Ann Sychterz

For More Information

• sychterz.cee.illinois.edu

Education

• Ph.D., Advisor: Ian F.C. Smith. "Biomimetic Adaptive Control of a Deployable Tensgrity Structure". Civil Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, 2018.
• M.A.Sc., Advisors: Sriram Narasimhan and Scott Walbridge. "Vibration Characterization of Aluminum Pedestrian Bridges". Civil Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2014.
• B.A.Sc., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada, 2012.

Biography

Ann Sychterz(SICK-tesh) obtained her PhD in 2018 from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) addressing the novel use of control algorithms, statistical diagnostic tools, and real-time feedback on a full-scale tensegrity structure to enable smooth deployability, damage detection, adaptation, and learning. During her masters of applied science obtained in 2014 at the University of Waterloo, she built full-scale aluminum pedestrian bridges for vibration characterization and control. She completed a postdoctoral position at the University of Michigan on actuator optimization of adaptive origami structures. With her team at Sychterz Modular Adaptive Resilient Transformable Infrastructure (SMARTI) lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, they harness geometrically nonlinear systems, such as tensegrity structures and origami, for adaptive civil infrastructure. She is a faculty affiliate with Mechanical Science and Engineering, faculty fellow of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications and a faculty affiliate of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology in the Autonomous Materials Systems group.

Academic Positions

• International Visiting Professor, Cluster of Excellence "Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture", University of Stuttgart, 06/2024 - 08/2024
• Faculty Affiliate, Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 08/2022 - Present
• Faculty Fellow, ORMIR, Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 08/2021 - 07/2022
• Levenick Sustainable Teaching Fellow, Institute for Sustainability Energy and Environment, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 02/2021 - 01/2022
• Faculty Affiliate, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 10/2020 - Present
• Faculty Fellow, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 07/2020 - Present
• Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 01/2020 - Present
• Postdoctoral Researcher, Advisor: Evgueni Filipov. Civil Engineering, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, 02/2019 - 12/2019

Professional Registrations

• Licensed Professional Engineer, Province of Ontario, 2024-present

Teaching Statement

Teaching Philosophy

I have developed much about my teaching philosophy through discussions at the ASCE ExCEEd teaching workshop, mirroring the traits of my teaching mentors, and through teaching swing dancing across the world for 15 years. Learning to assess the engagement of the students, I tailor delivery of my lessons through the type of media used, verbal and visual cues, and level of detail. To ensure that students of all levels understand at least the general concepts, I employ the use of an analogy or concept with broad, medium, and fine level of detail. For example, in CEE465, my analogy for the function of shear studs in a composite steel framing system is that they are the Velcro loops between the steel beam and the concrete topping. To enhance my personability to my students, I not only create a playlist of their favorite songs to play before class, however I insert one of my own, and if my students guess which one is mine then they get to pick their time slot for project presentations. I now have learning objectives for my entire course prepared on the Canvas page even prior to Day 1 so students can see the goal of classes and how that will impact the project. Teaching reviews have been increasing in rating since my start in January 2020 and I have been on the “List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students” every semester since Spring 2022.

CEE 465: Design of Structural Systems

Upon starting my journey as a professor, I elected to teach the senior-level project-based undergraduate course entitled “Design of Structural Systems”. The class was divided into teams of 5-6 students which I assigned based on initial survey of their previous academic and industry experience. Throughout the semester, the task was to complete the structural design for a new building under construction on campus, provided the real architectural plans from the design firm. The biggest challenge I overcame with the “Design of Structural Systems” course was that this is the undergraduate students’ first and only exposure to an open-world design-based course. That there was more than one solution to address the design question was new to the students, which caused concern. Knowing this in advance, I made an additional effort to introduce them to many aspects of engineering in practice. This included team deliverable deadlines, iterative design baked into the project deliverables, progress presentations, preliminary and final reports, consultation with the client/architect, and team self-evaluations. I have seen fruits of my labor where my official course student feedback in the past four semesters.

