Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, 1993
  • M.S., Engineering (Geotechnical), University of Texas, Austin, 1983
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, Purdue University, 1980
Licenses & Certifications
  • Professional Engineer, Alabama, #PE29964
  • Professional Engineer Civil, California, #54650
  • Professional Engineer Geotechnical, California, #2399
  • Professional Engineer, Colorado, #PE.0039008
  • Professional Engineer, Connecticut, #PEN.0028185
  • Professional Engineer, Georgia, #PE037798
  • Professional Engineer, Hawaii, #PE-12034
  • Professional Engineer Civil, Idaho, #P-10890
  • Professional Engineer, Illinois, #062058097
  • Professional Engineer Civil, Louisiana, #PE.0033328
  • Professional Engineer, Missouri, #2004001383
  • Professional Engineer, North Carolina, #056639
  • Professional Engineer Civil, Nevada, #13789
  • Professional Engineer, New York, #086897
  • Professional Engineer, Pennsylvania, #PE079386
  • Professional Engineer, Tennessee, #113004
  • Professional Engineer Civil, Texas, #100949
  • Professional Engineer, Utah, #6929147-2202
  • Professional Engineer Civil, Washington, #52444
  • Professional Engineer, West Virginia, #20935
Academic Appointments
  • California State Polytechnic University, Pomona - Graduate School Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering, 2006-2008
  • University of Texas at Austin—Teaching Assistant, Soil Mechanics Laboratory, Fall 1980
Professional Honors
  • Chi Epsilon & Sigma Xi
Professional Affiliations
  • American Society of Civil Engineers (member)
  • ASCE Geo-Institute (member)
  • Association of State Dam Safety Officials (affiliate member)
    • Decade of Dam Failures Sub-Committee
    • Dam Failures & Incidents (DamFailures.org) Sub-Committee

Dr. Sykora specializes in geotechnical engineering and earthquake engineering, including the evaluation of natural hazards, construction defects, performance of constructed systems, and geotechnical failures. Over his 40-year professional career, he has been involved in engineering design, construction, applied research, analysis, third party reviews, and investigations on a multitude of different projects in 40 states, 12 countries, and 5 continents. 

Dr. Sykora is currently licensed as a professional Civil Engineer in 21 states, a licensed Geotechnical Engineer in two states, and an ASCE Board-Certified Geotechnical Engineer. He previously served as the City Geotechnical Engineer for Malibu, California.

Dr. Sykora has a wide range of experience on reservoir and flood-control dams, tailings impoundments, levees, embankments, reinforced soil slopes, flood control channels, basins, pressurized and gravity pipelines, commercial buildings, hospitals, medical and health research facilities, schools, manufacturing facilities, crude oil refineries, airports, a nuclear power plant, gaseous diffusion plants, retaining and revetment walls, domes, silos, tanks, tunnels, soil nail and soil screw walls, bridges, highways, wind farms, recreation areas, and residential developments. He has experience with drilling and sampling, geotechnical instrumentation, mass grading, micro-tunneling, slope stability and landslides, expansive soil, collapsible soil, sensitive soils, saprolite, stiff fissured clays, peat, sinkholes, subsidence, loss of lateral support, internal soil erosion ("piping"), ground vibrations, foundation design, earth pressures, soil settlement, slope creep, moisture intrusion, ground shaking, liquefaction, lateral spread, engineered material arrestor system (EMAS), soil-structure interaction, soil-slab interaction, soil-pipe interaction, fly ash amendment, differing site conditions, defective specifications, and professional standard of care evaluations.

Dr. Sykora's professional career has benefited from extensive involvement in, and leadership of, multi-disciplinary engineering, scientific, and technical teams, including working closely with engineering geologists, hydrologists, structural, mechanical, materials and electrical engineers, architects, instrumentation specialists, seismologists, and geophysicists. Dr. Sykora has provided instruction for graduate-level engineering courses, training for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, professional seminars and webinars, and in-house corporate training.