Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bohumil Kasal

Dr. Kasal is a Director of Fraunhofer-Institut für Holzforschung Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut WKI in Braunschweig. He concurrently holds a Chair in Organic and Wood-based Construction Materials at the TU Braunschweig. Kasal has an Ing. degree (engineer) from University of Zvolen, Slovakia, an MS in Wood Science from Virginia Tech, MS in Civil Engineering and PhD in Wood Structures from Oregon State University. Kasal is a recipient of several awards and in 2001-2002 he was a Senior Fulbright Fellow in Germany.

During 2005-2010, Dr. Kasal was a Hankin Chair and Professor of Civil Engineering and Professor of Architectural Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University and Director of the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center. Prior to joining the faculty at Penn State, Dr. Kasal was a Professor at the North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. Kasal’s research is focused on wood structures under natural hazard loads, combination of wood and high-strength composites, and in-situ evaluation of wood structures. Kasal authored over 100 papers and research reports, serves in editorial board of Journal of Materials and Structures, Wood Science Journal, Acta Facultatis Xylologiae Zvolen, chairs RILEM committee on in-situ evaluation of timber structures and actively participates in national and international professional organizations. Kasal has lectured at universities around the world including Joseph Fourier University, Chalmers University and Universities in Graz, Vienna, Dresden, Stuttgart and Sopron. His research in seismic performance of timber frames was selected by the European Community as an example of successful international project; the National Science Foundation used Kasal’s work in historic structures in its report to the Congress of the United States in 2005, and his work addressing the wind performance of residential structures was discussed on various media outlets including CNN, CNN International, NBC and ABC networks.

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