Dr. El Damatty, Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering and Research Director of the Wind Engineering, Energy and Environment Research Institute at Western University, is an international leader in structural and wind engineering. His work, incorporated into the American Society of Civil Engineers guidelines, represents the first specifications for designing tornado- and downburst-resistant transmission lines. He is a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada and recipient of numerous awards, including the 2018 Ontario Professional Engineers Medal for Research. He is an honorary professor at four international universities and serves as editor-in-chief of the international journal Wind and Structures.