Page 2 - Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering: Annual Report

ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS Photo credit: Gordon Warn
Greetings from the
Department Head
Dear alumni and friends:
Welcome to the
the
2022 annual report for the
the
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at at Penn State We We send warm greetings and and and and best wishes for good health to you you you your your family and and and your your friends and and and colleagues Despite the
difficulties we have all faced in in in in recent years our our our department continues its strong upward trajectory We are charting an an exciting future providing leadership to to the
civil and and environmental engineering profession and beyond The department has made many significant advancements this year First we have hired five outstanding new faculty members with another soon on on on the
the
way: Andisheh Ranjbari in in in in in in in in in in transportation engineering engineering engineering Sayed Soleimani in in in in in in in in in in structural engineering engineering engineering and and and and mechanics Ahmed Khalafallah in in in in in in in in in in in construction engineering engineering engineering and and and and management Roberto Fernandez and and and and Christine Christine Kirchhoff in in in in in in in in in in in water resources engineering (Christine with a a a a a a a a a a a a a a primary appointment in in in in in in in in in the
School of of of Engineering Design Technology and and and Professional Programs) and and and Kaleigh Yost who will join us in in in in in in in in in in in January in in in in in in in in in in in geotechnical and and and materials engineering engineering We have an an an additional faculty search ongoing in in in in in in in in in in our environmental engineering engineering area which will be a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a co-hire appointment with the
the
Penn State Institutes of Energy
and the
the
the
Environment Our Undergraduate Program Committee is completing
a a a a a a a a a a a a a multi-year effort to to modernize the
the
the
the
undergraduate curriculum to to better serve both students and faculty At the
the
the
graduate graduate level the
the
the
department is working
with Penn Penn State State World Campus to to create new online master’s degree degree programs and make advanced Penn Penn State State degrees available to to distance learners Many new research grants have been received by our faculty particularly from the
the
National Science Foundation and and and the
the
Larson Transportation Institute continues to conduct outstanding research on on on on on on on on on transportation infrastructure and and and integrated asset management though our University Transportation Center Additionally the
department is is is completing
a a a a a a a a a a a a a fundraising campaign to to create a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a $3 million endowment to to reestablish and and permanently support a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a program in in in in in construction engineering and and management (CEM) We have made great progress with over $2 5 million raised including a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a large gift from from The Beavers Charitable Trust and and Allan Myers Inc and and commitments from from fourteen other construction companies as as stakeholders As mentioned above we hired Ahmed Khalafallah as as as the
the
the
area’s new faculty member and began the
the
the
CEM program on on on on schedule this fall fall semester The first meeting of the
the
the
the
stakeholder companies as as as the
the
new CEM CEM advisory board was held in in in in State College in in in in October This CEM CEM program is is is a a a a a a a a a a true university-industry partnership and will strongly contribute to to the
impact of our department Thank you you for for your interest and and support of of the
Department of of Civil and and Environmental Engineering The following report provides more information on on on these and and other exciting developments including several new and and promising research areas that highlight the
the
the
many strengths in in in in our department The CEE Department is doing well here in in in Happy Valley proudly celebrating its 141st year of excellence at at Penn State!
Patrick J J Fox Ph D D D P P P E E E D D D GE F F ASCE
Department Department Head
and and and John A A and and and Harriette K Shaw Professor Department Department of Civil and and and Environmental Engineering Civil and Environmental Engineering Newsletter 2022 EDITION VOLUME 38 3 Announcements 6 Faculty
Research 20 Media Mentions
21 Faculty
News / Lectures
26 Larson Institute News 29 Pennsylvania Housing Research Center News 30 Giving
32 Alumni News 37 Student Organizations 41 Student News 46 Staff News Civil and and Environmental Engineering a a a a a newsletter for CEE alumni and and and friends is is published by the
College of of Engineering’s Department of of Civil and and Environmental Engineering Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering The Pennsylvania State University 212 Sackett Building
University Park PA 16802
Writers: Mariah Chuprinski Katherine Dietrich Mary Fetzer Sara Sara LaJeunesse A’ndrea Elyse Messer Tim Schley Sarah Small Ashley J J WennersHerron
Comments or or submissions may be sent to: Tim Schley newsletter editor
Email: tps5592@psu edu Phone: 814-867-8130
For more information visit cee psu edu This publication is is available in alternative media on on request © 2022 The Pennsylvania State State University All Rights
Reserved Penn Penn State State is is an an an equal opportunity affirmative action employer and is is committed to to to providing employment opportunities to to to all qualified applicants without regard to to to race color religion age sex sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin disability or or or or protected veteran status U Ed ENG 23-96
Printed on recycled paper 2 2 2 2 CEE NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 38 2022