CEE 467: Masonry Design

In Summer 2021, I designed a new course under the existing course code from a previous structures group faculty. While I had discussions with Dr. Abrams, I wrote my own curriculum, notes, exams, and project deliverable. Continuing on the theme of project-based learning to create value for the masters students, I crafted a project that would investigate the Campus Instructional Facility as a structural masonry design, which was originally considered by SOM where the students said “I felt that using a real building example for the project design made it more real and was a good simulation for industry.” My plans are to eagerly return to teach this course in either Fall 2024 or Spring 2025.

CEE498: Theory and Creation of Structure

In Fall 2022, I had the honor of co-teaching with William Baker, PE, SE, F. ASCE, FIStructE on the topic of geometric stiffness, gridshells, origami, tensegrity structures, graphic statics, and reciprocal structures. Through this course I learned to refine my responses to student questions and reframe problems in different ways to meet student learning needs.

CEE 595 SRS: SRIS seminar

Since Spring 2022, I have been the seminar series coordinator for the Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems interdisciplinary program. Running at least two events per semester, I coordinate an external faculty speaker, invite new UIUC CEE faculty to the SRIS program, organize panels of faculty to discuss a relevant topic, and invite graduate students to give practice presentations prior to their thesis defense. My organization of these seminars has been highly ranked by the students.

Outreach and advisement to students

Undergraduate/Graduate Research – The Sychterz Modular Adaptive Resilient Transformable Infrastructure (SMARTI) lab started in January 2020 and has been actively supporting funded research and semester projects for undergraduates, masters, and PhD students. SMARTI lab combines structural engineering with architecture, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering to study large-scale controllable structures. I have graduated 2 PhD students now with postdoctoral positions, graduated 4 MS thesis students with jobs in top engineering firms, am currently mentoring 3 MS thesis students, and have mentored 17 undergraduate students. My research team has active and funded engineering education research on virtual reality immersive experiences for civil, structural, and architectural education that engages undergraduate and graduate students. I meet with my students on a weekly basis to discuss their research progress, their advancement in their courses, upcoming dissemination of research findings at conferences, and checking in on their mental health. My goal is to keep communication fluid, low-stress, and transparent so I manage our lab’s Discord channel where this app on my phone is dedicated to serving my students.

Student Teams – I am the proud faculty mentor of the Structural Engineering Association of Illinois (SEAOI) UIUC chapter since Fall 2025, meeting with the committee regularly. I am currently the technical mentor for the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Steel Bridge Student Competition 2024 and administrative/technical mentor for the Illinois Solar Decathlon 2025. In the past I have been the technical mentor for a student group interested in the Masonry Arch Competition (2021-2022). 

High school summer outreach – In the summers of 2020, 2021, and 2022, I facilitated the structural engineering branch of the Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) camp. This camp focused on providing students from underserved communities with engaging activities, even mailed to their homes during the pandemic, to stimulate their creative STEM thinking. I engaged my graduated students as assistant facilitators with me to run my camp module on adaptive structures using boba straws and rubber bands.

Education committee service – I have been a member of the Society for Women Engineers UIUC branch where I worked with the local chapter on weekend events such as the mother daughter science workshops. I am also a member of the Structural Engineers Associate of Illinois (SEAOI) in the Women in Structural Engineering (WiSE) committee for event planning to connect practicing engineers with especially 4^th-year undergraduates and graduate students about to enter practice. As a member of ASCE, I am the vice-chair of the SEI Young Professionals Committee, focused on addressing pain points and elevating young graduates in their journey of engineering practice. Since 2022, I am a participant in the ASEE committee meetings for Civil Engineering which meets annually at the ASEE conference.

Impact of COVID-19: My first semester at UIUC was Spring 2020, in which was the first transition from in-person to virtual due to the pandemic within the first 1.5 months. No amount of prior training or TA experience would have prepared me to be an outstanding instructor for that semester. The student frustration with virtual and hybrid classes persisted until Fall 2021, contributing to low ICES scores despite my continued teacher training with AE3 Collins Scholars.

