Our Team

Damage, Fracture, and Interface Mechanics Lab
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Meet the researchers, students, and collaborators advancing damage, fracture, and interface mechanics through innovation, mentorship, and discovery.

Our Team

Our lab is made up of faculty, graduate students, undergraduate researchers, and collaborators working together to understand material damage, fracture behavior, structural durability, and interface mechanics.

Director

Ayumi Manawadu headshot

Dr. Ayumi Manawadu is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. She earned her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Washington State University and her B.S. degree from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Prior to joining USF, she served as a Scholarly Assistant Professor at Washington State University.

Dr. Manawadu’s research focuses on smart, safe, and resilient concrete infrastructure, with expertise in structural health monitoring, fracture and interface mechanics, and infrastructure durability and repair. Her work combines experimental testing, computational modeling, and nondestructive evaluation to understand deterioration, predict failure, and extend the service life of critical infrastructure.

She has published in leading engineering journals and received several recognitions, including the John Roberson Outstanding Dissertation Award, Outstanding Reviewer Award in the Journal of Aerospace Engineering, selection for the MIT CEE Rising Stars Program, the ASCE/SEI Tier 1 Young Professional Scholarship, and the ACI Emerging Leader Award. At USF, she teaches Advanced Concrete Design and actively contributes to ASCE, ACI, NCSEA, and the Society of Women Engineers through technical leadership, mentorship, and outreach.

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Director

Ayumi Manawadu, Ph.D.

Leads research in structural health monitoring, fracture mechanics, and durable concrete infrastructure. Integrates experimental testing, computational modeling, and nondestructive evaluation to advance resilient structural systems.

Graduate Students

Tanna Frye headshot

Tanna Frye is a doctoral student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. She holds B.S.C.E. and M.S.C.E. degrees from USF. Her current research focuses on the bond performance of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) systems externally applied to concrete structures under coupled corrosion and temperature effects. Her ongoing work involves fracture-based mechanics, finite element modeling, and experimental testing related to bridge and infrastructure durability. Tanna aims to advance sustainable and resilient repair solutions for aging transportation infrastructure.

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PhD Candidate

Tanna Frye

Conducts research on fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) repair systems and infrastructure durability. Applies fracture mechanics, finite element modeling, and experimental testing to improve resilient concrete structures.

Sirazam Sadekin headshot

Sirazam Sadekin is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. His research interests include nondestructive testing, computational mechanics, fracture and damage modeling, and data-driven design optimization. He is the recipient of the Dean’s Graduate Fellowship for the 2026–2027 academic year.

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PhD Student

Sirazam Sadekin

Conducts research in nondestructive testing, computational mechanics, and fracture modeling. Develops data-driven approaches to optimize structural design and infrastructure performance.

Bipin Pangeni headshot

Bipin Sharma Pangeni is a master’s student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. His research focuses on time-dependent cohesive zone modeling of concrete–steel interfaces along with experimental beam testing. His interests include structural analysis and design, finite element modeling, fracture mechanics, numerical methods, and experimental and field-based structural engineering.

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MS Student

Bipin Pangeni

Conducts research on time-dependent cohesive zone modeling of concrete–steel interfaces. Applies finite element modeling, numerical methods, and experimental testing to investigate structural behavior.

Undergraduate Students

Marco Russo headshot

Marco Russo was born and raised in Naples, Florida. He chose to study civil engineering because he developed an early fascination with structures, building, and hands-on design. From a young age, he knew he wanted to create and construct meaningful projects. He has always been drawn to practical, hands-on work connected to buildings and engineering.

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Undergraduate Student

Marco Russo

Supports modeling, fabrication, and web development for research activities within the laboratory. Creator and manager of the Damage, Fracture, and Interface Mechanics Lab website.

