In a joint effort with Springer Publishers, a standard bearer in technical journals in the area of environmental quality and health, MESL program launches a new journal which will address the health effect issues of global water quality problems. The new international journal on WATER QUALITY, EXPOSURE & HEALTH will provide a unique platform for scientists to exchange ideas and share information on research in the area of health effects of exposure to water pollution which may originate from numerous natural or man made sources globally. Dr. Mustafa M. Aral, the Director of the MESL program at Georgia Tech, will serve as the Editor of this new journal with support from Dr. Andrew Meharg from UK serving as the Co-Editor.

More than a dozen water utility and public works officials from Atlanta attended a workshop on emerging contaminants led by Dr. Ching-Hua Huang Friday. Organized by Huang and Atlanta-based R2T, Inc., a civil and environmental engineering firm specializing in water and wastewater treatment design and water resource management, the workshop stimulated discussions on the impact of emerging contaminants on Georgia waters and identified research needs and opportunities. 

“Several toxic compounds at varying levels are found to be ubiquitous in water,” says Huang. “Traditional treatment methods are not effective in many cases, and we are still unsure of the effect the compounds may have.”

Attendees were particularly forward-thinking, and explored different approaches to research that could advance the body of knowledge in emerging contaminants and lead to effective treatment solutions.

For more information on Dr. Huang’s research activities, visit http://www.ce.gatech.edu/fac_staff/research_bio.php?active_id=ch192.

CEE invites families to the Mason Building during Family Weekend Friday, Sept. 14, 3-4:30 p.m. to learn what being a civil and environmental engineering major at Georgia Tech is all about. Whether you are a parent visiting your student, or an alum interested in sharing memories with your son or daughter, all are encouraged to join us to discover the CEE experience.

At 3 p.m. in Mason room 142, Associate Professor Don Webster will present an overview of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech. A reception in the lobby of the Mason Building will follow. No RSVP is required.

A map and driving directions to the Mason Building can be found here http://www.ce.gatech.edu/visitors/directions.php

For more information on other family weekend activities at Georgia Tech, visit http://gtalumni.org/site/Page/FamilyWeekend

In light of the tragic bridge-collapse in Minneapolis Wednesday, August 1, Atlanta news crews asked CEE’s Dr. Larry Kahn to explain what happens as structures age, and how research developments are making them more sustainable.

Click here for the video

While many Georgians’ patience run dry waiting for a scorching drought to end, CEE Professor Aris Georgakakos shifts attention in local media to the bigger picture, engaging the public in the importance of long-term decision making and collaboration on a global scale.

Atlanta’s WSB TV Channel 2 aired a segment featuring Georgakakos on Thursday, June 14. The report cautioned Georgia citizens that drought conditions are likely to persist year over year unless new solutions are put into action.  A digital clip of the segment can be found at http://www.wsbtv.com/video/13506376/index.html?taf=atl.

Or, if you didn’t pick up the local newspaper that day, you can read “This Drought Just Dry Run to Real Crisis” from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at www.ajc.com/opinion/content/printedition/2007/06/14/edbookman0614.html.

As aging infrastructure is replaced to accommodate population growth in North America, subsurface site investigations are needed to make safe and sustainable design choices unique to a particular site. 

Geosystems Engineering researchers at Georgia Tech are long-time promoters of cone penetrometer technology (CPT) for subsurface site investigation, which pushes an electronic instrumented steel probe deep into the ground to record and display comprehensive subsurface conditions. CPT projects extraordinarily detailed pictures of foundation layers, and it provides results electronically, making analysis much easier than the traditional approach that entails rotary drilling, sample extraction, lab testing and manual reporting.

Although CPT technology was pioneered in the 1930’s, some highway project site investigators have been reluctant to make the switch. As part of a series of reports commissioned by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), CEE Professor Paul W. Mayne was chosen by the National Academies to report on the activities of all 64 state transportation agencies in the U.S. and Canada to better understand their utilization of CPT.   