Resident Instruction

• CEE 465 Design of Structural Systems, Spring 2026 (54 students) FLEX
• CEE 595 Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems Seminar, Spring 2026 (24 students) FLEX
• CEE 465 Design of Structural Systems, Fall 2025 (19 students) FLEX
• CEE 595 Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems Seminar, Fall 2025 (29 students) FLEX
• CEE 467 Masonry Structures, Spring 2025 (38 students), ICES 3.63, 3.63
• CEE 595 Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems Seminar, Spring 2025 (27 students), ICES 4.25, 4.22
• CEE 465 Design of Structural Systems, Fall 2024 (19 students), ICES 4.32, 4.47
• CEE 595 Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems Seminar, Fall 2024 (24 students), ICES 4.5, 4.5
• CEE 465 Design of Structural Systems, Spring 2024 (23 students), ICES 4.55, 4.45
• CEE 595 Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems Seminar, Spring 2024 (17 students), ICES 4.33, 4.43
• CEE 465 Design of Structural Systems, Fall 2023 (27 students), ICES 4.09, 4.03
• CEE 595 Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems Seminar, Fall 2023 (21 students), ICES 4.64, 4.36
• CEE 465 Design of Structural Systems, Spring 2023 (23 students), ICES 3.48, 3.76
• CEE 595 Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems Seminar, Spring 2023 (17 students), ICES 4.70. 4.60
• CEE 498 Theory and Creation of Structure, Fall 2022 (10 students), ICES 4.40, 4.60
• CEE 595 Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems Seminar, Fall 2022 (18 students), ICES 4.78, 4.80
• CEE 465 Design of Structural Systems, Spring 2022 (23 students), ICES 4.10, 4.33
• CEE 595 Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems Seminar, Spring 2022 (15 students), ICES 4.56, 4.56
• CEE 465 Design of Structural Systems, Fall 2021 (12 students), ICES 3.45, 3.64
• CEE 467 Masonry Structures, Summer 2021 (19 students), ICES 4.26, 4.11
• CEE 465 Design of Structural Systems, Spring 2021 (29 students), ICES 2.85, 3.08
• CEE 465 Design of Structural Systems, Spring 2020 (28 students), ICES 2.68, 2.89

Course Development

• CEE 465 - Design of Structural Systems Contributions: Design of Structural Systems Contributions: Added content on green building practices and sustainability, engineering law and ethics for practice, and a Virtual Reality lab to complement module on load path.
• CEE 498 - Theory and Creation of Structure Contributions: Theory and Creation of Structure Contributions: This course was heavily revised from its initial offering in Fall 2021. New sections were added for my lectures on the mechanics of tensegrity structures, origami structures, and kinematics. I revised the homework assignments and designed new midterm and final examinations for this co-taught offering of the course with Bill Baker.
• CEE 467 - Masonry Structures Contributions: This course was revised and the course content was updated, including creation of: learning objectives, new in-class notes, semester project, and new assessments.

Student Organizations

• Lessons chair, Illini Swing Society, 2020-2024
• Faculty Advisor, Society of Women Engineers, 2021

Design Teams

• Illinois Solar Decathlon, Structures Faculty Advisor, 2024- present
• UIUC Steel Bridge Team, Faculty Technical Advisor, 2024 - present
• Masonry Arch Design Team, Faculty Advisor, 2021-2022

Other Undergraduate Advising Activities

• Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) summer camp, summer 2020, created and taught module "Self-Balancing Structures" for highschool students

Research Statement

Prof. Sychterz and her graduate students in the Sychterz Modular Adaptive Resilient Transformable Infrastructure (SMARTI) lab harness kinematic geometrically nonlinear systems, such as tensegrity structures and origami, for adaptive civil infrastructure. Please reference the attached 3-page research statement for more information about her research.

