He received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, where he was also a post-doctoral research fellow until August 1998. His Ph.D. thesis entitled: “Generation and Interaction of Compressive Stress-Induced Microcracks in Concrete.” His other graduate degrees are: Master of Science in civil engineering (Environmental Engineering); Master of Engineering in civil engineering (Geotechnical and Construction Engineering); and Master of City and Regional Planning (Urban Transportation Planning).