New Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Aivars Vilguts Joins Structures Group

Dr. Aivars Vilguts is an Assistant Professor in Structural Engineering. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil and Structural Engineering from Riga Technical University in Latvia. In 2021, he earned his Ph.D. from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, focusing on high-rise timber building research. After completing his Ph.D., he returned to the industry and worked as a lead structural engineer on mass timber building developments in Europe and Australia. Dr. Vilguts served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Virginia Tech before joining UNC Charlotte, where he works on modular timber buildings and seismic and wind design. His research interests include timber and mass timber systems, timber connections and joints, structural mechanics of timber and hybrid structures, wind and seismic performance, infrastructure and community resilience, life-cycle analysis and sustainability, experimental and analytical modeling of structural systems, and the application of AI and machine learning in structural engineering. Dedicated to advancing the field of timber construction in North Carolina and worldwide, Dr. Vilguts focuses on mitigating the impact of natural hazards on infrastructure through innovative technologies and interdisciplinary approaches. He has a diverse background in the structural engineering industry, having worked for eight years across Europe, Australia, and the USA. Dr. Vilguts is an active member of the American Wood Council. He teaches courses in timber design, wood structures, and structural mechanics, and he has published articles in leading journals on mass timber systems and resilience. He serves as a reviewer for international journals and collaborates with industry and government agencies to promote the use of timber in construction. He is committed to preparing the next generation of structural engineers to design sustainable and resilient infrastructure.