The survey revealed the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has taken a substantial lead among early adopters of CPT in highway site investigation, and in January, Mayne was selected by MnDOT to provide CPT training to the agency’s field crews, drillers, technicians and geotechnical engineers. Other leading state DOTs  include Louisiana, Caltrans, MoDOT, VA DOT, FL DOT, WashDOT, Indiana, Montana, British Columbia, Quebec, and others.

Mayne and PhD candidate Alec McGillivray held a week-long seminar for the agency May 21-25, providing classroom training, field demonstrations, and technical sessions which also offered credits toward Professional Engineer (P.E.) certification. Additionally, the group established a test site under St. Paul’s busy Interstate 35E which MnDOT will soon replace. There, the group honed operating skills on three new CPT-ready vehicles recently acquired by MnDOT.

“It was a great group” said Mayne of the enthusiastic team in Minnesota. “The challenges they face are especially fascinating since subsurface soils in the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’ varies and include clays, peats, sands, and swampy organic silts.”

Currently, Mayne and his team at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering have turned their attention to agencies with circumstances similar to MnDOT’s, which may benefit from some technical encouragement. “We were delighted to assist, and hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with other DOTs to advance the use of CPT.”  

The report, officially titled, “NCHRP Synthesis 368 on Cone Penetration Testing,” is in final stages of development. For more information on this and other Geosystems Engineering activities at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, visit http://www.ce.gatech.edu/home/research-groups/geosystems-engineering/.

For his impact on the practical and economical design of steel bridge structures, Professor Donald W. White has received the 2007 Richard S. Fountain Award, an honor granted by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Steel Bridge Task Force and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Technical Committee for Structural Steel Design.

Named for the founder of the AISI Steel Bridge Task Force, the Richard S. Fountain Award is presented annually to recognize leadership in steel bridge research and outstanding efforts to advance AASHTO specifications.

Representatives from AISI and AASHTO commended White’s contribution to the introduction of a new ‘unified approach’ to steel highway bridge design. The approach will not only advance the overall use of steel, it will also simplify the design of curved and straight steel girder bridges and lead to more cost-effective steel designs.

“As with most important specification developments, the creation of the unified AASHTO I-girder and box-girder provisions was a huge team effort,” said White. “It has been a privilege for me to be a part of this overall effort, and it is gratifying that these developments have been included in the AASHTO LRFD specifications.”

Past and present graduate students who have provided important research contributions in the effort include Narin Phoawanich, ‘01; Se-Kwon Jung, ’06; Aaron Chang, ’06; Yoon Duk Kim (current PhD candidate); and Cagri Ozgur (current PhD candidate).

To read more about Dr. White’s recent research in innovative steel solutions, http://www.ce.gatech.edu/fac_staff/faculty-listing/research-interests?active_id=dw128.

With the Federal Highway Trust Fund just two years away from being in the red, many transportation experts agree that significant change is needed in how the U.S. funds transportation projects. A growing population and dwindling federal gas tax coffers (thanks to higher gas prices and gas alternatives like ethanol) demand new strategies to keep the nation's transportation infrastructure running smoothly.

On May 23, Professor Michael Meyer participated in a Comptroller General meeting in Washington D.C. about the challenges facing U.S. transportation funding over the next five years. In addition to recommending more money for ports, stronger land use standards and stronger emission controls, Meyer also discussed the controversial distance-based fuel tax (already in place in the U.K.). The distance-based fuel tax would charge drivers for the distance they've traveled rather than charging a flat tax per gallon of gasoline. The new tax would provide much needed federal transportation funds despite higher mileage vehicles and alternative fuels.

Meyer coordinates the Transportation Systems Engineering program at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and also Director of the Georgia Transportation Institute. More information on Meyer’s extensive work may be found at www.ce.gatech.edu/fac_staff/faculty-listing/research-interests?active_id=mm39.

Engineers, utility managers, policy makers, city planners, and academicians from around the world gathered on campus May 14-16 to share best management practices at the Second Annual Mega City Water Forum. Attendees discussed Mega City water and wastewater challenges, exchanged experiences with old and emerging water and wastewater treatment technologies, fostered peer networks, and formed action plans to help address the United Nations Millennium Development Goals regarding access to safe drinking water and wastewater facilities.

Co-organized by Georgia Tech, Georgia Water Resources Institute (GWRI), CIFAL Atlanta, UNITAR, and The City of Atlanta, the Forum was opened with remarks by Georgia Tech Provost Gary Schuster, GWRI Director Aris Georgakakos, CIFAL Executive Director Alex Mejia and City of Atlanta Commissioner Robert Hunter, all of whom emphasized the urgency to address water challenges through government-industry-academia partnerships.

Forum sessions were attended and facilitated by leaders in the public, private and non profit sectors including, among many others, Cap-Net; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Development Bank of South Africa; Coca-Cola Company, General Electric, and City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management.

Closing this year's Forum, Professor Aris Georgakakos declared the Forum a success and re-affirmed Georgia Tech's commitment to host future events, to facilitate the transfer of technology from research to practice.

Atlanta’s Geotechnical community convened Tuesday, May 15 at Georgia Tech for an evening of scholarly networking at the 2007 Geotechnical Symposium and Tenth-Annual Sowers Lecture. The Georgia Section ASCE Geotechnical Committee and the Geotechnical Society at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) organized the annual event, which is named for former CEE professor George F. Sowers.

University of California-Davis Professor Ross W. Boulanger delivered the State of the Art lecture, “Seismic Design of Pile Foundations for Liquefaction Effects.” Arizona State University Professor Edward Kavazanjian followed with the State of the Practice lecture, “Geotechnics of Landfill Engineering.”

Following student presentations, Georgia Tech Vice Provost J. David Frost welcomed the group and Susan Burns, CEE Associate Professor and alumna, led a remembrance for Mr. Sowers. Burns then recognized the following students and their accomplishments:
- Pierre Ramondenc, 2007 Sowers Distinguished Graduate Student
- Varun, James S. Lai 2007 Distinguished MS Student Award recipient
- Verónica Rebata-Landa, 2007 ASCE Georgia Geotechnical Section Award recipient

To close the evening, Professor Eduardo Alonso of Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, gave the Tenth Annual Sowers Lecture, “Strength of Stiff Clays.”

Georgia Tech Civil Engineering alumnus Mike Turner remembers George F. Sowers as an educator, friend and mentor. In Turner’s role as Chairman of the Georgia Section ASCE Geotechnical Committee, he proposed naming an already-successful lecture series after Sowers when the professor died in 1996. Each year, the event features State of the Art (an academic lecture); State of the Practice (an application lecture); student presentations; reflections and recognition; and culminates with the Sowers Lecture.

Findings of a student survey conducted by the Georgia Tech Office of Assessment revealed the overall quality of undergraduate academic advising for Civil Engineering majors sets a high standard across campus.

Rob Hudgins and Mary George, both veterans of undergraduate advising for the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, are credited with the achievement, which essentially speaks to their long-time dedication to flexible, student-focused service.

After more than eight years in her position, Ms. George says the laid-back team atmosphere helps her stay excited about advising. Mr. Hudgins has been advising for 13 years and claims, “working with high quality, very mature and responsible students” in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering makes his job enjoyable. 

Civil Engineering received the highest score among all majors, tying only with Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in the College of Sciences. The study was initiated by the Student Government Association Committee on Academic Advising to address the growing hands-on advising preferences of the millennial generation of students.

Jun Chen has received one of eight 2007 Portland Cement Association (PCA) Education Foundation Fellowships for his research contributions in ultra-accelerated assessment of alkali-reactivity of aggregates. With depleting quality aggregate resources needed to make cement, improved and more rapid screening of aggregates is critical to ensure adequate long-term performance of concrete structures.

The fellowship is in the amount of $20,000 which includes travel funding for a visit to PCA headquarters in Chicago; an invitation to attend the PCA Durability Subcommittee meeting in September 2007; and entrance to the American Concrete Institute (ACI) in Spring 2008.

Chen was nominated for the fellowship by his advisors, Dr. Kim Kurtis and Dr. Larry Jacobs.

To learn more about PCA’s programs to support innovative research in the areas of concrete and cement, visit www.cement.org/research.

John W. Keys, CE ’64, was commended by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for Lifetime Achievement in Government on April 25 as part of ASCE’s Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) awards, regarded among many as the preeminent awards program for civil engineers.

