Sam Smith

Assistant Professor

Contact information

Education

Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, 2026
M.A., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, 2022
M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, 2020
B.E., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lebanese American University, 2018

Professional experience

Sam Smith leads the Structural Intelligence Lab (SIL), focusing on the critical intersection of structural engineering and artificial intelligence. His group is dedicated to pioneering creative, resilient and trustworthy infrastructure systems by developing and critically evaluating AI methodologies and computational tools. He received his doctorate from Princeton University in 2026. Before joining K-State, Smith served as a graduate researcher and assistant instructor at Princeton. Beyond traditional academia, he is the founder of Engineer+AI and has an extensive background in engineering education, having reached tens of thousands of learners globally through online platforms.

Research

Smith’s research focuses on developing data-driven and AI methodologies to analyze and optimize complex and novel infrastructure capable of withstanding extreme natural hazards. Smith is also interested in developing and critically examining AI tools for structural engineering applications. By leveraging machine learning frameworks, finite element methods, high-performance computing and advanced computational fluid dynamics – such as Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) – his group aims to model complex wave-structure interactions and various structural systems.

Academic highlights

Smith has authored multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings, including publications in Engineering Structures, Thin-Walled Structures, Ocean Engineering and the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. His graduate studies were recognized with a Princeton University Graduate Fellowship, and his collaborative research on wave-structure interactions was supported by an NSF BRITE Pivot Award. Deeply passionate about pedagogy, Smith merges research with teaching, rooted in learning through productive struggle and hands-on experimentation, and has educated over 59,000 learners across more than 110 countries through his online civil engineering courses.