Hector Estrada

Hector Estrada is Professor of civil engineering. He also served as the Chair of the Civil Engineering Department from August 2006 through August 2010. During his tenure as Department Chair, Dr. Estrada played the key role in the development of the Master of Science in Engineering Science degree program. Prior to coming to Pacific, Professor Estrada chaired the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where he developed the architectural engineering program. Dr. Estrada has held visiting research appointments at NASA, Texas Tech University, and the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center - Construction Engineering Research Laboratory. He also consults for various companies in the area of structural engineering.

Dr. Estrada's primary teaching responsibilities for the civil engineering department include structural engineering and mechanics at the undergraduate and graduate levels. His research expertise is in the application of advanced materials to innovative infrastructure systems, and engineering education. Some of this work has been supported by funding from the Texas Department of Transportation, the National Science Foundation, the Texas Transportation Institute, and the American Society of Civil Engineers. He has an extensive record of publications, including textbooks on drafting and design of structural steel buildings, earthquake engineering, and a forthcoming book on materials for civil infrastructure.

In his spare time, Dr. Estrada is an avid runner, completing over 50 marathons including the Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles marathons. He is also passionate about trail running and hiking. He has completed numerous trail races and has hiked the Inka trail, summited Mount Whitney and Yosemite's Half Dome.