NATURAL MATERIALS FOR CLEANING WATERWAYS In dredging, a slurry of polluted soil and water is pumped up from the bottom of lakes and rivers into long, wide tubes made of a permeable material called geotextiles tubes.
DAVIDSON NAMED 2015 AEESP FELLOW
A group of eight Lebanese American University (LAU) graduates enrolled in the civil engineering graduate program this fall.
Professor Cliff Davidson, the Thomas C. and Colleen L. Wilmot Professor of Engineering, has been named a 2015 Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors (AEESP) Fellow.
ust a year ago, notable alumnus and CEO of the Dubai Contracting Company (DCC), Abdallah Yabroudi ’78, G’79 brought the students here from Lebanon to experience Syracuse University and the United States for the first time. The students make up one-half of a group that participated in the acclaimed 2014 James Mandel and Samuel Clemence Civil Engineering Internship that Yabroudi generously funds and hosts in Dubai. The internship places a set of Syracuse and LAU students in a four-week internship at DCC. There, they learn from engineers at the company’s headquarters and partake in learning sessions at a range of construction sites to see how concepts of civil engineering apply to actual multimillion-dollar projects. The program gives students the kind of experience that classroom teaching alone cannot provide.
A
s contaminated slurry fills the tubes, water escapes through the tube’s skin, while soil and contaminants are contained within. This has been used in projects like the cleanup of Onondaga Lake in Syracuse. Professor Shobha K. Bhatia and her research team are exploring sustainable solutions for removing water from contaminated sediments by using starch, peanut shells, jute fibers, and paper mill waste as environmentally friendly materials in the tubes themselves and in flocculants. The team has found that using these natural materials increases the tubes’ performance and retention of heavy metals like lead. Their next step is large-scale testing to verify their results with the help of industrial partners, Ten Cate Geosynthetics and Water Solve LLC.
CONSTRUCTING AN LAU-SU CONNECTION
Bhatia is also the recipient of a University Change Agent award for her significant impact on SU’s climate for women in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Paper: “Cationic Starch-based Flocculants as an Alternative to Synthetic Polymers in Geotextile Tube Dewatering of Dredged Sediments,” Khachan, Bhatia, Bader, Cetin, and Ramarao, Geosynthetics International, 2014.
Gifts from donors like you contribute to facility upgrades like the new Construction Engineering Lab. They pay for state-of-the-art laboratory equipment needed to conduct groundbreaking research like Professor Bhatia’s. Gifts provide students like LaVerne Sessler with educational experiences that simply could not exist without our donors’ steadfast commitment. With your help, there is no limit what your Department can achieve. Please consider giving to online at eng-cs.syr.edu/givenow.
VISIT US ON FACEBOOK @ENGINEERINGSU @ENGINEERINGSU CONNECT WITH US ENG-CS.SYR.EDU
e was recognized for his ongoing water chemistry research that compares the stormwater runoff from a green roof to that from a traditional roof. Johnson evaluates the presence of atmospheric particles derived from motor vehicles that are deposited on top of the buildings. While some of the atmospheric particles deposited on the traditional roof are washed off the roof during a rainstorm, the processes on the green roof are more complex and can lead to either higher or lower contaminant levels in the runoff.
PAID
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering
he honor is bestowed for long-term excellence in environmental research, teaching, and service to the environmental engineering and science community. Davidson, an award-winning teacher and air-quality researcher who holds a Ph.D. in environmental engineering science from the California Institute of Technology, has spent most of his career focused on aerosol physics, earning an international reputation for his studies of atmospheric particles. More than a decade ago, his research interests shifted toward sustainable development. Today, Davidson is studying the changes in development of green infrastructure for stormwater management in urban areas, especially green roofs.
STORMWATER RESEARCH EARNS HONOR FOR STUDENT
H
Syracuse University College of Engineering and Computer Science Syracuse, NY 13244-1240
T
Alex Johnson G’16 has been named the 2015 TranLIVE Student of the Year.
YOUR DEPARTMENT, YOUR COLLEGE, YOUR SUCCESS We share these accomplishments with you because you are a part of us. As an alumnus or a friend of this Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, you have contributed to our shared success by your very association. A great many of you have also generously helped fund the endeavors highlighted within this newsletter.
The students are all actively contributing to Professor Sam Salem’s construction engineering research and will soon have the opportunity to work in the newly unveiled Construction Engineering Lab on Skytop.
NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
Johnson’s research will observe what occurs for different contaminants. TranLIVE, which stands for Transportation Livability by Integrating Vehicles and the Environment, has provided funding to several Syracuse University students in the civil and environmental engineering department to work on several research projects for the last four years, as well as funding to enhance some of the College’s computer labs and transportation software capabilities.
ENGINEERING CITIES TO SURVIVE EXTREME WEATHER
INTRODUCING THE SU CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING LAB The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has opened the doors to a new construction engineering lab on the Syracuse University campus.
T
he facility provides faculty and students with a dedicated space to replicate quality control tests, infrastructure health monitoring, and inspection activities that take place at construction sites. It is envisioned that the lab will be used to conduct research into leading-edge techniques in construction. In addition, its spacious, open design provides flexibility to accommodate a variety of hands-on educational and research initiatives at once. The establishment of this lab signifies another substantial leap forward for construction engineering education at Syracuse University. In recent years, the Department has added expert
Devastating weather events, like flooding, can cripple crucial infrastructure—disabling transit, electricity, water, and other services in urban areas.
faculty and international internships to advance students’ educational experience in this crucial civil engineering discipline. Chancellor Kent Syverud and other distinguished guests from academia and industry were on hand when the building officially opened at a dedication and ribbon-cutting this spring. The momentous event provided attendees with an introduction to the lab’s many resources and honored those who invested in the facility. The lab was made possible by many generous alumni and friends of the College, including Abdallah Yabroudi ’78, G’79, Michael Venutolo ’77, William Kopka ’48, G’54, Raymond International, O’Brien & Gere, and Hueber-Breuer Construction.
F
looding in city streets spreads disease carriers and waste. And it isn’t just unhealthy—it’s dangerous. Plus, aging infrastructure and flooding tend to be more of an issue in low-income neighborhoods, meaning that this project needs to assess more than just the physical infrastructure of these cities. An Urban Resilience to Extreme Weather-Related Events Sustainability Research Network, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), has set out to develop urban infrastructure that is more resilient, sustainable, and equitable. Professor David Chandler has joined the team of 50 researchers from 15 institutions spanning North and South America. The NSF awarded the network $12 million to analyze information pertinent
SPRING 2016
to sustainability and impacts of extreme climate events—mostly extreme precipitation or extreme heat. The team will evaluate the social, ecological, and technical systems data related to infrastructure. The result will be a suite of tools supporting the assessment and implementation of urban infrastructure that is resilient, “safe-to-fail,” and tailored to a particular city. This project builds on green infrastructure performance research Chandler conducts for Save the Rain, a stormwater management program in New York’s Onondaga County, as well as a broader analysis sponsored by Surdna Foundation, an organization that seeks to foster sustainable communities in the United States.
WHAT FLOWS IN THE WATER YOU DRINK
Extreme weather events will be more common as the effects of climate change take hold. Our hottest days will get hotter; our coldest days will get colder.
W
inter and summer storms will be become more intense. As these changes occur, experts are seeking to learn the impact extreme weather events will have on ecosystems and our lives.
Lead contamination in Flint, Michigan’s drinking water has put a spotlight on how cities ensure the safety of tap water.
A
s in Flint, drinking water still flows through lead pipes in many areas of our country. However, under standard conditions, chemical corrosion inhibitors are added to prevent lead from leaching into the water. But lead isn’t the only concern. Professor Teng Zeng focuses on other possible dangers of drinking from the tap. For example, disinfectants such as chlorine are added to the water all across the United States to kill bacteria and viruses—an unarguably beneficial and necessary practice. Unfortunately, reactions between organics in water and disinfectants produce byproducts that may be toxic or carcinogenic if consumed over a long period of time. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates some of these disinfection byproducts and municipalities report their levels through regular drinking water quality updates. Most U.S. cities have minimal cause for concern; however, certain areas where source water is impaired
by upstream wastewater discharge have given researchers enough reason to look more closely at what’s present in our water. Research like Zeng’s advances our understanding and will ultimately help protect us better from the possible dangers.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Hossein Ataei Assistant Professor Ph.D. University of Southern California
Laura Condon Assistant Professor Ph.D. Colorado School of Mines
Christa Kelleher Assistant Professor Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University
Teng Zeng Assistant Professor Ph.D. University of Minnesota
To better understand the short- and long-term effects of icing events on northern forests, a team of scientists, including Professor Charles T. Driscoll, generated an experimental ice storm on eight large research plots on the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. The experiment is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Research focus: Design of structures and civil infrastructure for dynamic loads and manmade threats, forensic structural engineering, advanced structural analysis methods for risk assessment of civil infrastructure, and construction management.
Research focus: Groundwater surface water interactions, climate change and sustainability, water resources management, system dynamics, numerical methods, and high performance computing.
Research focus: Watershed and landscape hydrology, system responses to climate and land use change, water quality and quantity, environmental model diagnostics and uncertainty, and scientific visualization.
Research focus: Occurrence and fate of organic contaminants, formation and control of disinfection byproducts, public health implications of water reuse, and environmental impacts of energy production.
Large ice storms can disrupt lives and damage infrastructure, resulting in billions of dollars of damage. They also literally reshape forests. Heavy ice loads break branches and topple whole trees, resulting in reduced tree growth in ensuing years, increased susceptibility to pests and pathogens, changes in habitat for wildlife, and alterations in how nutrients like carbon and nitrogen cycle in the forest. This study will take an unprecedented look at these effects.
THE DRIVE TO IMPROVE OUR ROADWAYS
Steven Herman ’12 The successful outcomes of our graduates are a steadfast point of pride for the College. After graduation, Steven Herman ’12 earned his master’s of science in civil engineering from Columbia University. He gained professional experience while employed at Parsons Corporation, an internationally respected engineering firm, where he specialized in the design, analysis, and rehabilitation of bridges in and around New York City. One of his major projects included the much-needed replacement of the Goethals
THE FROZEN FOREST
NEW FACULTY
Bridge. Steven is an MBA candidate at New York University’s Stern School of Business, where he specializes in finance and strategy. “I will forever be an ambassador of Syracuse University and the College of Engineering and Computer Science. I take great satisfaction in knowing that I embody the ethos of Syracuse University to the world. I represent the Syracuse family by displaying the intellect and character I developed there during my years of rigorous study and hard work. I am proud to be an SU alumnus and can say that I truly bleed orange.”
To anyone who has driven a car in the past two decades, it will come as no surprise that roads across the United States are deteriorating.
I
ndeed, the American Society of Civil Engineers has consistently graded the condition of U.S. roads at a D+ or lower since 1998. By their description that means U.S. roads “exhibit significant deterioration” and are “of significant concern with strong risk of failure.” To help address the problems in improving asphalt road conditions, Professors Baris Salman and Sam Salem are working to identify innovative ways to maintain, repair, and reconstruct roads with
lower economic, social, and environmental impacts. With funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation, they are identifying and evaluating factors that go into the decision-making procedures that ultimately determine the state of the roads. With this information they will develop a high-level decision support tool to evaluate new alternatives. It is their hope that smarter decisions will create safer roads and higher grades for the nation’s road infrastructure.
FACTS AND STATS
RESEARCH AREAS
20 271 # of Faculty
# of Undergraduate Students
81
23
# of Master’s Students
# of Ph.D. Students
Degrees Awarded May 2014–2015
81
Undergraduate
42
Geotechnical Engineering, including Geosynthetics and Geofoams
Smart Management of Water Systems for Sustainability
Construction Engineering and Project Management
Structural Engineering and Health Monitoring
Civil Infrastructure Systems and Management
Sustainability Engineering
Graduate
Green Infrastructure
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
LaVerne Sessler ’16, G’17 Professor Baris Salman From roadways, to water systems, to buildings, a civil engineer is involved in most aspects of the physical world that surrounds us. Professor Baris Salman has always been interested in designing, operating, and maintaining this world.
economic. He says, “With any construction project, you have to balance its impacts on the community, the overall cost, and how the project affects the environment around it throughout its life-cycle.”
As a professor of practice, he teaches courses with an emphasis on the practical application side of the discipline—skills that engineers will use in their professional daily life. Salman stresses the importance of three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental, and
In addition to instructing students in the classroom, Salman contributes to the research efforts of the Department by focusing on the development of management strategies for civil infrastructure systems and sustainability of construction projects.
It is not hard to see how LaVerne Sessler ’16, G’17 ended up enrolled in Syracuse University’s H. John Riley 3+2 civil engineering and MBA program. He’s been around construction equipment and business his entire life. His family owns and operates Sessler Wrecking, a company that specializes in the demolition of industrial and commercial structures. As a young boy, he and his brother would pose for photos with construction equipment and enormous bridges. But while his family’s expertise is in taking structures down, Sessler’s is in putting them up.
Since beginning work on his degrees, he has completed construction management internships at Hunter Roberts Construction group in New York City and the Dubai Contracting Company. This summer, he will work at General Electric in a transportation management internship. Each opportunity brings him closer to his goal of being a professional engineer. “I see civil engineers as the people who hold everything together: the roads, the bridges, the buildings—all of the infrastructure that surrounds us is civil engineering. I look forward to the day I can build something and say, ‘That was me. I contributed.’”
NATURAL MATERIALS FOR CLEANING WATERWAYS In dredging, a slurry of polluted soil and water is pumped up from the bottom of lakes and rivers into long, wide tubes made of a permeable material called geotextiles tubes.
DAVIDSON NAMED 2015 AEESP FELLOW
A group of eight Lebanese American University (LAU) graduates enrolled in the civil engineering graduate program this fall.
Professor Cliff Davidson, the Thomas C. and Colleen L. Wilmot Professor of Engineering, has been named a 2015 Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors (AEESP) Fellow.
ust a year ago, notable alumnus and CEO of the Dubai Contracting Company (DCC), Abdallah Yabroudi ’78, G’79 brought the students here from Lebanon to experience Syracuse University and the United States for the first time. The students make up one-half of a group that participated in the acclaimed 2014 James Mandel and Samuel Clemence Civil Engineering Internship that Yabroudi generously funds and hosts in Dubai. The internship places a set of Syracuse and LAU students in a four-week internship at DCC. There, they learn from engineers at the company’s headquarters and partake in learning sessions at a range of construction sites to see how concepts of civil engineering apply to actual multimillion-dollar projects. The program gives students the kind of experience that classroom teaching alone cannot provide.
A
s contaminated slurry fills the tubes, water escapes through the tube’s skin, while soil and contaminants are contained within. This has been used in projects like the cleanup of Onondaga Lake in Syracuse. Professor Shobha K. Bhatia and her research team are exploring sustainable solutions for removing water from contaminated sediments by using starch, peanut shells, jute fibers, and paper mill waste as environmentally friendly materials in the tubes themselves and in flocculants. The team has found that using these natural materials increases the tubes’ performance and retention of heavy metals like lead. Their next step is large-scale testing to verify their results with the help of industrial partners, Ten Cate Geosynthetics and Water Solve LLC.
CONSTRUCTING AN LAU-SU CONNECTION
Bhatia is also the recipient of a University Change Agent award for her significant impact on SU’s climate for women in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Paper: “Cationic Starch-based Flocculants as an Alternative to Synthetic Polymers in Geotextile Tube Dewatering of Dredged Sediments,” Khachan, Bhatia, Bader, Cetin, and Ramarao, Geosynthetics International, 2014.
Gifts from donors like you contribute to facility upgrades like the new Construction Engineering Lab. They pay for state-of-the-art laboratory equipment needed to conduct groundbreaking research like Professor Bhatia’s. Gifts provide students like LaVerne Sessler with educational experiences that simply could not exist without our donors’ steadfast commitment. With your help, there is no limit what your Department can achieve. Please consider giving to online at eng-cs.syr.edu/givenow.
VISIT US ON FACEBOOK @ENGINEERINGSU @ENGINEERINGSU CONNECT WITH US ENG-CS.SYR.EDU
e was recognized for his ongoing water chemistry research that compares the stormwater runoff from a green roof to that from a traditional roof. Johnson evaluates the presence of atmospheric particles derived from motor vehicles that are deposited on top of the buildings. While some of the atmospheric particles deposited on the traditional roof are washed off the roof during a rainstorm, the processes on the green roof are more complex and can lead to either higher or lower contaminant levels in the runoff.
PAID
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering
he honor is bestowed for long-term excellence in environmental research, teaching, and service to the environmental engineering and science community. Davidson, an award-winning teacher and air-quality researcher who holds a Ph.D. in environmental engineering science from the California Institute of Technology, has spent most of his career focused on aerosol physics, earning an international reputation for his studies of atmospheric particles. More than a decade ago, his research interests shifted toward sustainable development. Today, Davidson is studying the changes in development of green infrastructure for stormwater management in urban areas, especially green roofs.
STORMWATER RESEARCH EARNS HONOR FOR STUDENT
H
Syracuse University College of Engineering and Computer Science Syracuse, NY 13244-1240
T
Alex Johnson G’16 has been named the 2015 TranLIVE Student of the Year.
YOUR DEPARTMENT, YOUR COLLEGE, YOUR SUCCESS We share these accomplishments with you because you are a part of us. As an alumnus or a friend of this Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, you have contributed to our shared success by your very association. A great many of you have also generously helped fund the endeavors highlighted within this newsletter.
The students are all actively contributing to Professor Sam Salem’s construction engineering research and will soon have the opportunity to work in the newly unveiled Construction Engineering Lab on Skytop.
NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
Johnson’s research will observe what occurs for different contaminants. TranLIVE, which stands for Transportation Livability by Integrating Vehicles and the Environment, has provided funding to several Syracuse University students in the civil and environmental engineering department to work on several research projects for the last four years, as well as funding to enhance some of the College’s computer labs and transportation software capabilities.
ENGINEERING CITIES TO SURVIVE EXTREME WEATHER
INTRODUCING THE SU CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING LAB The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has opened the doors to a new construction engineering lab on the Syracuse University campus.
T
he facility provides faculty and students with a dedicated space to replicate quality control tests, infrastructure health monitoring, and inspection activities that take place at construction sites. It is envisioned that the lab will be used to conduct research into leading-edge techniques in construction. In addition, its spacious, open design provides flexibility to accommodate a variety of hands-on educational and research initiatives at once. The establishment of this lab signifies another substantial leap forward for construction engineering education at Syracuse University. In recent years, the Department has added expert
Devastating weather events, like flooding, can cripple crucial infrastructure—disabling transit, electricity, water, and other services in urban areas.
faculty and international internships to advance students’ educational experience in this crucial civil engineering discipline. Chancellor Kent Syverud and other distinguished guests from academia and industry were on hand when the building officially opened at a dedication and ribbon-cutting this spring. The momentous event provided attendees with an introduction to the lab’s many resources and honored those who invested in the facility. The lab was made possible by many generous alumni and friends of the College, including Abdallah Yabroudi ’78, G’79, Michael Venutolo ’77, William Kopka ’48, G’54, Raymond International, O’Brien & Gere, and Hueber-Breuer Construction.
F
looding in city streets spreads disease carriers and waste. And it isn’t just unhealthy—it’s dangerous. Plus, aging infrastructure and flooding tend to be more of an issue in low-income neighborhoods, meaning that this project needs to assess more than just the physical infrastructure of these cities. An Urban Resilience to Extreme Weather-Related Events Sustainability Research Network, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), has set out to develop urban infrastructure that is more resilient, sustainable, and equitable. Professor David Chandler has joined the team of 50 researchers from 15 institutions spanning North and South America. The NSF awarded the network $12 million to analyze information pertinent
SPRING 2016
to sustainability and impacts of extreme climate events—mostly extreme precipitation or extreme heat. The team will evaluate the social, ecological, and technical systems data related to infrastructure. The result will be a suite of tools supporting the assessment and implementation of urban infrastructure that is resilient, “safe-to-fail,” and tailored to a particular city. This project builds on green infrastructure performance research Chandler conducts for Save the Rain, a stormwater management program in New York’s Onondaga County, as well as a broader analysis sponsored by Surdna Foundation, an organization that seeks to foster sustainable communities in the United States.
WHAT FLOWS IN THE WATER YOU DRINK
Extreme weather events will be more common as the effects of climate change take hold. Our hottest days will get hotter; our coldest days will get colder.
W
inter and summer storms will be become more intense. As these changes occur, experts are seeking to learn the impact extreme weather events will have on ecosystems and our lives.
Lead contamination in Flint, Michigan’s drinking water has put a spotlight on how cities ensure the safety of tap water.
A
s in Flint, drinking water still flows through lead pipes in many areas of our country. However, under standard conditions, chemical corrosion inhibitors are added to prevent lead from leaching into the water. But lead isn’t the only concern. Professor Teng Zeng focuses on other possible dangers of drinking from the tap. For example, disinfectants such as chlorine are added to the water all across the United States to kill bacteria and viruses—an unarguably beneficial and necessary practice. Unfortunately, reactions between organics in water and disinfectants produce byproducts that may be toxic or carcinogenic if consumed over a long period of time. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates some of these disinfection byproducts and municipalities report their levels through regular drinking water quality updates. Most U.S. cities have minimal cause for concern; however, certain areas where source water is impaired
by upstream wastewater discharge have given researchers enough reason to look more closely at what’s present in our water. Research like Zeng’s advances our understanding and will ultimately help protect us better from the possible dangers.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Hossein Ataei Assistant Professor Ph.D. University of Southern California
Laura Condon Assistant Professor Ph.D. Colorado School of Mines
Christa Kelleher Assistant Professor Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University
Teng Zeng Assistant Professor Ph.D. University of Minnesota
To better understand the short- and long-term effects of icing events on northern forests, a team of scientists, including Professor Charles T. Driscoll, generated an experimental ice storm on eight large research plots on the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. The experiment is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Research focus: Design of structures and civil infrastructure for dynamic loads and manmade threats, forensic structural engineering, advanced structural analysis methods for risk assessment of civil infrastructure, and construction management.
Research focus: Groundwater surface water interactions, climate change and sustainability, water resources management, system dynamics, numerical methods, and high performance computing.
Research focus: Watershed and landscape hydrology, system responses to climate and land use change, water quality and quantity, environmental model diagnostics and uncertainty, and scientific visualization.
Research focus: Occurrence and fate of organic contaminants, formation and control of disinfection byproducts, public health implications of water reuse, and environmental impacts of energy production.
Large ice storms can disrupt lives and damage infrastructure, resulting in billions of dollars of damage. They also literally reshape forests. Heavy ice loads break branches and topple whole trees, resulting in reduced tree growth in ensuing years, increased susceptibility to pests and pathogens, changes in habitat for wildlife, and alterations in how nutrients like carbon and nitrogen cycle in the forest. This study will take an unprecedented look at these effects.
THE DRIVE TO IMPROVE OUR ROADWAYS
Steven Herman ’12 The successful outcomes of our graduates are a steadfast point of pride for the College. After graduation, Steven Herman ’12 earned his master’s of science in civil engineering from Columbia University. He gained professional experience while employed at Parsons Corporation, an internationally respected engineering firm, where he specialized in the design, analysis, and rehabilitation of bridges in and around New York City. One of his major projects included the much-needed replacement of the Goethals
THE FROZEN FOREST
NEW FACULTY
Bridge. Steven is an MBA candidate at New York University’s Stern School of Business, where he specializes in finance and strategy. “I will forever be an ambassador of Syracuse University and the College of Engineering and Computer Science. I take great satisfaction in knowing that I embody the ethos of Syracuse University to the world. I represent the Syracuse family by displaying the intellect and character I developed there during my years of rigorous study and hard work. I am proud to be an SU alumnus and can say that I truly bleed orange.”
To anyone who has driven a car in the past two decades, it will come as no surprise that roads across the United States are deteriorating.
I
ndeed, the American Society of Civil Engineers has consistently graded the condition of U.S. roads at a D+ or lower since 1998. By their description that means U.S. roads “exhibit significant deterioration” and are “of significant concern with strong risk of failure.” To help address the problems in improving asphalt road conditions, Professors Baris Salman and Sam Salem are working to identify innovative ways to maintain, repair, and reconstruct roads with
lower economic, social, and environmental impacts. With funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation, they are identifying and evaluating factors that go into the decision-making procedures that ultimately determine the state of the roads. With this information they will develop a high-level decision support tool to evaluate new alternatives. It is their hope that smarter decisions will create safer roads and higher grades for the nation’s road infrastructure.
FACTS AND STATS
RESEARCH AREAS
20 271 # of Faculty
# of Undergraduate Students
81
23
# of Master’s Students
# of Ph.D. Students
Degrees Awarded May 2014–2015
81
Undergraduate
42
Geotechnical Engineering, including Geosynthetics and Geofoams
Smart Management of Water Systems for Sustainability
Construction Engineering and Project Management
Structural Engineering and Health Monitoring
Civil Infrastructure Systems and Management
Sustainability Engineering
Graduate
Green Infrastructure
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
LaVerne Sessler ’16, G’17 Professor Baris Salman From roadways, to water systems, to buildings, a civil engineer is involved in most aspects of the physical world that surrounds us. Professor Baris Salman has always been interested in designing, operating, and maintaining this world.
economic. He says, “With any construction project, you have to balance its impacts on the community, the overall cost, and how the project affects the environment around it throughout its life-cycle.”
As a professor of practice, he teaches courses with an emphasis on the practical application side of the discipline—skills that engineers will use in their professional daily life. Salman stresses the importance of three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental, and
In addition to instructing students in the classroom, Salman contributes to the research efforts of the Department by focusing on the development of management strategies for civil infrastructure systems and sustainability of construction projects.
It is not hard to see how LaVerne Sessler ’16, G’17 ended up enrolled in Syracuse University’s H. John Riley 3+2 civil engineering and MBA program. He’s been around construction equipment and business his entire life. His family owns and operates Sessler Wrecking, a company that specializes in the demolition of industrial and commercial structures. As a young boy, he and his brother would pose for photos with construction equipment and enormous bridges. But while his family’s expertise is in taking structures down, Sessler’s is in putting them up.
Since beginning work on his degrees, he has completed construction management internships at Hunter Roberts Construction group in New York City and the Dubai Contracting Company. This summer, he will work at General Electric in a transportation management internship. Each opportunity brings him closer to his goal of being a professional engineer. “I see civil engineers as the people who hold everything together: the roads, the bridges, the buildings—all of the infrastructure that surrounds us is civil engineering. I look forward to the day I can build something and say, ‘That was me. I contributed.’”
NATURAL MATERIALS FOR CLEANING WATERWAYS In dredging, a slurry of polluted soil and water is pumped up from the bottom of lakes and rivers into long, wide tubes made of a permeable material called geotextiles tubes.
DAVIDSON NAMED 2015 AEESP FELLOW
A group of eight Lebanese American University (LAU) graduates enrolled in the civil engineering graduate program this fall.
Professor Cliff Davidson, the Thomas C. and Colleen L. Wilmot Professor of Engineering, has been named a 2015 Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors (AEESP) Fellow.
ust a year ago, notable alumnus and CEO of the Dubai Contracting Company (DCC), Abdallah Yabroudi ’78, G’79 brought the students here from Lebanon to experience Syracuse University and the United States for the first time. The students make up one-half of a group that participated in the acclaimed 2014 James Mandel and Samuel Clemence Civil Engineering Internship that Yabroudi generously funds and hosts in Dubai. The internship places a set of Syracuse and LAU students in a four-week internship at DCC. There, they learn from engineers at the company’s headquarters and partake in learning sessions at a range of construction sites to see how concepts of civil engineering apply to actual multimillion-dollar projects. The program gives students the kind of experience that classroom teaching alone cannot provide.
A
s contaminated slurry fills the tubes, water escapes through the tube’s skin, while soil and contaminants are contained within. This has been used in projects like the cleanup of Onondaga Lake in Syracuse. Professor Shobha K. Bhatia and her research team are exploring sustainable solutions for removing water from contaminated sediments by using starch, peanut shells, jute fibers, and paper mill waste as environmentally friendly materials in the tubes themselves and in flocculants. The team has found that using these natural materials increases the tubes’ performance and retention of heavy metals like lead. Their next step is large-scale testing to verify their results with the help of industrial partners, Ten Cate Geosynthetics and Water Solve LLC.
CONSTRUCTING AN LAU-SU CONNECTION
Bhatia is also the recipient of a University Change Agent award for her significant impact on SU’s climate for women in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Paper: “Cationic Starch-based Flocculants as an Alternative to Synthetic Polymers in Geotextile Tube Dewatering of Dredged Sediments,” Khachan, Bhatia, Bader, Cetin, and Ramarao, Geosynthetics International, 2014.
Gifts from donors like you contribute to facility upgrades like the new Construction Engineering Lab. They pay for state-of-the-art laboratory equipment needed to conduct groundbreaking research like Professor Bhatia’s. Gifts provide students like LaVerne Sessler with educational experiences that simply could not exist without our donors’ steadfast commitment. With your help, there is no limit what your Department can achieve. Please consider giving to online at eng-cs.syr.edu/givenow.
VISIT US ON FACEBOOK @ENGINEERINGSU @ENGINEERINGSU CONNECT WITH US ENG-CS.SYR.EDU
e was recognized for his ongoing water chemistry research that compares the stormwater runoff from a green roof to that from a traditional roof. Johnson evaluates the presence of atmospheric particles derived from motor vehicles that are deposited on top of the buildings. While some of the atmospheric particles deposited on the traditional roof are washed off the roof during a rainstorm, the processes on the green roof are more complex and can lead to either higher or lower contaminant levels in the runoff.
PAID
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering
he honor is bestowed for long-term excellence in environmental research, teaching, and service to the environmental engineering and science community. Davidson, an award-winning teacher and air-quality researcher who holds a Ph.D. in environmental engineering science from the California Institute of Technology, has spent most of his career focused on aerosol physics, earning an international reputation for his studies of atmospheric particles. More than a decade ago, his research interests shifted toward sustainable development. Today, Davidson is studying the changes in development of green infrastructure for stormwater management in urban areas, especially green roofs.
STORMWATER RESEARCH EARNS HONOR FOR STUDENT
H
Syracuse University College of Engineering and Computer Science Syracuse, NY 13244-1240
T
Alex Johnson G’16 has been named the 2015 TranLIVE Student of the Year.
YOUR DEPARTMENT, YOUR COLLEGE, YOUR SUCCESS We share these accomplishments with you because you are a part of us. As an alumnus or a friend of this Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, you have contributed to our shared success by your very association. A great many of you have also generously helped fund the endeavors highlighted within this newsletter.
The students are all actively contributing to Professor Sam Salem’s construction engineering research and will soon have the opportunity to work in the newly unveiled Construction Engineering Lab on Skytop.
NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
Johnson’s research will observe what occurs for different contaminants. TranLIVE, which stands for Transportation Livability by Integrating Vehicles and the Environment, has provided funding to several Syracuse University students in the civil and environmental engineering department to work on several research projects for the last four years, as well as funding to enhance some of the College’s computer labs and transportation software capabilities.
ENGINEERING CITIES TO SURVIVE EXTREME WEATHER
INTRODUCING THE SU CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING LAB The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has opened the doors to a new construction engineering lab on the Syracuse University campus.
T
he facility provides faculty and students with a dedicated space to replicate quality control tests, infrastructure health monitoring, and inspection activities that take place at construction sites. It is envisioned that the lab will be used to conduct research into leading-edge techniques in construction. In addition, its spacious, open design provides flexibility to accommodate a variety of hands-on educational and research initiatives at once. The establishment of this lab signifies another substantial leap forward for construction engineering education at Syracuse University. In recent years, the Department has added expert
Devastating weather events, like flooding, can cripple crucial infrastructure—disabling transit, electricity, water, and other services in urban areas.
faculty and international internships to advance students’ educational experience in this crucial civil engineering discipline. Chancellor Kent Syverud and other distinguished guests from academia and industry were on hand when the building officially opened at a dedication and ribbon-cutting this spring. The momentous event provided attendees with an introduction to the lab’s many resources and honored those who invested in the facility. The lab was made possible by many generous alumni and friends of the College, including Abdallah Yabroudi ’78, G’79, Michael Venutolo ’77, William Kopka ’48, G’54, Raymond International, O’Brien & Gere, and Hueber-Breuer Construction.
F
looding in city streets spreads disease carriers and waste. And it isn’t just unhealthy—it’s dangerous. Plus, aging infrastructure and flooding tend to be more of an issue in low-income neighborhoods, meaning that this project needs to assess more than just the physical infrastructure of these cities. An Urban Resilience to Extreme Weather-Related Events Sustainability Research Network, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), has set out to develop urban infrastructure that is more resilient, sustainable, and equitable. Professor David Chandler has joined the team of 50 researchers from 15 institutions spanning North and South America. The NSF awarded the network $12 million to analyze information pertinent
SPRING 2016
to sustainability and impacts of extreme climate events—mostly extreme precipitation or extreme heat. The team will evaluate the social, ecological, and technical systems data related to infrastructure. The result will be a suite of tools supporting the assessment and implementation of urban infrastructure that is resilient, “safe-to-fail,” and tailored to a particular city. This project builds on green infrastructure performance research Chandler conducts for Save the Rain, a stormwater management program in New York’s Onondaga County, as well as a broader analysis sponsored by Surdna Foundation, an organization that seeks to foster sustainable communities in the United States.
WHAT FLOWS IN THE WATER YOU DRINK
Extreme weather events will be more common as the effects of climate change take hold. Our hottest days will get hotter; our coldest days will get colder.
W
inter and summer storms will be become more intense. As these changes occur, experts are seeking to learn the impact extreme weather events will have on ecosystems and our lives.
Lead contamination in Flint, Michigan’s drinking water has put a spotlight on how cities ensure the safety of tap water.
A
s in Flint, drinking water still flows through lead pipes in many areas of our country. However, under standard conditions, chemical corrosion inhibitors are added to prevent lead from leaching into the water. But lead isn’t the only concern. Professor Teng Zeng focuses on other possible dangers of drinking from the tap. For example, disinfectants such as chlorine are added to the water all across the United States to kill bacteria and viruses—an unarguably beneficial and necessary practice. Unfortunately, reactions between organics in water and disinfectants produce byproducts that may be toxic or carcinogenic if consumed over a long period of time. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates some of these disinfection byproducts and municipalities report their levels through regular drinking water quality updates. Most U.S. cities have minimal cause for concern; however, certain areas where source water is impaired
by upstream wastewater discharge have given researchers enough reason to look more closely at what’s present in our water. Research like Zeng’s advances our understanding and will ultimately help protect us better from the possible dangers.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Hossein Ataei Assistant Professor Ph.D. University of Southern California
Laura Condon Assistant Professor Ph.D. Colorado School of Mines
Christa Kelleher Assistant Professor Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University
Teng Zeng Assistant Professor Ph.D. University of Minnesota
To better understand the short- and long-term effects of icing events on northern forests, a team of scientists, including Professor Charles T. Driscoll, generated an experimental ice storm on eight large research plots on the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. The experiment is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Research focus: Design of structures and civil infrastructure for dynamic loads and manmade threats, forensic structural engineering, advanced structural analysis methods for risk assessment of civil infrastructure, and construction management.
Research focus: Groundwater surface water interactions, climate change and sustainability, water resources management, system dynamics, numerical methods, and high performance computing.
Research focus: Watershed and landscape hydrology, system responses to climate and land use change, water quality and quantity, environmental model diagnostics and uncertainty, and scientific visualization.
Research focus: Occurrence and fate of organic contaminants, formation and control of disinfection byproducts, public health implications of water reuse, and environmental impacts of energy production.
Large ice storms can disrupt lives and damage infrastructure, resulting in billions of dollars of damage. They also literally reshape forests. Heavy ice loads break branches and topple whole trees, resulting in reduced tree growth in ensuing years, increased susceptibility to pests and pathogens, changes in habitat for wildlife, and alterations in how nutrients like carbon and nitrogen cycle in the forest. This study will take an unprecedented look at these effects.
THE DRIVE TO IMPROVE OUR ROADWAYS
Steven Herman ’12 The successful outcomes of our graduates are a steadfast point of pride for the College. After graduation, Steven Herman ’12 earned his master’s of science in civil engineering from Columbia University. He gained professional experience while employed at Parsons Corporation, an internationally respected engineering firm, where he specialized in the design, analysis, and rehabilitation of bridges in and around New York City. One of his major projects included the much-needed replacement of the Goethals
THE FROZEN FOREST
NEW FACULTY
Bridge. Steven is an MBA candidate at New York University’s Stern School of Business, where he specializes in finance and strategy. “I will forever be an ambassador of Syracuse University and the College of Engineering and Computer Science. I take great satisfaction in knowing that I embody the ethos of Syracuse University to the world. I represent the Syracuse family by displaying the intellect and character I developed there during my years of rigorous study and hard work. I am proud to be an SU alumnus and can say that I truly bleed orange.”
To anyone who has driven a car in the past two decades, it will come as no surprise that roads across the United States are deteriorating.
I
ndeed, the American Society of Civil Engineers has consistently graded the condition of U.S. roads at a D+ or lower since 1998. By their description that means U.S. roads “exhibit significant deterioration” and are “of significant concern with strong risk of failure.” To help address the problems in improving asphalt road conditions, Professors Baris Salman and Sam Salem are working to identify innovative ways to maintain, repair, and reconstruct roads with
lower economic, social, and environmental impacts. With funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation, they are identifying and evaluating factors that go into the decision-making procedures that ultimately determine the state of the roads. With this information they will develop a high-level decision support tool to evaluate new alternatives. It is their hope that smarter decisions will create safer roads and higher grades for the nation’s road infrastructure.
FACTS AND STATS
RESEARCH AREAS
20 271 # of Faculty
# of Undergraduate Students
81
23
# of Master’s Students
# of Ph.D. Students
Degrees Awarded May 2014–2015
81
Undergraduate
42
Geotechnical Engineering, including Geosynthetics and Geofoams
Smart Management of Water Systems for Sustainability
Construction Engineering and Project Management
Structural Engineering and Health Monitoring
Civil Infrastructure Systems and Management
Sustainability Engineering
Graduate
Green Infrastructure
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
LaVerne Sessler ’16, G’17 Professor Baris Salman From roadways, to water systems, to buildings, a civil engineer is involved in most aspects of the physical world that surrounds us. Professor Baris Salman has always been interested in designing, operating, and maintaining this world.
economic. He says, “With any construction project, you have to balance its impacts on the community, the overall cost, and how the project affects the environment around it throughout its life-cycle.”
As a professor of practice, he teaches courses with an emphasis on the practical application side of the discipline—skills that engineers will use in their professional daily life. Salman stresses the importance of three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental, and
In addition to instructing students in the classroom, Salman contributes to the research efforts of the Department by focusing on the development of management strategies for civil infrastructure systems and sustainability of construction projects.
It is not hard to see how LaVerne Sessler ’16, G’17 ended up enrolled in Syracuse University’s H. John Riley 3+2 civil engineering and MBA program. He’s been around construction equipment and business his entire life. His family owns and operates Sessler Wrecking, a company that specializes in the demolition of industrial and commercial structures. As a young boy, he and his brother would pose for photos with construction equipment and enormous bridges. But while his family’s expertise is in taking structures down, Sessler’s is in putting them up.
Since beginning work on his degrees, he has completed construction management internships at Hunter Roberts Construction group in New York City and the Dubai Contracting Company. This summer, he will work at General Electric in a transportation management internship. Each opportunity brings him closer to his goal of being a professional engineer. “I see civil engineers as the people who hold everything together: the roads, the bridges, the buildings—all of the infrastructure that surrounds us is civil engineering. I look forward to the day I can build something and say, ‘That was me. I contributed.’”
