hiː lˈeɪɾɚ wɛnt tə ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts tʊ əbtˈeɪn hɪz pˌiːˈeɪtʃ.dˈiː ɪn sˈɪvəl ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹɪŋ fɹʌm stˈænfɚd jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi wˈʌn wˌaɪl wˈɜːkɪŋ ˌʌndɚ ðə dᵻɹˈɛkʃən ʌv dʒˈiː. wˈeɪn klˈʌf.
He later went to the United States to obtain his Ph.D in civil engineering from Stanford University in 1981 while working under the direction of G. Wayne Clough.