Associate Professor Eric Seagren (CEE/SFI) and CoPIs Assistant Professor Thomas Oommen (GMES/SFI) and Associate Professor Stan Vitton (CEE/SFI) have received $202,912 from NSF for a three-year project, “Biomediated Geomechanical Processes for Dust Mitigation and Monitoring at Mine Tailings Impoundments.”
All civil and environmental engineering students participate in a major design experience in engineering. Students enrolled in Senior Design work as teams on client-based engineering projects, using skills acquired in earlier engineering course work. The department’s Senior Design experience prepares students for by asking them to solve problems under many of the constraints and considerations that a civil or environmental engineer would encounter on the job. These considerations include economics, environmental, sustainability, constructability, ethical, social, political, health, and safety. In June, CEE students presented their Senior Design Projects for three Kiewit Construction sponsored projects: Lower Mattagami River, Ontario Power Hydroelectric Generating Station Upgrade.
An animation illustrating the concept of permeability, part of a Tech Alive teaching module developed by Professor Marty Auer (CEE) and colleagues, will be used in an interactive teaching tool that is being developed by Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc. for use by the US Environmental Protection Agency, state and local agencies, universities and companies with underground storage tank issues.
Professor Noel Urban (CEE/CWS) and CoPIs Associate Professor Judith Perlinger (CEE) and Associate Professor Carol MacLennan (SS) have received $59,790 from the University of Michigan, Michigan Sea Grant, for a two-year project, “Integrated Assessment of Torch Lake.”
Work by Associate Professor Zhangping You (CEE) is featured in the article “Nanoclays Lead to Better Asphalt in Roads,” appearing in Nano: The Magazine for Small Science.
The paper written by Associate Professor Zhanping You (CEE) was ranked ninth in the top 25 hottest articles of 2011 by Science Direct.
Associate Professor Yue Li (CEE) and colleagues have received $39,450 from the National Science Foundation for a project, “US-Vietnam Workshop on Multiple Natural Hazards Assessment and Mitigation Under the Impact of Climate Change.”
Joan Chadde (CEE) traveled to Detroit last week as part of the Urban Forest Stewardship Program that involves eight public schools.
Michigan Tech coordinates the event at Belle Isle that showcases student work in three programs, Adopt-a-Beach, Invasive Species Removal and the Creation of an Interpretive Trail.
The initiative, funded by the USDA Forest Service, is intended to integrate forestry into curricula.
In offering the program, Tech partners with the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education and Belle Isle Nature Zoo.
Pasi Lautala, director of the Rail Transportation Program (RTP), a part of the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI), PhD student Hamed Pouryousef (CEE), and undergraduate David Sutton (CEE) recently attended and presented at the 2012 Joint Rail Conference, “Technology to Advance the Future of Rail Transport,” in Philadelphia, April 17-19.
Lautala presented “Tuning Transatlantic Collaboration in Rail Higher Education (TUNRail)–Final Outcomes,” based on his project that is supported by the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), US Department of Education.
Lautala also chaired two sessions in the conference. Pouryousef presented a paper, “The Role of Railroad in Multimodal Woody Biomass Transportation in Michigan,” and Sutton presented a paper, “Industry-Student Collaboration to Develop Sustainability Metric for Concrete Tie Production.”
Faculty and staff from the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI), the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI) traveled to Lansing to participate in the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) biennial research summit on May 10.
Michigan Tech joined researchers from other Michigan research universities, consultants and MDOT personnel to discuss MDOT’s research needs and contribute to the scope of future research projects.
Staff and faculty from four programs participated in the National Transportation Workforce Summit in Washington, DC, April 24 to 26.
Pasi Lautala (CEE/MTTI) spoke on rail transportation education and training. Tech’s HEV Mobile Lab, represented by Marlene Lappeus (ME-EM) and undergraduate student Meghan Schiber (CEE), and the Center for Science and Environmental Outreach, represented by Joan Chadde (CEE), were both featured as showcase exhibits. Elizabeth Hoy (CEE/UTC) supported Michigan Tech’s involvement.