Negar Elhami-Khorasani awarded 2026 Magnusson Early Career Award

By Alicia Maxwell

According to IAFSS, the award recognizes members who are within 5 to 10 years of completing their most recent degree and have been recognized for their contributions to fire safety science. The Magnusson Award honors Professor Sven Erik Magnusson, a pioneer in parametric fire modeling and risk management. 

Elhami-Khorasani's research focuses on structural fire engineering and the resilience of the built environment under extreme hazards including wildfires and post-earthquake fires. She was also the recipient of the 2020 American Institute of Steel Construction Early Career Faculty Award for her study on fire and elevated temperatures on steel structure. She recently collaborated on a $2-million National Science Foundation funded project that was focused on wildfire risk reduction in wildland urban interface communities.

“Extreme weather events, expansion of communities into fire-prone areas, and aging infrastructure have elevated fire as a critical resilience challenge. Events, such as the 2025 Southern California wildfires, underscore the need for engineering-based strategies that can reduce fire risk and improve long-term resilience,” says Elhami-Khorasani.

With fire safety scientists and engineers making up a small community within the broader field of engineering, Elhami-Khorasani incorporates mentorship in her teaching and research. She teaches courses in “Design of Structures for Fire” and “Resilience of Civil Infrastructure Systems” where she encourages students to think beyond technical fundamentals and engage with complex real-world challenges. As a mentor, she tackles the role of preparing her students to become leaders who understand the societal importance of fire safety. 

“The Magnusson Award is a well-deserved recognition for Dr. Elhami-Khorsani, one of our rising stars. Her work is inspiring a new generation of students interested in the critically important problem of wildfires,” says Alan Rabideau, chair of the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering.