Hi!

I'm a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley studying the application of machine learning models in performance-based design in structural engineering, particularly in base isolated structures. I'm joining the University of British Columbia in the upcoming June, where I will be working on the functional recovery prequalification for building systems. I am interested in the application of ML methods and data-driven methods to complement disaster decision making, especially on the regional scale. Particularly, this includes regional resiliency prediction and optimization in disaster damage mitigation and response. I am also hoping to further explore fairness criteria in risk predictions as well as innovative earthquake protective technologies in the future.

I recently finished my Ph.D in December 2024, advised by Prof. Tracy Becker, with a project that focuses on using Gaussian process to enable inverse design of isolated steel frames to achieve resiliency targets. My Ph.D work is funded by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, along with UC Berkeley's Graduate Fellowship.

Prior to this, I did my undergrad at UT Austin, where I worked on design and testing of optimized ducted marine turbine with the Ocean Engineering Group under Dr. Spyros Kinnas. I also greatly enjoy teaching and STEM outreach. I have been a teaching assistant for 3 semesters and have done high school outreach with Cal's Earthquake Engineering Research Institute under the SESI program for three years.

Outside of research work, I enjoy board games, hiking, movies, tennis, and learning languages.

Publications

H. G. Pham, and T. C. Becker (2025). Design of Isolated Building to Achieve Targeted Collapse Limits through Gaussian Process Modeling. Engineering Structures.

H. Pham, and T. Becker (2024). Decision Variable-based Inverse Design of Isolated Steel Frames using Gaussian Process Regression. Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference and Probabilistic Mechanics & Reliability Conference (EMI/PMC 2024). Chicago, Illinois, USA.

H. G. Pham, and T. C. Becker (2023). Inverse Design of Isolated Structures using Predicted FEMA P-58 Decision Variables. 8th International Symposium of Life-Cycle Civil Engineering (IALCCE 2023). Milan, Italy.

T. C. Becker, and H. Pham (2022). Inverse design of isolated buildings given desired collapse probability via surrogate model. The 3rd International Conference on Natural Hazards & Infrastructure (ICONHIC 2022). Athens, Greece.

T. C. Becker, and H. Pham (2020). Prediction of Bearing Failure with Surrogate Modeling. 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (17WCEE). Sendai, Japan.

W. Du, H. Pham, and S. A. Kinnas (2019). Design by optimization and flume test of ducted horizontal axis marine current turbines. The 29th International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference (ISOPE 19). OnePetro.