Joshua Feldmeyer headshot

Joshua Feldmeyer is a sophomore civil engineering student at the University of South Florida and a Tampa native. He has always been interested in architecture, which led him to choose civil engineering as his major. He completed two years of dual enrollment at Hillsborough Community College and plans to pursue a master’s degree in geotechnical engineering. In his free time, he enjoys STEM projects and creating gadgets.

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Undergraduate Student

Joshua Feldmeyer

Supports concrete mold fabrication, rebar placement, and protective structure design for laboratory research. Contributes to specimen development and engineering solutions.

Rasul Aliyev headshot

Rasul Aliyev is a civil engineering student at the University of South Florida with a strong interest in structural engineering, bridge design, and construction. He is focused on developing a solid foundation in structural analysis, steel and concrete design, and construction methods to contribute to safe, efficient, and resilient civil infrastructure.

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Undergraduate Student

Rasul Aliyev

Supports structural specimen fabrication, assembly, and layout design for laboratory research. Oversees specimen protection throughout the corrosion lifecycle.

Ethan Goodridge headshot

Ethan Goodridge was born in Barbados in the parish of St. Peter. He studied up to his A-levels at Harrison College in Barbados and is currently undergoing his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering at the University of South Florida.

His Motivation: My vision aims towards regional development where water and energy preservation in the Caribbean is enhanced through integrating renewable energy and water management systems directly into our civil infrastructure. Rather than viewing natural resources as add-ons, I aim to incorporate civil spaces that function as self-sustaining units.

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Undergraduate Student

Ethan Goodridge

Supports modeling, fabrication and corrosive capabilities in the research lab. Facilitate assembly of corrosion systems for required specimens and tests on non-corroded and corroded specimens.

Quuynh Van headshot

Born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, she is now a third-year Civil Engineering student at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Growing up, she was inspired by her father, who is also a civil engineer, and seeing his work contribute to the development of her hometown encouraged her to pursue the same field.

She chose civil engineering because she is especially interested in horizontal construction, such as roads, bridges, and transportation infrastructure, where she can see how engineering directly connects communities and improves people’s everyday lives. Studying in the United States has given her opportunities to expand her knowledge and gain hands-on experience in the field. She hopes to continue developing her technical and leadership skills, become a professional engineer, and eventually manage major infrastructure projects.

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Undergraduate Student

Quynh Van

Assists with concrete laboratory testing, including specimen preparation, equipment setup, and test procedures.

Alumni

Yuliya Tyrak headshot

Yuliya Tyrak completed her MS in Civil Engineering in March 2026. Her thesis focused on the “Quantification of Interfacial Defects in FRP-Strengthened RC Members Using Non-Destructive Testing Methods.” Her work evaluated the performance and integrity of reinforced concrete systems, including previously loaded FRP–concrete piles, through experimental investigation and advanced analysis techniques. She is a recipient of the Jack W. Roberts Endowed Scholarship in Civil Engineering, recognizing her academic excellence and research potential. Her research interests include structural health monitoring, material behavior, and innovative approaches to nondestructive infrastructure damage assessment.

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Alumna

Yuliya Tyrak

Conducted research on damage assessment of reinforced concrete and FRP structural systems using nondestructive testing. Focused on structural health monitoring and experimental evaluation of infrastructure performance.

Avery Peters headshot

Avery Peters is an undergraduate researcher in the laboratory of Dr. Ayumi Manawadu at the University of South Florida. Her interests include structural engineering and land development, with a current focus on concrete materials and performance. Avery is broadening her technical expertise in concrete after previously competing on USF’s ASCE Steel Bridge Competition team.

Outside of the lab, Avery serves as the Mix Design and Testing Captain for USF’s ASCE Concrete Canoe team and is also a member of the concrete canoe team. The team will compete at the ASCE 2026 Symposium in March. Through both research and competition involvement, Avery is developing hands-on experience in experimental testing, material behavior, and structural performance.

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Alumna

Avery Peters

Supported research on concrete materials and structural performance through experimental testing. Contributed to material evaluation while gaining hands-on experience in concrete engineering and structural behavior.