WHAT FLOWS IN THE WATER YOU DRINK
Extreme weather events will be more common as the effects of climate change take hold. Our hottest days will get hotter; our coldest days will get colder.
W
inter and summer storms will be become more intense. As these changes occur, experts are seeking to learn the impact extreme weather events will have on ecosystems and our lives.
Lead contamination in Flint, Michigan’s drinking water has put a spotlight on how cities ensure the safety of tap water.
A
s in Flint, drinking water still flows through lead pipes in many areas of our country. However, under standard conditions, chemical corrosion inhibitors are added to prevent lead from leaching into the water. But lead isn’t the only concern. Professor Teng Zeng focuses on other possible dangers of drinking from the tap. For example, disinfectants such as chlorine are added to the water all across the United States to kill bacteria and viruses—an unarguably beneficial and necessary practice. Unfortunately, reactions between organics in water and disinfectants produce byproducts that may be toxic or carcinogenic if consumed over a long period of time. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates some of these disinfection byproducts and municipalities report their levels through regular drinking water quality updates. Most U.S. cities have minimal cause for concern; however, certain areas where source water is impaired
by upstream wastewater discharge have given researchers enough reason to look more closely at what’s present in our water. Research like Zeng’s advances our understanding and will ultimately help protect us better from the possible dangers.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Hossein Ataei Assistant Professor Ph.D. University of Southern California
Laura Condon Assistant Professor Ph.D. Colorado School of Mines
Christa Kelleher Assistant Professor Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University
Teng Zeng Assistant Professor Ph.D. University of Minnesota
To better understand the short- and long-term effects of icing events on northern forests, a team of scientists, including Professor Charles T. Driscoll, generated an experimental ice storm on eight large research plots on the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. The experiment is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Research focus: Design of structures and civil infrastructure for dynamic loads and manmade threats, forensic structural engineering, advanced structural analysis methods for risk assessment of civil infrastructure, and construction management.
Research focus: Groundwater surface water interactions, climate change and sustainability, water resources management, system dynamics, numerical methods, and high performance computing.
Research focus: Watershed and landscape hydrology, system responses to climate and land use change, water quality and quantity, environmental model diagnostics and uncertainty, and scientific visualization.
Research focus: Occurrence and fate of organic contaminants, formation and control of disinfection byproducts, public health implications of water reuse, and environmental impacts of energy production.
Large ice storms can disrupt lives and damage infrastructure, resulting in billions of dollars of damage. They also literally reshape forests. Heavy ice loads break branches and topple whole trees, resulting in reduced tree growth in ensuing years, increased susceptibility to pests and pathogens, changes in habitat for wildlife, and alterations in how nutrients like carbon and nitrogen cycle in the forest. This study will take an unprecedented look at these effects.
THE DRIVE TO IMPROVE OUR ROADWAYS
Steven Herman ’12 The successful outcomes of our graduates are a steadfast point of pride for the College. After graduation, Steven Herman ’12 earned his master’s of science in civil engineering from Columbia University. He gained professional experience while employed at Parsons Corporation, an internationally respected engineering firm, where he specialized in the design, analysis, and rehabilitation of bridges in and around New York City. One of his major projects included the much-needed replacement of the Goethals
THE FROZEN FOREST
NEW FACULTY
Bridge. Steven is an MBA candidate at New York University’s Stern School of Business, where he specializes in finance and strategy. “I will forever be an ambassador of Syracuse University and the College of Engineering and Computer Science. I take great satisfaction in knowing that I embody the ethos of Syracuse University to the world. I represent the Syracuse family by displaying the intellect and character I developed there during my years of rigorous study and hard work. I am proud to be an SU alumnus and can say that I truly bleed orange.”
To anyone who has driven a car in the past two decades, it will come as no surprise that roads across the United States are deteriorating.
I
ndeed, the American Society of Civil Engineers has consistently graded the condition of U.S. roads at a D+ or lower since 1998. By their description that means U.S. roads “exhibit significant deterioration” and are “of significant concern with strong risk of failure.” To help address the problems in improving asphalt road conditions, Professors Baris Salman and Sam Salem are working to identify innovative ways to maintain, repair, and reconstruct roads with
lower economic, social, and environmental impacts. With funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation, they are identifying and evaluating factors that go into the decision-making procedures that ultimately determine the state of the roads. With this information they will develop a high-level decision support tool to evaluate new alternatives. It is their hope that smarter decisions will create safer roads and higher grades for the nation’s road infrastructure.
FACTS AND STATS
RESEARCH AREAS
20 271 # of Faculty
# of Undergraduate Students
81
23
# of Master’s Students
# of Ph.D. Students
Degrees Awarded May 2014–2015
81
Undergraduate
42
Geotechnical Engineering, including Geosynthetics and Geofoams
Smart Management of Water Systems for Sustainability
Construction Engineering and Project Management
Structural Engineering and Health Monitoring
Civil Infrastructure Systems and Management
Sustainability Engineering
Graduate
Green Infrastructure
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
LaVerne Sessler ’16, G’17 Professor Baris Salman From roadways, to water systems, to buildings, a civil engineer is involved in most aspects of the physical world that surrounds us. Professor Baris Salman has always been interested in designing, operating, and maintaining this world.
economic. He says, “With any construction project, you have to balance its impacts on the community, the overall cost, and how the project affects the environment around it throughout its life-cycle.”
As a professor of practice, he teaches courses with an emphasis on the practical application side of the discipline—skills that engineers will use in their professional daily life. Salman stresses the importance of three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental, and
In addition to instructing students in the classroom, Salman contributes to the research efforts of the Department by focusing on the development of management strategies for civil infrastructure systems and sustainability of construction projects.
It is not hard to see how LaVerne Sessler ’16, G’17 ended up enrolled in Syracuse University’s H. John Riley 3+2 civil engineering and MBA program. He’s been around construction equipment and business his entire life. His family owns and operates Sessler Wrecking, a company that specializes in the demolition of industrial and commercial structures. As a young boy, he and his brother would pose for photos with construction equipment and enormous bridges. But while his family’s expertise is in taking structures down, Sessler’s is in putting them up.
Since beginning work on his degrees, he has completed construction management internships at Hunter Roberts Construction group in New York City and the Dubai Contracting Company. This summer, he will work at General Electric in a transportation management internship. Each opportunity brings him closer to his goal of being a professional engineer. “I see civil engineers as the people who hold everything together: the roads, the bridges, the buildings—all of the infrastructure that surrounds us is civil engineering. I look forward to the day I can build something and say, ‘That was me. I contributed.’”
NATURAL MATERIALS FOR CLEANING WATERWAYS In dredging, a slurry of polluted soil and water is pumped up from the bottom of lakes and rivers into long, wide tubes made of a permeable material called geotextiles tubes.
