Page 4 - Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering 2021 Annual Report

ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS Three distinguished CEE faculty retiring
By Tim Schley
Peggy Johnson
Retired August 2021
Peggy Johnson
arrived at at Penn State in 1996 and and served as the the CEE department
head from from 2006 until 2015 and and the the dean of Schreyer Honors College from from 2017 to 2021
In her nine years as CEE department
department
head the department
department
garnered much praise including prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Awards The momentum of her tenure has continued to this day Johnson
had a a a a a a stellar research career publishing numerous papers in in in in peer- reviewed journals on
subjects including bridge scour stream stability assessment and and river hydraulics and and mechanics Through this work she collected many awards including from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Environmental & Water Resources Institute which awarded her the the Outstanding Woman of the the the the Year and and the the the the Lifetime Achievement Award Other recognition for Johnson
includes the the the the ASCE Hans Albert Award Award and the the NSF Presidential Faculty Fellow Award Award Johnson
was granted emeritus status with the University upon retirement Jeffrey Laman
Retired July 2021
Jeffrey Laman
joined Penn State in in in 1995 as as an an an assistant professor after receiving a a a a a a a a a a doctoral degree in in in in civil engineering from the University of Michigan A strong contributor to to the CEE’s structural engineering and mechanics research research area Laman’s research research primarily focused on
on
on
vehicle and environmental loading on
on
on
a a a a a a variety of bridges including precast girder girder steel steel girder girder steel steel truss stone arch and pedestrian suspension Laman
was familiar to all all for his rigorous teaching especially the structural engineering capstone course in in in in which he he mentored approximately 1
1
000 students since 1996 He also chaired the University Faculty Senate Intercollegiate Athletics Committee for for three years worked with the the University Faculty Senate for for eleven years and was appointed to to the the Athletics Integrity Council to to help grow a a a a a a a culture of integrity in in Penn State athletics Laman
was granted emeritus status with the University upon retirement Martin Pietrucha
Will retire December 2021
Martin Pietrucha
arrived at at Penn State in in in in in in 1990 after receiving a a a a a a a a doctoral degree in in in in in civil engineering from the University of Maryland His research focuses on
on
highway safety the operational effects of highway geometrics and alternative transportation strategies Notably he he he helped design the Clearview road sign sign sign typeface for highway signs which offered a a a a 20 percent improvement
in legibility and and recognition over the Standard Highway Sign Alphabet font In Pietrucha’s thirty-one years at the the the University he he he he served in in in many roles including the the the director of the the the Larson Transportation Institute from 2009 to 2015 Pietrucha
is is well-known for his work with students and currently serves as the department’s undergraduate coordinator and an an adviser for the the Penn State chapter of the the Chi Epsilon honor society Upon retirement Pietrucha
will be granted emeritus status with the University 4
“The outstanding contributions of of of Professors Johnson
Laman
and and and Pietrucha
and and and many others like them them established the the the the the the the CEE department
at at at Penn State as one of of of of the the the the the the the premier programs in in in in the the the the the the nation We are indebted for for their combined eighty-two years of of service and and wish them them all happiness and success going forward ”
– Patrick Fox John A and and Harriette K Shaw Professor of of of Civil Engineering and and head of of of the department
CEE NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 37 2021