German Gurfinkel
Primary Research Area
- Structural Engineering
Research Areas
Biography
Professor German Gurfinkel joined the faculty of the Civil Engineering department at the University of Illinois in 1962. Prior to his tenure at Illinois, Gurfinkel taught for two years (1959-61) in the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Havana. Gurfinkel has continued to teach classes at CEE at Illinois since his retirement in 1998.
Gurfinkel has received numerous awards for teaching, research and professional practice in the field of Structural Engineering. While in Cuba, he designed the structures for the University of Havana’s new campus, as well as a number of bridges and stadiums. He has acted as consultant on projects to ascertain causes for structural collapses of numerous buildings, bridges and storage structures both nationally and internationally. He has created designs for strengthening impaired structures and, in 1981, designed the largest wheat-containing storage tank in West Africa.