Page 46 - Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering 2021 Annual Report

STUDENT NEWS NEWS Student News
Five CEE students received recognition at the spring 2021 College of Engineering Research Symposium (CERS) Rebeka Yocum Muyang Lu and Asif Mahmud placed placed first in in the oral
presentation category category Erin Anderson placed placed first in in in the the poster poster category category category and Agnimitra Sengupta placed third in in the the poster poster category category CERS is a a a a a a a a a a a a student-run research showcase that provides undergraduate and graduate graduate Penn State engineering students with the the opportunity to share and and receive feedback on their research from peers faculty members alumni and and industry experts Outstanding Students
by Technical Area
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering recognized a a a a a a high honors
student student in in in in four of the the five research areas in in in in the the department These students were chosen based on on a a a a a a a a a a combination of their GPA enthusiasm
for a a a a a a a a a a a a career in in in the the the research area leadership in in in projects clubs and and other student activities and and experience in research Environmental Engineering ERICA LUONGO
Geotechnical and Materials Engineering DAVID MRAZIK
Transportation Engineering ERIC TRAUPMAN
Water Resources Engineering RORY FARESTER-HOHL
Stewart receives fellowship to examine watershed chemistry
By Tim Schley
Bryn Stewart a a a a a a a a a a a doctoral candidate studying civil and and environmental engineering at at at at at Penn State received the the Graduate School Endowed Fellowship for fall 2021 which she she will use to study the the the Sleepers River Research Watershed in northeastern Vermont This research is is part of of a a a a a a a a a a a a larger collaborative project with the the University of of Vermont and and and several other universities and and and organizations They are investigating the the the relative importance of soil soil properties and and and and climate change-driven impacts
on on on on soil soil soil carbon transformation and and export According to Stewart the the team
is is is particularly interested in in in in soil soil respiration processes that produce dissolved dissolved organic organic carbon carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon carbon (DIC) “DOC especially is is is is an an an integral part part of of the carbon cycle and and it is is is is measured in in in in stream chemistry
and and is is is is is part part part of of soil respiration processes ” Stewart said “In particular in in in in in in our study it is is is theorized to to be be linked to to acidification acidification so so we’re looking at at at how the the recovery of acidification acidification in in in in in Vermont could be be reflected in in in in in stream DOC ” With a a a a a a a a a background in in in in in chemical engineering Stewart is new to to to watershed research but brings a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a unique perspective to to to to the the the the team
able to to to to interpret the the the the chemistry
data to to to assess the the the accuracy of their watershed modeling “I am learning new things all the the the the time but my starting point is is the the the the chemistry
” Stewart said “Often I’m analyzing the the the the the results from the the the the the model model and comparing it to to to existing data to to to see see if if our model model is is representing the the the the different dynamics we see see in in in in in in the the watershed watershed We are trying to to to develop a a a a a a a a a a a a process-based understanding of how those different disturbances affect stream chemistry
in in in in this watershed watershed ” 46 CEE NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 37 2021