Bryant consultants

Our Team

Dr. John Bryant

Founder & CEO
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Dr. Jeff Fitzgerald

President & Chief Operating Officer
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Hayden Fischer

Principal Engineer & Chief Technical Officer
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Austin Muck

General Counsel & Chief Business Officer
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Dr. Yasser M. Abdelhamid

Director of Engineering
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Jeff Garrison

Building Envelope Director
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Steve Egly

Director of Insurance Services
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Dr. Jeong Yeon Cheon

Senior Geotechnical Engineer
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Dr. M. Kabir Hossain

Senior Geotechnical Engineer
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Dr. Jens Figlus

Senior Coastal Engineering Specialist
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Chris Tony

Manager of Forensic Engineering
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Mark Mendel

Professional Engineer
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Rendon Rieth

Professional Engineer
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Dr. Kourosh Tamizdoust

Professional Engineer
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Dr. Saman Farzi Sizkow

Professional Engineer
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Ben Gilbertson

Professional Engineer
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Dr. Ahmad Abdelmawla

Professional Engineer
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Dr. Brett Story

Senior Structural Engineering Specialist
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Join Our Team

John Bryant, Ph.D.,
P.G., P.E., CPG, D.GE, M.ASCE, F.PTI

Dr. John Bryant is the principal in charge of all engineering operations including forensic, geotechnical, geo-structural, and geophysical modeling and testing.

Dr. Bryant coordinates the operations of the company with other affiliated technical experts when required. He has provided expert witness testimony in over 300 arbitrations and court cases over the past 25 years.

Dr. Bryant’s expertise includes soil-structure interaction, geophysics, and hydrological modeling. Noteworthy projects include Millennium Tower, State Highway 130, and Allen Eagle Stadium.

Jeff Fitzgerald, Ph.D.

Dr. Fitzgerald is an experienced strategic advisor and business operations leader with a diverse background in research, teaching, consulting, and business management.

Dr. Fitzgerald’s 35-year career includes oil and gas exploration, ecological resource management, environmental engineering, remote sensing and geophysical investigation, geologic and geotechnical services, facility and infrastructure asset management, business and finance advisory services, and operations.

As President and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Fitzgerald directs the business of Bryant’s forensic and risk analysis engineering and architecture lines of business.

Hayden Fischer, M.S., P.E., P.G.

Hayden Fischer has been with Bryant for over six years and has more than eight years of experience in civil and geotechnical engineering.

His background is in hydrogeology and geotechnical engineering, and he has served as a lead expert in numerous cases in these fields.

Mr. Fischer’s expertise also includes electrical resistivity profiling, ground-penetrating radar, groundwater monitoring and sampling, geospatial analysis and remote sensing, slope stability, expansive/collapsing soils, and automated remote monitoring.

He is proficient in EVS, GIS applications, MODFLOW, HYDRUS, and various programming languages including R, Python, and C++.

Austin muck

As Bryant’s General Counsel and Chief Business Officer, Austin Muck handles Bryant’s legal matters, oversees forensic litigation projects, and identifies and pursues areas of strategic growth. 

Prior to joining Bryant, Mr. Muck earned a B.S. in civil engineering from Texas A&M University and a law degree from SMU.  After law school, he practiced law at Bracewell LLP, where he represented businesses in a variety of commercial disputes and worked with numerous expert witnesses.

Yasser M. Abdelhamid, Ph.D.,
P.E., M. ASCE

Dr. Abdelhamid performs work on a wide range of geotechnical and geophysical forensic projects, from single family homes to whole subdivisions and commercial buildings, stability analysis for various earth slopes and retaining and sheet pile walls, as well as forensic analysis of a wide range of pavement projects, including highways.

Among Dr. Abdelhamid’s specialties are the evaluation of soil-structure interaction, including pavements, foundation analysis and design, retaining wall design and analysis, slope stability, and soil dynamics.

His expertise encompasses expansive soil behavior, geotechnical engineering and design, numerical modeling of soil-structure interaction and geo-structural elements, construction materials evaluation and analysis, and geotechnical laboratory testing.

Dr. Abdelhamid has authored and co-authored numerous publications. His research includes a comprehensive parametric study on laterally loaded single piles using a finite element package ANSYS as well as LPILE and a transient fully-coupled numerical pore-scale model utilized to study soil-fluid interaction problems such as surface erosion, fine particles migration, and liquefaction.

Dr. Abdelhamid also works in academia as an adjunct professor teaching Soil Mechanics and Foundation courses for undergraduate and graduate students.

JEFF GARRISON, P.E.