DAVIDSON NAMED 2015 AEESP FELLOW
A group of eight Lebanese American University (LAU) graduates enrolled in the civil engineering graduate program this fall.
Professor Cliff Davidson, the Thomas C. and Colleen L. Wilmot Professor of Engineering, has been named a 2015 Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors (AEESP) Fellow.
ust a year ago, notable alumnus and CEO of the Dubai Contracting Company (DCC), Abdallah Yabroudi ’78, G’79 brought the students here from Lebanon to experience Syracuse University and the United States for the first time. The students make up one-half of a group that participated in the acclaimed 2014 James Mandel and Samuel Clemence Civil Engineering Internship that Yabroudi generously funds and hosts in Dubai. The internship places a set of Syracuse and LAU students in a four-week internship at DCC. There, they learn from engineers at the company’s headquarters and partake in learning sessions at a range of construction sites to see how concepts of civil engineering apply to actual multimillion-dollar projects. The program gives students the kind of experience that classroom teaching alone cannot provide.
A
s contaminated slurry fills the tubes, water escapes through the tube’s skin, while soil and contaminants are contained within. This has been used in projects like the cleanup of Onondaga Lake in Syracuse. Professor Shobha K. Bhatia and her research team are exploring sustainable solutions for removing water from contaminated sediments by using starch, peanut shells, jute fibers, and paper mill waste as environmentally friendly materials in the tubes themselves and in flocculants. The team has found that using these natural materials increases the tubes’ performance and retention of heavy metals like lead. Their next step is large-scale testing to verify their results with the help of industrial partners, Ten Cate Geosynthetics and Water Solve LLC.
CONSTRUCTING AN LAU-SU CONNECTION
Bhatia is also the recipient of a University Change Agent award for her significant impact on SU’s climate for women in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Paper: “Cationic Starch-based Flocculants as an Alternative to Synthetic Polymers in Geotextile Tube Dewatering of Dredged Sediments,” Khachan, Bhatia, Bader, Cetin, and Ramarao, Geosynthetics International, 2014.
Gifts from donors like you contribute to facility upgrades like the new Construction Engineering Lab. They pay for state-of-the-art laboratory equipment needed to conduct groundbreaking research like Professor Bhatia’s. Gifts provide students like LaVerne Sessler with educational experiences that simply could not exist without our donors’ steadfast commitment. With your help, there is no limit what your Department can achieve. Please consider giving to online at eng-cs.syr.edu/givenow.
VISIT US ON FACEBOOK @ENGINEERINGSU @ENGINEERINGSU CONNECT WITH US ENG-CS.SYR.EDU
e was recognized for his ongoing water chemistry research that compares the stormwater runoff from a green roof to that from a traditional roof. Johnson evaluates the presence of atmospheric particles derived from motor vehicles that are deposited on top of the buildings. While some of the atmospheric particles deposited on the traditional roof are washed off the roof during a rainstorm, the processes on the green roof are more complex and can lead to either higher or lower contaminant levels in the runoff.
PAID
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering
he honor is bestowed for long-term excellence in environmental research, teaching, and service to the environmental engineering and science community. Davidson, an award-winning teacher and air-quality researcher who holds a Ph.D. in environmental engineering science from the California Institute of Technology, has spent most of his career focused on aerosol physics, earning an international reputation for his studies of atmospheric particles. More than a decade ago, his research interests shifted toward sustainable development. Today, Davidson is studying the changes in development of green infrastructure for stormwater management in urban areas, especially green roofs.
STORMWATER RESEARCH EARNS HONOR FOR STUDENT
H
Syracuse University College of Engineering and Computer Science Syracuse, NY 13244-1240
T
Alex Johnson G’16 has been named the 2015 TranLIVE Student of the Year.
YOUR DEPARTMENT, YOUR COLLEGE, YOUR SUCCESS We share these accomplishments with you because you are a part of us. As an alumnus or a friend of this Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, you have contributed to our shared success by your very association. A great many of you have also generously helped fund the endeavors highlighted within this newsletter.
The students are all actively contributing to Professor Sam Salem’s construction engineering research and will soon have the opportunity to work in the newly unveiled Construction Engineering Lab on Skytop.
NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
Johnson’s research will observe what occurs for different contaminants. TranLIVE, which stands for Transportation Livability by Integrating Vehicles and the Environment, has provided funding to several Syracuse University students in the civil and environmental engineering department to work on several research projects for the last four years, as well as funding to enhance some of the College’s computer labs and transportation software capabilities.
ENGINEERING CITIES TO SURVIVE EXTREME WEATHER
INTRODUCING THE SU CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING LAB The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has opened the doors to a new construction engineering lab on the Syracuse University campus.
T
he facility provides faculty and students with a dedicated space to replicate quality control tests, infrastructure health monitoring, and inspection activities that take place at construction sites. It is envisioned that the lab will be used to conduct research into leading-edge techniques in construction. In addition, its spacious, open design provides flexibility to accommodate a variety of hands-on educational and research initiatives at once. The establishment of this lab signifies another substantial leap forward for construction engineering education at Syracuse University. In recent years, the Department has added expert
Devastating weather events, like flooding, can cripple crucial infrastructure—disabling transit, electricity, water, and other services in urban areas.
faculty and international internships to advance students’ educational experience in this crucial civil engineering discipline. Chancellor Kent Syverud and other distinguished guests from academia and industry were on hand when the building officially opened at a dedication and ribbon-cutting this spring. The momentous event provided attendees with an introduction to the lab’s many resources and honored those who invested in the facility. The lab was made possible by many generous alumni and friends of the College, including Abdallah Yabroudi ’78, G’79, Michael Venutolo ’77, William Kopka ’48, G’54, Raymond International, O’Brien & Gere, and Hueber-Breuer Construction.
F
looding in city streets spreads disease carriers and waste. And it isn’t just unhealthy—it’s dangerous. Plus, aging infrastructure and flooding tend to be more of an issue in low-income neighborhoods, meaning that this project needs to assess more than just the physical infrastructure of these cities. An Urban Resilience to Extreme Weather-Related Events Sustainability Research Network, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), has set out to develop urban infrastructure that is more resilient, sustainable, and equitable. Professor David Chandler has joined the team of 50 researchers from 15 institutions spanning North and South America. The NSF awarded the network $12 million to analyze information pertinent
SPRING 2016
to sustainability and impacts of extreme climate events—mostly extreme precipitation or extreme heat. The team will evaluate the social, ecological, and technical systems data related to infrastructure. The result will be a suite of tools supporting the assessment and implementation of urban infrastructure that is resilient, “safe-to-fail,” and tailored to a particular city. This project builds on green infrastructure performance research Chandler conducts for Save the Rain, a stormwater management program in New York’s Onondaga County, as well as a broader analysis sponsored by Surdna Foundation, an organization that seeks to foster sustainable communities in the United States.