Culminating a career dedicated to improving water infrastructure, ASCE recognized Keys’ solutions-focused leadership of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Reclamation – the nation’s largest wholesale water supplier and the fifth largest electricity utility in the 17 western states. Retiring as the 16th Commissioner of the Bureau, Keys was ultimately selected for the breadth of service throughout his career which led to the enhancement of the health, safety and economy of the U.S. and the world.

While showing appreciation to ASCE during a speech at the OPAL Gala in Washington D.C., Keys accepted the award on behalf of three groups: his family; the Bureau of Reclamation; and the faculty and administration at Georgia Tech. The latter, according to Keys, “took a dumb kid from a farm in Northwest Alabama and gave him the tools for success.” Keys closed his remarks, “Thank you [President] Wayne Clough, [Civil and Environmental Engineering School Chair] Joe Hughes and Georgia Tech.”

Residing in Moab, Utah, Keys is a member of the External Advisory Board for the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech. In addition, water may have been his forte as a civil engineer, but Keys has mastered the air as a commercial pilot for organizations such as Angel Flight and the playing field with a 30-year tenure as a noted college football referee.    

Ben Kosbab has been selected to receive the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. A first-year Ph.D. student in the structures program, Kosbab works with Dr. Reggie DesRoches and Dr. Roberto Leon on the seismic performance of container cranes as an integral part of the NEES Grand Challenge project.

“Civil engineering as a profession is not widely understood among the public,” said Kosbab. “In fact, the definition of ‘civil’ – of people – is often overlooked.” One of only 11 selected nationally for the Fellowship, Kosbab’s platform is an important opportunity for civil engineers to address non traditional challenges to increase awareness on the impact of the profession. 

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program is designed to provide opportunities for advanced education that prepares students for a broad range of disciplinary and cross-disciplinary careers through its strategic investments in intellectual capital.

Dr. Larry Jacobs, Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering has been appointed to lead a taskforce for undergraduate curriculum reform established by Georgia Tech Provost Gary Schuster. Jacobs will bring more than a decade of proven success to the taskforce, having led the undergraduate program at CEE since 1995.

The Institute-wide committee was established in parallel to another taskforce that will recommend a strategy to advance interdisciplinary programs at Georgia Tech. Named the “Provost’s Taskforces for Excellence,” the faculty-driven groups were created to continue and enhance Georgia Tech’s preeminence in these two important areas.

Jacobs will draw on deep knowledge of the undergraduate academic experience to guide the taskforce in developing recommendations in three areas: enhancing delivery, such as technology, facilities and faculty development; broadening educational options and flexibility; and overall disciplinary fundamentals. The taskforce is themed “Defining the undergraduate technological education for the 21st century,” and is expected to develop recommendations by the end of the Fall '07 semester or early in the Spring '08 semester. 

Jacobs joined the faculty at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 1988. His rich history in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and at Georgia Tech includes a joint appointment with the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering; award-winning research in structures and materials; and becoming a clear favorite among the student-body.

J. Edmund Fitzgerald, a leader on Georgia Tech’s campus for nearly two decades holding positions as Director for the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and later Associate Dean of Research for the College of Engineering, died Friday, April 13, at his Marietta home.
Dr. Fitzgerald’s research areas included solid rocket propellants and non-linear mechanics. He came to Tech in 1975 and retired in 1994. According to Fitzgerald’s family, his greatest academic joy was in teaching and interacting with young minds in class, particularly the class on Deformable Bodies (Def Bods), which tweaked his academic sinews right back to his Harvard days, where he received his formative training in Structures and Soil Mechanics and related fundamentals of the civil engineering field.  
“His greatest desire was that he wanted to see his CEE Department and the College rise into the top rankings in the nation,” said son-in-law Richard Pool, husband to Fitzgerald’s daughter, Deborah.  “I know he was very proud of the advances made by the College both during his time on the faculty and its continued success as the nationally ranked powerhouse of engineering it is today.”  
Pool continued, “As a specialist in Solid Rocket Propellants, dating back to his days as Project Director at Lockheed, he was a huge fan of the [NASA Space] Shuttle Program and reveled in safe launches and successful returns to Cape Canaveral.  For him, ‘rocket science’ was the norm and he was one of the space pioneers.” Dr. Fitzgerald also enjoyed billiards, was an avid sailor and lifetime member of the Cork Royal Yacht Club of Ireland.

