My name is Kristin Ulmer, and I am a Civil Engineering PhD student at Virginia Tech studying soil liquefaction during earthquakes (co-advisors: Prof. Russell Green and Prof. Adrian Rodriguez-Marek). The focus of my research is in developing an energy-based liquefaction evaluation procedure, though I am also doing some work related to site response analysis within a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) framework.
My goal is to become an excellent educator and mentor to the next generation of civil engineers. In particular, I want to encourage women to pursue and complete degrees in STEM fields. I was fortunate enough to have people along my journey who encouraged me and helped me see my potential, and I would like to do that for others.
When I am not working on research, I am trying my hand at the piano or spending time with my husband and 2-year-old daughter. They are my biggest cheerleaders and my most cherished gift.