He is also the Director of the Center for Structural Engineering and Emerging Technologies for Nuclear Power Plants. Dr. Varma received his Ph.D. from Lehigh University. His passions are steel-concrete composite structures and their use in civil infrastructure including buildings, bridges, and nuclear power plants. He has conducted research on the experimental behavior, analysis, and design of steel-concrete composite structures subjected to earthquake, fire, and thermal accident scenarios. Dr. Varma’s research at Bowen Laboratory has been supported by federal and state government agencies and the industry. He is the Vice-Chair of the AISC TC12 sub-committee focusing on the development of a new standard for modular composite construction for safety related nuclear facilities. He lives in West Lafayette, Indiana with his wife and two daughters.