A Fellow of the Royal Institute of Physics and Fellow of the American Physical Society, Dr. Fitzgerald was also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineering. He earned a Doctor of Science from the National University of Ireland and a Masters of Science from Harvard.

Dr. Fitzgerald is survived by his wife of over 60 years, Elaine Fitzgerald of Marietta; two daughters and sons-in-law, Deborah and Richard Wool of Newark, DE, Christine and John Soltis of Salt Lake City, UT; son and daughter-in-law, David and Chris Fitzgerald of Salt Lake City, UT; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his son, John Fitzgerald. He has been laid to rest in Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs.

Dr. Reginald DesRoches, Associate Chair of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has received the Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Awarded annually since July 1946, the ASCE selects only five or fewer recipients for the award each year.
 
After an intense nomination and committee-review process, DesRoches was selected based on his research contributions in the field of seismic design and retrofit of bridges, particularly for the central and southeastern regions of the United States. An area which has received little attention in the past, this body of work benefits the practice of civil engineering, while adding value to the profession. The distinction is considered an achievement in professional development, civil and humanitarian efforts as well as innovation and research. 

The award will be presented on May 17, 2007, by ASCE Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) President Barry Goodno at the SEI Awards Session during Structures Congress 2007 in Long Beach, Calif.

“People are our priority,” says School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Chair Joseph B. Hughes. This guiding principle was clearly reflected at last week’s Faculty and Staff Honors Luncheon, where CEE took top honors in four faculty-related categories.

Dr. Laurence J. Jacobs, Associate Chair, and Dr. Jin-Yeon Kim, Research Scientist II, were among the research team which earned the Sigma Xi Faculty Best Paper Award. The winning series of papers presents a new, more effective method of inspecting metal-based structures and components, making it easier to detect potentially dangerous flaws such as cracks.

Dr. Armistead (Ted) Russell, Georgia Power Professor of Environmental Engineering, was named Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor for his leadership proven by the achievements of his doctoral students who completed all degree requirements within the last five years.

The Outstanding Faculty Research Author Award was given to Dr. Peter J. Webster, Professor. Webster was selected based on the superior quantity and prestige of article publications garnered over the last five years.

In addition, Associate Chair Dr. Reginald DesRoches was awarded the coveted ANAK Award, considered the highest honor the undergraduate student body can bestow on a Georgia Tech faculty member. Awarded since 1942, and annually since 1947, Dr. DesRoches has joined an elite group of leaders in Georgia Tech’s history.

Finally, Dr. Jaehong Kim, Assistant Professor, received the CETL/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, presented by the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) with support from BP America. Kim was selected for his early dedication to educational innovation; connecting research and teaching; and exemplary Georgia Tech citizenship among other student-focused leadership efforts.

One of Kim’s students stated, "Simply by talking to Dr. Kim, it's easy to ascertain his intensive passion for gathering information in the environmental field and sharing it with his students.  No other professor I've had has shown as much enthusiasm for his students and his subject."

A helluva engineer, educator and leader, each of these performers represent a sample of the exceptional researchers and educators leading the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering into the 21st century. We thank the Institute’s faculty award organizers, Georgia Tech Chapter of Sigma Xi, CETL/BP America and ANAK Society for these honors. Sincere thanks are also due to the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Awards Committee, under the leadership of Dr. Terry Sturm, for its commitment to earning recognition for the extraordinary work of their colleagues.

Maintaining its position in among the most elite graduate programs in the country, the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech captured a coveted top-five position among engineering programs in U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2008.” In the report’s specialty rankings, the environmental engineering program leapt two spots from number six in the 2007 rankings; civil engineering held firm with its fourth place position.

The ranking, which is determined scientifically by collecting and analyzing data such as peer assessments and research funds, serves to provide an independent assessment of the academic quality of graduate programs.

Click here to read more about Georgia Tech’s 2008 graduate program rankings.

