Dr. Payal Kotecha is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Daytona Beach Campus, where she teaches structural and construction engineering courses and leads research in resilient civil infrastructure systems.
Dr. Kotecha earned her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington, where she specialized in structural engineering and computational mechanics and was recognized for academic excellence through competitive fellowships and awards. Prior to joining Embry-Riddle, she served as a post-doctoral research associate and adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. She also brings valuable industry experience from her work as a structural project manager and as a construction project engineer, working on structural analysis, design and infrastructure-related engineering projects across residential, commercial, industrial and aviation sectors. Her background combines academic research, applied engineering practice and advanced computational analysis.
Dr. Kotecha’s research focuses on infrastructure asset management, structural health monitoring, computational mechanics and resilient utility infrastructure systems. Her expertise integrates experimental investigation, finite element analysis and field-based infrastructure assessment to improve the long-term performance and resilience of critical civil infrastructure systems. She has conducted extensive research on fiber-reinforced concrete systems, structural behavior of deep beams with discontinuity regions and underground utility infrastructure performance, contributing to advancements in structural engineering and infrastructure resilience research.
At Embry-Riddle, Dr. Kotecha leads federally, and state-supported research initiatives related to underground utility infrastructure and pipe-to-structure connections. She currently serves as principal investigator on a Florida Department of Transportation-funded project investigating the in-service performance of pipe-to-structure connections and resilient connector systems for statewide infrastructure applications. Her research combines field inspections, performance evaluation and applied engineering analysis to support safer and more sustainable infrastructure systems. She is also expanding her research portfolio into modular and adaptive infrastructure systems for extreme and remote environments, including emerging concepts related to future aerospace and lunar infrastructure applications.
Dr. Kotecha is deeply committed to experiential learning and student mentorship. She teaches courses including Statics, Solid Mechanics, Structural Analysis, and Construction Engineering, while actively engaging students in hands-on research, poster presentations and engineering competitions. Her students have presented award-winning research and competition projects at university and regional engineering events, reflecting her commitment to integrating research, innovation and professional development into engineering education.
Dr. Kotecha is an active member of professional organizations including the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Concrete Institute, American Society for Engineering Education, Society of Women Engineers and Transportation Research Board. She has received recognition for both teaching and mentorship at Embry-Riddle, including departmental teaching honors, multiple nominations for college-level teaching awards and recognition through the “Thank-A-Professor” initiative for embracing agility in engineering education. In addition, she serves as an NSF Panel Fellow in the Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation division.
Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
- Adjunct Professor, University of Texas at Arlington, USA (2018-2019 & 2020)
- Post-Doctoral Research Associate, The University of Texas at Arlington, USA (2018-2020)
- Research Engineering Scientist, The University of Texas at Arlington, USA (2018-2020)
- Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant, The University of Texas at Arlington, USA (2014-2018)
- Assistant Professor, Gujarat Technological University, India (2009-2013)
INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS
- Project Manager (Structural), Burke Structural Engineers, Frisco, TX, USA (2021)
- Project Engineer (Construction), Vertex Guam, GU, USA (2021)
- Structural Engineer, Doshi Engineers, Rajkot, GJ, India (2007-2009)
- American Concrete Institute (ACI)
- ACI Committee 544: Associate Member
- ACI Sub-Committee 544-0C-FRC Testing: Voting Member
- ACI Sub-Committee 544-0D-FRC Structural Use: Voting Member
- ACI Committee 447-Finite Element Analysis: Associate Member
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
- ASCE Advanced Materials and Structures Committee: Member
- Structural Engineering Institute (SEI)
- American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE)
- Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
- Nominated for the College of Engineering teaching award (2024)
- Summer Dissertation Fellowship (2018)
- Recognition for Academic Excellence in Civil Engineering (2017-2018)
- STEM Doctoral Fellowship (2014-2018)
- Department of Civil Engineering Scholarship (2013-2014)