BOSTON, MA — Yota Kokkali, Ph.D., PE, joins HNTB’s national tunnel practice as an Engineering Technical Advisor and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. In this new role, Kokkali will serve as a technical resource to clients and projects across the nation. She brings a decade of experience in technical and research expertise in many aspects of complex underground construction. Kokkali’s previous work includes metro and rail systems, structures, tunnels, highways, bridges, and airports nationwide.
“Yota brings a wealth of technical knowledge from her work on national tunnel infrastructure projects,” said Sanja Zlatanic, PE, HNTB National Tunnel Practice Chair, Senior Vice President, and HNTB Fellow. “Her technical and research experience, outstanding work ethic, diligent approach, and experience on complex seismic effects, will be vital to our collaborative efforts toward serving our clients.”
Prior to joining HNTB, Kokkali has worked on some of the largest, most complex tunnel projects in the northeast, including Hudson Tunnel Project, the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program, the New York City Second Avenue Subway, and infrastructure projects such as the Van Wyck Expressway Capacity and Access Improvement Project and the JFK Central Terminal Area Redevelopment of Roadways and Utilities Project.
While pursuing her doctorate degree, she managed the Geotechnical Centrifuge Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and supervised centrifuge experimentation on earthquake simulation and liquefaction, modeling of soil-structure interaction during static and dynamic loading, and site characterization through conventional and advanced sensing methodologies. At RPI, she led a research team with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, RPI, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, investigating the effects of consolidation on battered piles supporting floodwalls through physical and numerical modeling.
Kokkali is a registered Professional Engineer in the U.S. and received her bachelor’s degree in civil structural engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (Greece). She received her master’s degree and doctorate in geotechnical engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