Research Interests

• Optimized sensor placement for civil structures
• Structural dynamics
• Form-finding methods
• Machine learning and robotics for civil structures
• Damage mitigation and risk assessment in large-scale structures
• Adaptive and deployable structures

Selected Articles in Journals

• Reksowardojo, A.P. and Sychterz, A.C. Damage Localization Strategy in Beams Through Stiffness Modulation and Controlled Deformation, Journal of Engineering Mechanics (Accepted, 2026).
• Rodgers, C., Rahman, A., Hajj, R., Halloran, K., Roesler, J., Schmidt, A., Sychterz, A.C., Henschen, J., Case Study: A Near Peer Mentoring Framework for a CEE Curriculum, Journal of Civil Engineering Education, (Accepted, 2026).
• Rodgers, C , Henschen, J, and Sychterz, A.C., Virtual Reality as a Vehicle for Education in the Domains of Building Systems and Construction Materials, Computers and Education: X Reality, 2026, p1-10, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cexr.2026.100133
• Baruah, A.C.and Sychterz A.C. Machine Learning-Based Damage Classification and Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Origami Pill Bug for Emergency Shelters, Journal of Building Engineering, p1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2025.114051
• Paul, S. and Sychterz, A.C. Non-linear Modeling of Multi-Layered Randomized Architected Material (MLRAM) under Tensile Loading for a Tensegrity Structure, Computers and Structures, 2025, p1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruc.2025.107896
• Baruah, A.C.and Sychterz A.C. Computational-Experimental Investigation to Determine Optimal Sensor Placement and Actuation Strategy for a Deployable Origami Pill Bug Structure, International Journal of Space Structures, 2025, p1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/09560599251352486
• Baruah, A.C. and Sychterz A.C. Dynamic Characterization of Meter-Scale Adaptive Origami Structure, Structures, 2024, p1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2024.108033
• Tucker, K. and Sychterz A.C. Analyzing Geosystems with Deployable Compliant Mechanisms for Enhanced Tension Capacity, Journal of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures, 2024. p1-16. https://doi.org/10.20898/j.iass.2024.011
• Forster, D., Paul, S., Bischoff, M., and Sychterz, A.C. Structural Assessment of Architected Material Using the Redundancy Matrix and Experimental Testing, ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, 2024, p1-10. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4065840.
• Paul, S. and Sychterz A.C., Multi-Layered Randomized Architected Material under Tensile Loading for a Tensegrity Structure, Journal of Engineering Mechanics, https://doi.org/10.1061/JENMDT.EMENG-7456, 2023, 1- 12.
• Gathman, H.F and Sychterz, A.C., Design of a full-scale aluminum plate-based tensegrity structure, Journal of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures, 64 (3), https://doi.org/10.20898/j.iass.2023.003, 2023, 211-244.
• Baruah, A.C and Sychterz A.C., Assessment and comparison of cable-actuation of pill bug inspired adaptive origami structure using computer vision and dynamic relaxation, Frontiers in Built Environment, 8 (1), https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2022.813543, 2021, 1-9.
• Sychterz, A.C., Bernardi, I., Tom, J., Beemer, R. Nonlinear soil-structure behavior of a deployable and compliant anchor system, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 49(6), https://doi.org/10.1139/cjce-2021-0204, 2021, 1085-1094.
• Sychterz, A.C. and Baruah, A.C., Active Control for Adaptive Origami Structures Undergoing Damage, Engineering Structures, 24 (1), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.112457, 2021, 1-9.
• Sychterz, A.C. and Smith, I.F.C., Damage mitigation of near-full-scale deployable tensegrity structure through behavior biomimetics, Journal of Structural Engineering, 146 (1), https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0002470, 2020.

Articles in Conference Proceedings

• Sychterz, A.C. and Baruah, A.C. Damage Detection and Sensor Optimization for Stability Characterization of a Meter-Scale Origami Pill-Bug Structure,  American Institute for Steel Construction NASCC 2025=6 Structural Stability Research Council, Atlanta, United States. 8p.
• Rodgers, C., Sychterz, A.C., and Henschen, J. Work in Progress: Developing a Virtual Reality Intervention Activity for Reinforced Concrete Design, American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition 2026, Charlotte, United States, 8p
• Hummad, K. and Sychterz, A.C. Enhancing the Design of Deployable Anchors for Coastal Slope Stabilization Through Dynamic Relaxation,  SMASIS 2025, St. Louis, United States, 2025, 4p.
• Reksowardojo, A. and Sychterz, A.C. Controlled geometry changes as a strategy for active diagnosis of damage in discrete structures, ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute 2025, Irvine, United States, 2025, 4p.
• Wang, Z. and Sychterz, A.C. An Adaptive Dynamic Relaxation method with First Kinematic Equilibrium: A Study on Error comparison and time efficiency, ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute 2025, Irvine, United States, 2025, 4p.
• Paul, S. and Sychterz A.C. Predicting Tensile Behavior of Multi-Layered Randomized Architected Material (MLRAM) using Artificial Intelligence, ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute 2025, Irvine, United States, 2025, 4p.
• Baruah, A.C. and Sychterz A.C. Damage Classification of Deployable Origami Structure Using Supervised Machine Learning, ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute 2025, Irvine, United States, 2025, 4p.
• Capretta, E. and Sychterz, A.C. Experimental Data-Informed Computational Analysis of Installation Processes for Deployable Ground Anchors, ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute 2025, Irvine, United States, 2025, 4p.
• Khan, A., Henschen, J., Sychterz, A.C., and Perry, L. Exploring Faculty Perspectives on Challenging Threshold Concepts in Structural Engineering, American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition 2025, Montreal, Canada, 8p.
• Rodgers, C., Rahman, A., Sychterz, A.C., and Henschen, J. Case Study: Developing and Implementing VR Technology for Civil Engineering Education, American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition 2025, Montreal, Canada, 8p.
• Capretta, E., Hummad, K., Rahman, S., Beemer, R., and Sychterz, A.C. Shear Plane Analysis of Deployable Anchors and Insights from X-ray Microtomography, Proceedings of the International Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics, Nantes, France, 2025, 6p.
• Capretta, E., Hummad, K., and Sychterz, A.C. Experimental and analytical stability of thick origami panels for deployable anchors to prevent coastal erosion, Proceedings of the Annual Stability Conference, 2025, Louisville USA, 2025, 8p.
• Baruah, A.C. and Sychterz, A.C. Sensor placement for control of a meter-scale origami structure, Proceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures, 2024, Zurich, 2024 4p.
• Capretta, E., Hummad, K., and Sychterz, A.C. Analytical and experimental testing for increased shear plane of deployable geosystems for coastal stabilization, Engineering Mechanics Institute conference 2024, Chicago, United States. 8p.
• Baruah, A.C. and Sychterz, A.C. Optimizing sensor placement for characterization and control of a meter-scale origami pill-bug structure, Engineering Mechanics Institute conference 2024, Chicago, United States. 4p.
• Paul, S. and Sychterz A.C. Non-linear modelling of multi-layered randomized architected material (MLRAM) under tensile loading for a tensegrity structure, Engineering Mechanics Institute conference 2024, Chicago, United States. 4p.
• Sychterz, A.C. Stability of a deployable awns on a compliant steel geosystem for nonlinear soil-structure interaction, American Institute for Steel Construction NASCC 2024 Structural Stability Research Council, San Antonio, United States. 8p.
• Tucker, K. and Sychterz A.C. Comparison of biologically inspired functionally-graded deployable geosystems with experimental measurements, Proceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium, Melbourne, Australia, 2023, 10p.
• Baruah A.C. and Sychterz A.C. 'Damage detection of cable-actuated origami structure using dynamic relaxation, Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference 2022, Baltimore, Maryland. 4p.
• Paul, S. and Sychterz, A.C. Robustness of Multilayered Random-network Architected Material through Experimental Testing, ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference 2022, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 4p.
• Grendzinski, M. and Sychterz, A.C. Characterization of Torque-Driven Underground Compliant Structures Using Pushover Analysis, Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference 2022, Baltimore, Maryland. 4p.
• Torres, J.A. and Sychterz, A.C. Virtual Reality as a Vehicle for Education in the Domains of Building Systems, American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition 2022, Minneapolis, MN. 8p.
• Tucker, K and Sychterz, A.C. Analyzing Geosystems with Deployable Compliant Mechanisms for Enhanced Tension Capacity, Canadian Society of Civil Engineers Annual Conference 2022, Whistler, British Columbia. 8p.
• Sychterz, A.C. Adaptive Aluminum Tensegrity Structure as a Bike Parking Canopy, 5th International Conference on Structures & Architecture, Aalborg, 2022, 8p.
• Paul, S. and Sychterz A.C. A Computational Analysis for an Adaptive Tensegrity-based Four-Module Roof Structure, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering VIRTUAL Conference 2021, 9p.
• Baruah, A.C. and Sychterz A.C. Pill-bug inspired adaptive origami tuned-mass dampers, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering VIRTUAL Conference 2021, 8p.
• Gathman, H and Sychterz A.C. Analysis of full-scale plate-based tensegrity structure using dynamic relaxation, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering VIRTUAL Conference 2021, 8p.
• Paul, S. and Sychterz A.C. Dynamic Characterization of an Adaptive Tensegrity-based Four-Module Roof Structure, Proceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium, Surrey, UK, 2021, 10p.
• Baruah, A.C. and Sychterz A.C. Active control of 3D printed pill-bug inspired adaptive origami, Proceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium, Surrey, UK, 2021, 10p.
• Gathman, H and Sychterz A.C. Full-scale plate-based tensegrity bike parking canopy, Proceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium, Surrey, UK, 2021, 10p.
• Sychterz A.C. and Smith, I.F.C., Path-finding for deployment and midspan connection of a tensegrity structure, Proceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium, Boston, United States, 2018, 10p.
• Sychterz, A.C and Smith I.F.C., Dynamic effects of cable rupture in a tensegrity structure, Fourth conference on Smart Monitoring, Assessment and Rehabilitation of Civil Structures, Zürich, Switzerland, 2017, 8p.
• Sychterz, A.C. and Smith, I.F.C., Towards biomimetic actuation for a deployable structure, Proceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium, Tokyo, Japan, 2016, 9p.
• Sychterz, A.C. and Smith, I.F.C., Shape control for self-stress following deployment of a tensegrity footbridge, 24th International Workshop on Intelligent Computing in Engineering, Krakow, Poland, 2016, 11p.
• Sychterz, A.C., Dalil Safaei, S., and Smith, I.F.C., Friction modeling of a deployable tensegrity footbridge, Proceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2015, 11p.
• Sychterz, A.C., Narasimhan, S., and Walbridge, S., A study on modal characterization and dynamic analysis of two aluminium pedestrian bridges in Québec, International Aluminium Conference INALCO 2013 Conference Proceedings Montreal, Canada, 2013, 10p.
• Sychterz A.C., Sadhu, A., Narasimhan, S., and Walbridge, S., Results from Modal Testing of the Daigneault Creek Bridge, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) 2013 General Conference Proceedings, Montreal, Canada, 2013, 10p.