Congratulations to Mr. Ulas Tezel, a PhD candidate in the Environmental Engineering Program (advisor: S. G. Pavlostathis) who won the Grand Prize and $1,000 for the Best Overall Poster on March 9th, at the Georgia Tech Graduate Student Symposium 2007. The poster title was: Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: Fate, Antibiotic Resistance and Toxicity in Anoxic/Anaerobic Systems.

Ken Whisenhunt, CE 90, has faced uphill battles before but this one he says "is a dream come true."  Whisenhunt was named the head coach of the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals -  a team that hasn't had a winning season in the last nine years.

"I understand the situation here but I don't think you can live in the past" said Whisenhunt, the former offensive coordinator of the Pittsburg Steelers.

The full story on Whisenhunt can be read in the Spring 2007 Tech Topics Online Magazine on page 41.

CEE GRADUATE APPLICANT VISITATION  March 9 & 10, 2007
Come visit CEE at Georgia Tech!
The Applicant Visitation Program represents the best date for applicants to visit the School because of the focused attention given them by the faculty and our current students.

CEE's 2007 Applicant Visitation Program will be held on Friday and Saturday,March 9 & 10.

The program consists of an opening session, followed by a tour of CEE's facilities, lunch with students and faculty, and a chance to meet with individual faculty. Some research areas will continue into Saturday morning with meetings and detailed tours.

Please contact us if you are interested in attending the next program. Although there is no charge to attend, reservations are necessary as space is limited.  Indicate your interest in attending visitation by sending email to graduate_visitation@ce.gatech.edu with a subject of Graduate Visitation Information.

For more information on CEE's graduate programs, visit our Graduate Applicant Information web site:  http://www.gradinfo.ce.gatech.edu/

Congratulations to Ms. Sinem Gökgöz-Kiliç, a PhD student in Multimedia Environmental Simulations Laboratory (MESL) research program for winning the first prize in the 2007 ASCE Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) Technical Paper Contest. The topic of her paper was: “Dynamic Fugacity Application in Modeling Contaminant Fate and Transport in Rivers.” The paper will be presented at the upcoming ASCE World Environmental and Water Resources Congress at Tampa, Florida during May 15-19, 2007.

Multimedia Environmental Simulations Laboratory (MESL) received the prestigious Excellence in Applied Environmental Health Research (2006) award from the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is in recognition of contributions of MESL program in assisting NCEH/CDC in epidemiological study of childhood leukemia and central nervous system cancers that occurred in Dover Township, New Jersey and Camp Lejeune (Air Force Army Base) at North Carolina.

The Carl E. Kindsvater Environmental and Water Resources Symposium and Distinguished Lecture is named in honor of Professor Carl E. Kindsvater (1913-2002) who had a distinguished career at Georgia Tech in the School of Civil Engineering from 1945-1972.  Professor Kindsvater began his career in the area of hydraulic engineering and then moved into the field of water-resources engineering and planning in a multidisciplinary academic setting. Professor Kindsvater built the hydraulics laboratory in the old CE Building and created the graduate program in hydraulics and water resources at Georgia Tech. In addition, he initiated and led the Georgia Water Resources Institute from its infancy into a viable research entity that continues today according to the principles that he established. He was the winner of numerous ASCE awards including the Collingwood Prize, the Norman Medal (twice), the Rickey Medal, and the Julian Hinds Award. Professor Kindsvater also served as President of the Georgia section of ASCE, and Director of the District 10 ASCE Board.

See flyer for more details

Assistant Professor, Dr. Mulalo Doyoyo has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) in the United Kingdom.  As a fellow of this society, Dr. Doyoyo will be part of a unique and 250 year old organization committed to stimulating innovation and creating a better society .  The mission of its founder, William Shipley, is to embolden enterprise, enlarge science, refine art, improve manufacturers, and extend commerce.  Dr. Doyoyo works on engineered ultralight systems to meet key demands of modern and future societies focusing on energy, environment and health.  His research explores how ultralight topologies connect with mechano thermo electro chemo functions, investigates their cost, durability and manufacturing limits, and assesses their potential in dynamical systems.  Dr. