Rate My Professor Keith Kowalkowski

Dr. Keith Kowalkowski serves as Associate Professor and Assistant Department Chair of Civil Engineering Graduate Programs at Lawrence Technological University. He earned his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from Purdue University and B.S. in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University. His professional career includes work as a Structural Engineer at Ruby and Associates, Inc. from 2005 to 2010. He began teaching at Lawrence Technological University as an Adjunct Professor from 2007 to 2009, transitioned to Assistant Professor in 2010, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2016, and appointed Assistant Chair in 2019. Kowalkowski directs the Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, and Master of Science in Construction Engineering Management programs. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Michigan and holds Structural Engineering licensure in Illinois. Memberships include ASCE, AEI, AISC, and SEAMi, with service on the AEI Academic Council. As faculty advisor, he supports student teams in the AEI Student Design Competition and ASHRAE Student Design Competition.

Kowalkowski's research focuses on steel connection design, residual stresses in steel members, fatigue and fracture behavior of structural steel connections and components, erection engineering, effects of heat treatments on structural properties of structural materials, serviceability and load capacities of steel beam bridges, and design and analysis of structures subjected to fire loading. He specializes in structural engineering emphasizing steel design, analysis, structural dynamics, and finite element applications. Key publications include 'Determination of Capacities of Eccentric Stiffeners: Part 1 – Experimental Studies' and 'Part 2 – Analytical Studies' (AISC Engineering Journal, 2021); 'Effects of Heat Cambering On Residual Stresses in Steel Beams' (Scholars Journal of Engineering and Technology, 2018); 'Three-Dimensional Material Properties of Composites with S2-Glass Fibers or Ductile Hybrid Fabric' (SAMPE International Technical Conference, 2013); 'Effects of Multiple Damage-Heat Straightening Repairs on Steel Beams' (Transportation Research Board Journal, 2007); 'Experimental Investigations of the Effects of Multiple Damage-Heat Straightening Repairs on the Structural Properties of Bridge Steels' (Transportation Research Record, 2006); and 'Structural Properties of Steels Subjected to Multiple Cycles of Damage Followed by Heating Repair' (Journal of Structural Engineering, 2005).