Invited Lectures

• U.S. interstate + air traffic maps: creating a multi-layered lattice material as a component within nonlinear structures
• Deployable anchors: Origami is for Geotechnical Engineers

Patents

• Adaptor for Adding Deployable Compliant Awns to Preconstructed Foundation Members.
• UIUC2025-144-01(PRO) || GBC 1201*163439PR Anchor Pile Device with Rotationally Deployed Compliant Awns.

Magazine Articles

• "This Human-Sized Origami Reimagines Emergency Shelters", Wired Magazine, https://www.wired.com/story/this-human-sized-origami-reimagines-emergency-shelters, April 27, 2021.

Journal Editorships

• Guest Editor, ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering Special Collection "Adaptive and intelligent systems in structural engineering". 2022 - 2024.
• Guest Editor, Frontiers in Built Environment: Structural Sensing, Special Issue Sensor Systems and Resiliency Diagnostics for Spatial Infrastructure". 2021 - 2023.

Conferences Organized or Chaired

• WCCM/ECCOMAS 2026, Munich, Minisymposium Coordinator "Adaptive and Compliant Engineering Structures"
• ASCE EMI 2026 Boulder, Minisymposium Coordinator "Geometries and Design" supported by Experimental Analysis and Instrumentation Technical Committee
• Illinois Structural Engineering Conference 2026, UIUC, Chair
• ASCE SEI 2025 Phoenix, Minisymposium Coordinator "Advances in Intelligent Structural Sensing and Control" supported by Structural Control and Sensing Technical Committee
• ASCE EMI 2025 Irvine, Minisymposium Coordinator "Geometries and Design" supported by Experimental Analysis and Instrumentation Technical Committee
• Illinois Structural Engineering Conference 2026, UIUC, co-hair
• ASCE EMI/PMC 2024, local organizing committee member
• Illinois Structural Engineering Conference 2024, UIUC, co-chair
• ECCOMAS 2024, Lisbon, Minisymposium Coordinator "Track 1900 Adaptive and Compliant Engineering Structures"
• ASCE SEI Structures Congress, 2024, San Antonio, Minisymposium Coordinator "Innovations in Modular Rapidly Erectable and Deployable Structures" supported by Modular Rapidly Erectable and Deployable Structures Technical Committee
• ASCE EMI 2024, Chicago, Minisymposium Coordinator "Geometries and Design" supported by Experimental Analysis and Instrumentation Technical Committee
• ASCE Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) Structures Congress, 2023, New Orleans, Minisymposium Coordinator "Advances in Intelligent Structural Sensing and Control" supported by Structural Control and Sensing Technical Committee
• ASCE EMI 2023, Atlanta, Minisymposium Coordinator "Geometries and Design" supported by Experimental Analysis and Instrumentation Technical Committee
• ASCE EMI 2022, Baltimore, Minisymposium Coordinator "Geometries and Design" supported by Experimental Analysis and Instrumentation Technical Committee
• European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences (ECCOMAS 2022), Olso, Minisymposium Coordinator "Track 1900 Adaptive and Compliant Engineering Structures"
• CSCE 2022, Canada, Session Chair and Technical Committee
• Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) 2021, Canada, Session Chair and Technical Committee
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) International conference 2021, Durham, UK, Minisymposium 74 "Adaptive and Controllable Modular Structures", Session Chair and Technical Committee

Presentations

• Sychterz A.C., Pill-Bug Inspired Adaptive Origami Tuned-Mass Dampers, ASCE EMI 2021, virtual, United States.
• Sychterz A.C. Analysis of full-scale adaptive aluminum tensegrity canopy, ASCE EMI-International Conference, 2021, Durham, UK.
• Sychterz A.C. and Smith, I.F.C., Damage mitigation of a near-full-scale deployable tensegrity structure through behavior biomimetics, Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) Conference 2019, Pasadena, United States, 2019.
• Sychterz A.C. and Smith, I.F.C., Element location and classification following a damage event of a near-full-scale deployable tensegrity structure, Proceedings of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Symposium, Barcelona, Spain, 2019.
• Sychterz A.C. and Filipov, E., Actuator optimization for adaptive origami structures, 56th Annual Technical Meeting of the Society of Engineering Science (SES2019), St. Louis, MO, 2019.