Jeff Garrison boasts a remarkable 25-year career dedicated to the investigation, design, and repair of roofing, waterproofing, and exterior cladding systems. His expertise spans various exterior wall systems, low-slope roofing systems, architectural and structural metal panel systems, and steep-slope roofing solutions. With extensive knowledge in below-grade waterproofing, encompassing hot-fluid applied systems, single-ply membrane systems, and bentonite waterproofing, Mr. Garrison is a seasoned authority in the field.

In addition to his project experience, Mr. Garrison excels in performance and diagnostic testing of the building envelope. He provides invaluable contract administration services and conducts quality assurance observations on new and existing structures. Furthermore, his contributions extend to renovation design services, litigation support, and peer review services, offering a comprehensive skill set tailored to a wide range of projects. With a wealth of experience and a commitment to excellence, Mr. Garrison is a pivotal asset to our team.

Steve Egly

Mr. Egly has thirteen years’ experience in estimating cost of repair for damaged property for first party and third-party claims, as well as reported theft, fraud, and arson losses as required to state and industry agencies. 

 He has extensive experience with multi-state claims handling including ISO and Texas based policies of insurance and spent four years in regional management level positions over staff and independent adjusters, performing case reviews, quality assurance and monitoring, coaching/training sessions, and evaluating personnel, in addition to insurance specialization in national catastrophe and/or foundation claims handling.

 Mr. Egly assists Professional Engineers in the evaluation and preparation of residential soil-structure interaction assessments and serves as Bryant’s liaison/contact with insurance company personnel for investigation requests, status of projects, and overall quality control.

Jeong Yeon Cheon, Ph.D., P.E.

Dr. Cheon has over 14 years of industry experience in geotechnical engineering. She has hands on experience in various stages of construction, including early-stage survey planning, site investigation, detailed design and construction support. 

Dr. Cheon’s geotechnical specialties cover shallow and deep foundations, pipe-soil interactions, slope stability, integrated geological-geotechnical study, and probabilistic geotechnical engineering. She has numerous professional publications in addition to industry experience.

M. Kabir Hossain, Ph.D.,
P.E., CEng., CMar.Eng.

Dr. Hossain has over 25 years of wide-ranging geotechnical consulting experience in offshore oil and gas and onshore, including forensic geotechnical failure analysis of soil-structure interactions of complex foundations.

Dr. Hossain’s expertise in applied geotechnics covers the full spectrum of soil mechanics and foundation engineering, from classical to novel concepts. 

He maintains extensive numerical modeling and analysis experience of soil-structure interactions using PLAXIS,  ABAQUS, ANSYS, SLOPE/W etc. Dr. Hossain has served as a subject matter expert in geotechnics, including design and analysis of shallow and deep foundations, slope stability, soil deformation, soil-structure interactions, soil properties interpretation, and site characterization and reporting. 

He has authored and co-authored numerous publications (most recent in 2020), and he has worked in academia as an adjunct professor teaching undergraduate geotechnical and foundation courses.

Dr. Hossain is a Charted Civil Engineer (UK) and a licensed Professional Engineer (Texas).

Jens Figlus, PH.d.

Jens Figlus is a coastal engineering expert with 12 years of experience. He is working with Bryant on expert witness cases and projects related to sediment erosion, coastal flooding, water waves, fluid-soil-structure interactions, and issues related to ship-induced hydrodynamics such as vessel wakes and propeller wash. His background is in applied coastal research and engineering, hydraulic engineering, and environmental fluid mechanics.

Dr. Figlus is an Associate Professor in the Ocean Engineering Department at Texas A&M University. He heads the Coastal Engineering Laboratory (CEL) on A&M’s Galveston Campus and is a distinguished partner with the A&M Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas (IDRT).

His expertise includes field and laboratory measurements (piezo-electric, acoustic Doppler, sediment tracer, optical backscatter, laser anemometry, remote sensing) as well as process-based numerical modeling (CShore, XBeach, Delft3D, Funwave) related to nearshore and estuarine hydrodynamics, water waves, ship wakes, sediment transport, morphodynamics, and nature-based solutions for coastal risk reduction.

chris tony, P.E.

Chris Tony is a Forensic Engineer and performs work on a wide range of geotechnical and geophysical forensic projects, from single family homes to whole subdivisions and commercial buildings, stability analysis for various earth slopes and retaining and sheet pile walls, as well as forensic analysis of a wide range of pavement projects, including highways.

He manages projects, coordinates with clients, and analyzes and solves real-life issues. Chris earned both his BS and MS in Civil Engineering from Southern Methodist University.  His expertise includes expansive soil behavior, geotechnical engineering and design, interaction and geo-structural elements, construction materials evaluation and analysis, and geotechnical laboratory testing.

MARK MENDEL

Mr. Mark Mendel serves as a Staff Engineer in our insurance division, specializing in civil, environmental, construction, and geotechnical engineering.

His extensive geotechnical experience encompasses forensic investigations and design recommendations for various structures, including commercial and residential buildings, retail centers, schools, etc. In the environmental sector, he has conducted Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments for commercial property transactions.

Mark’s construction background features site engineering and project management for large-scale public and private projects. Additionally, he has served as a CMT Department Manager, excelling in Construction Materials Testing. Mark brings over 20 years of expertise to our insurance department and is a tremendous asset to the team. 

Rendon rieth, P.E.

Rendon Rieth is a civil and geotechnical engineer, holding both a B.S. and an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas. With expertise in both laboratory and field testing, Rendon excels in contributing to comprehensive geotechnical reports and crafting innovative solutions to complex issues.

Rendon has honed his skills in project management, site investigation, and fieldwork testing, becoming a proficient leader in the field. His areas of specialization include pavement evaluation, slope stability, subsurface modeling, geospatial analysis, and expansive and collapsing soils. His dedication to understanding the nuances of geotechnical engineering makes him a valued member of the Bryant team and a trusted resource for navigating complex projects and delivering effective solutions.

Kourosh Tamizdoust, PH.D., P.E., Aff. M.ASCE

Dr. Kourosh Tamizdoust is a seasoned geotechnical
engineer with over 8 years of multifaceted experience
spanning research, teaching, consulting, and forensic
investigation. Armed with a Doctorate in Civil
Engineering, specializing in Geotechnical Engineering
from the University of Louisville, Kentucky, Kourosh’s
expertise encompasses geotechnical engineering, energy geotechnics, and hydrogeology.


As a key member of the Bryant Team, Dr. Tamizdoust
specializes in geotechnical forensic investigation,
overseeing project management and coordination for many projects. With a passion for solving complex
geotechnical challenges, Kourosh brings a wealth of
knowledge and leadership to every project he
undertakes.

Dr. Saman Farzi Sizkow

Dr. Saman Farzi Sizkow is a highly accomplished geotechnical engineer with expertise in discrete element modeling, soil dynamics, soil-structure interaction, and slope stability analysis. He earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Southern Methodist University, in addition to a Master of Science in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.

As a key member of the Bryant Team, Dr. Sizkow specializes in geotechnical analysis, focusing on discrete element modeling, retaining wall analysis, and soil-structure interaction studies. His innovative approach to computational modeling allows him to address complex geotechnical challenges with precision and efficiency.

With his diverse educational background and problem-solving skills, Saman brings a unique blend of technical expertise and analytical rigor to every project he undertakes, helping clients achieve robust and reliable solutions.

Ben Gilbertson, P.E.

Ben Gilbertson is a dedicated civil engineer with experience in geotechnical engineering, construction oversight, and project management. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

As a key member of the Bryant team, Ben specializes in geotechnical investigations, site evaluations, and construction oversight. His expertise in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and materials testing allows him to provide valuable insights into project feasibility and design. With a strong background in both field and laboratory work, Ben brings a detail-oriented approach to every project, ensuring practical and effective engineering solutions.

Ahmad Abdelmawla Ph.D.

Dr. Ahmad Abdelmawla is a highly skilled geotechnical engineer with over a decade of diverse experience encompassing foundation analysis, construction materials testing, rehabilitation operations, and pavement analysis. He excels in using advanced tools such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and machine learning to enhance infrastructure evaluation and subsurface analysis. He has also played pivotal roles in large-scale projects, including critical soil stabilization for oil refineries and subsurface investigations for roadway development.

As a valued member of the Bryant Consultants team, Dr. Abdelmawla specializes in geotechnical forensic investigations, coordinating multidisciplinary efforts to deliver successful project outcomes. With expertise in non-destructive testing, slope stability analysis, and geospatial modeling, he provides critical insights to ensure construction integrity and safety. Passionate about safe and resilient infrastructure development, Dr. Abdelmawla leverages advanced methodologies to uphold the highest standards of engineering excellence.

Dr. Brett Story

Brett A. Story, Ph.D., is a structural engineering expert with over 20 years of experience. He is working with Bryant on expert witness cases and projects involving structural mechanics, infrastructure monitoring, sensing technologies, and the application of machine learning to smarter infrastructure systems. His background includes structural engineering, instrumentation, and smart infrastructure innovation.

Dr. Story is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Southern Methodist University (SMU), where he also directs the Smart Infrastructure Innovation Initiative (s3i). Before joining SMU in 2013, he served as Assistant Director of the Center for Railway Research at Texas A&M University, where he also earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering.

His expertise includes advanced structural testing, infrastructure monitoring, instrumentation systems, and data-driven analysis for improving infrastructure performance. He has published more than 40 peer-reviewed papers, holds three patents, and his research has been supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Science Foundation, industry, and local agencies.