence. Working at the intersection of smart construction, transportation systems, infrastructure management, and construction economics, I address complex decisions involving limited information, competing objectives, and significant technical and societal consequences.

My research has three connected thrusts. First, I develop AI-augmented approaches for construction planning and project controls, infrastructure asset management, risk analysis, cost estimation, and organizational knowledge management. Second, I study human–AI collaboration in engineering, including how AI systems can incorporate domain knowledge, communicate uncertainty, and complement professional judgment. Third, I investigate transportation and infrastructure decisions through the interconnected lenses of sustainability, community, and economic impact.

My approach integrates data analytics, artificial intelligence, simulation, decision science, and engagement with infrastructure professionals and communities. Through collaborations with federal and state transportation agencies and industry partners, my research has produced decision-support frameworks, datasets, benchmarks, and practical guidance for real-world infrastructure challenges. My long-term goal is to establish human-centered decision systems that help organizations manage uncertainty, use institutional knowledge more effectively, and deliver more smart, sustainable infrastructure.

Honors & awards

• Arthur M. Wellington Prize, 2024, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
• Thomas Fitch Rowland Prize, 2024, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
• Best Peer-reviewed Paper Award, 2023, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Management in Engineering
• Outstanding Reviewer Award, 2024, 2025, 2026 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Management in Engineering
• YPI Fellowship, 2023, Young Professional in Infrastructure
• Top 10% Teaching Award, 2025, Michigan Technological University
• ASCE ExCEEd Teaching Fellow, 2024, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
• W. Morris Graduate Fellowship, 2021, University of Maryland