Professional Societies

• ASCE ExCEEd, Assistant Mentor, Online, 08/2025.
• ASCE ExCEEd, Assistant Mentor, Online, 08/2024.
• ASCE SEI Structural Control and Sensing Technical Committee, Chair, 2023-2026
• ASCE ExCEEd, Assistant Mentor, Fort Collins, CO, 08/2023.
• ASCE EMI Experimental Analysis and Instrumentation Technical Committee, Chair, 2023-2026
• ASCE SEI Younger Members Committee, Vice-Chair, 2023-2024
• ASCE EMI Structural Health Monitoring Committee, Student Paper Competition Judge and Member, 2022- present
• ASCE EMI Dynamics, Student Paper Competition Judge and Member, 2022 - present

Other Outside Service

• Structural Engineers Association of Illinois, Affiliate member, 01/2024 - present.
• Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering,  Reviewer, 2024 - present.
• Structures, Reviewer, 2024 - present.
• Journal of Building Engineering, Reviewer, 2024 - present.
• Journal of Civil Engineering Education, Reviewer, 2023 - present.
• International Journal of Space Structures, Reviewer, 2023 - present.
• ASEE Civil Engineering Division, Member, 2023 - present
• ASCE SEI Modular, Rapidly-Erectable, and Deployable Structures Technical Committee, Member, 2023-2024
• Journal of Engineering Mechanics, Reviewer, 2022 - present.
• Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, Dynamics Group, Member, 2022 - present.
• Illinois Department of Transportation Bridges and Foundations, Academic Liasion, 2021-2023
• Society of Women Engineers, Member, 01/2021- present.
• Journal of Bridge Engineering, Reviewer, 2020 - present.
• Engineering Structures, Reviewer, 2018 - present.
• Journal of Sound and Vibration, Reviewer, 2018 - present.
• Journal of Structural Engineering, Reviewer, 2018 - present.
• Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI) of ASCE, M.ASCE, 01/2019 - present.
• International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS), Member (Working Group 15 Structural Morphology), 04/2015 - present.
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), M.ASCE, 09/2012 - present.
• Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of ASCE, M.ASCE, 09/2012 - present.

Honors

• Outstanding Young Engineer Award, Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI) (04/2024)
• ASCE SEI Future Leaders Award (02/2024)
• ASCE SEI Futures Fund Young Professionals Award (01/2023)

Teaching Honors

• ASCE ExcEEd Fellow (07/2022)
• Collins Scholars Fellow (01/2021)
• Levenick Sustainable Teaching Fellowship (01/2021)

Research Honors

• Best paper award, 2nd (Angshuman Baruah), Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference - Structural Health Monitoring Committee (05/2025)
• Best poster (Kaylee Tucker), Illinois Structural Engineering Conference 2022, Champaign (04/2022)
• Best poster (Juan Torres), Illinois Structural Engineering Conference 2022, Champaign (04/2022)
• Best poster (Heather Gathman), Illinois Structural Engineering Conference 2021, Champaign (04/2021)

Improvement Activities

• ASCE ExCEEd assistant mentor, online, July 2025
• ASCE ExCEEd assistant mentor, online, July 2024
• KEEN Workshop EML 1.0, August 8-11, Salt Lake City 2023
• KEEN Consultant, University of Illinois summer 2023
• ASCE ExcEEd assistant mentor, Colorado State, July 2023
• KEEN National Conference, 2023
• ASCE ExCEEd teaching workshop, West Point Military Academy, July 2022
• KEEN National Conference, Feb 2021
• ExCEEd online: Debrief the Semester: Lessons learned from the term, 2020
• ExCEEd online: Adapting Demos to an Online Environment, 2020
• ExCEEd online: Reimagining exams and assessments, 2020
• Academy of Excellence in Engineering Education (AE3) Collins Scholars fellow, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, December 2020