Dr. Marija Vitanova (1979) graduated from the Civil Engineering Faculty, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Structural Engineering Major, in 2002. In the academic 2003/2004, she was enrolled in the second cycle of studies within the international postgraduate studies held at the Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology (IZIIS) in the frames of the SEEFORM programme – DAAD (German Academic Exchange Program). In 2007, she took her master degree in the field of Earthquake Engineering, in the domain of Seismic Isolation of Structures. Her wider interests include earthquake engineering, bridge structures and engineering structures, while her closer domain of interest is research and assessment of vulnerability of bridges in which she elaborated her doctoral dissertation within the frames of the DAAD/SEEFORM programme and successfully defended it in 2015. Dr. Marija Vitanova is presently holding the position of Associate Professor at the Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology (IZIIS) within the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. She is lecturer in two subjects taught at the master studies: “Bridges, Transportation and Infrastructure Systems” and “Planning and Design of Transportation Systems and Other Infrastructure Systems in Seismic Regions”. She is also involved in lecturing of two subjects at the third cycle of studies: “Repair and Strengthening of Engineering Structures” and “Seismic Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk”. Since 2003, Dr. Vitanova has actively participated in a number of scientific research and applicative projects noteworthy among which are SUBSHAKE financed by the German Research Foundation (2006-2008), NATO ISUbridge SfP 983828 (2010-2013), INFRA-NAT – Increased Resilience of Critical Infrastructure to Natural and Human-Induced Hazards (783298 – INFRA-NAT – UCPM-2017-PP-AG), financed within the EC DG-ECHO programme (2018-2019). She actively takes part in the European project Comprehensive Risk Assessment of Basic Services and Transport Infrastructure (CRISIS), the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism Project (101004830 | UCPM-2020-PP-AG 2020-2022). She was also principal investigator of the project “Methodology for Prediction of Behaviour of Reinforced Concrete Bridges under the Effect of Service and Seismic Loads by Use of Experimental and Analytical Approach”, scientific research project financed by UKIM in 2020.
Dr. Vitanova has actively been involved in thorganization of seminars and workshops for pupils in elementary schools aimed at raising of public awareness about protection against earthquakes as well as trainings, post-earthquake missions and lectures. She has also published a large number of scientific papers in proceedings of national and international conferences, professional reports and journals. She is actively involved in the professional-applicative activities of UKIM-IZIIS and is coordinator of professional commissions and working groups that provide opinions about designed and as-built level of mechanical resistance, stability and seismic protection of structures in the Republic of North Macedonia.
Dr. Marija Vitanova was awarded recognition by the Macedonian Association of Structural Engineers – MASE for special achievement in structural engineering and recognition for special scientific structural engineering achievement for her independent scientific research work – doctoral dissertation in 2015. She is member of the Macedonian Association for Earthquake Engineering MAEE and the European Association for Earthquake Engineering EAEE. Dr. Marija Vitanova is also member of expert groups working on adoption of national annexes for our country in the European Standards (Eurocodes). She is member of the Scientific Board for the second cycle of studies at IZIIS. Since 2021, she has been deputy head of the Civil Engineering Department within the Macedonian Chamber of Certified Architects and Certified Engineers.