Advancing AI Applications in Engineering and Environmental Systems
Dr. Riazi's research explores how artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large language models can address complex engineering and environmental challenges — from sediment transport and coastal systems to infrastructure resilience — while ensuring reliability, interpretability, and scientific rigor.
Research Approach and Principles
Real-World Engineering Challenges
Research projects are motivated by actual engineering, environmental, and infrastructure problems rather than theoretical datasets alone. The real-world application drives the selection of AI methodologies and validation criteria.
Physics-Informed AI and Machine Learning
Artificial intelligence models incorporate domain knowledge, physical constraints, and engineering principles to produce predictions that are both interpretable and scientifically accurate, bridging data-driven and physics-based approaches.
Rigorous Validation and Benchmarking
All machine learning models are rigorously tested against real-world benchmarks, field data, and established methods. Only robust, validated approaches are published in peer-reviewed journals and deployed in practical applications.
Open Science and Peer Review
Research findings are disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and academic collaborations. Work is shared transparently to enable replication, scholarly critique, and advancement of the field.
Primary Research Areas and Interests
Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Systems
Applying machine learning, deep learning, and AI optimization algorithms to infrastructure systems, water resources management, and environmental monitoring applications.
Physics-Informed Machine Learning
Integrating engineering domain knowledge, physical constraints, and governing equations into neural network architectures and machine learning models for improved accuracy and interpretability.
Large Language Models and Generative AI for Scientific Research
Exploring applications of large language models (LLMs) in research automation, literature synthesis, data analysis, and scientific knowledge discovery.
Coastal Engineering and Sediment Transport Modeling
Using artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict and manage complex natural processes in coastal systems, sediment dynamics, and hydraulic engineering.
Responsible and Interpretable AI
Developing frameworks for explainable AI, ensuring fairness and accountability in AI deployments, and promoting transparent machine learning practices in engineering and environmental applications.
Selected Research Projects and Investigations
Coastal and Sediment Dynamics
Research on coastal processes, sediment transport, and shoreline evolution, including erosion, accretion, and beach morphodynamics, for understanding and predicting changes in natural and engineered coastal environments.
Hydraulic and Water Systems Engineering
Studies on hydraulic structures, water flow, and watershed processes, including spillways, discharge estimation, and flow optimization, aimed at improving water management and infrastructure design.
Computational Modeling and Artificial Intelligence
Application of machine learning, deep learning, and computational modeling to solve complex engineering problems, enhance predictive accuracy, and optimize design in civil and environmental systems.
Complex Systems and Information Analysis
Investigation of patterns and dynamics in complex systems, including network behavior, information diffusion, and causal relationships, using computational and analytical methods for engineering and socio-technical applications.
Explore Research Publications and Collaborations
View peer-reviewed publications, ongoing research projects, and opportunities for academic collaboration with Dr. Riazi.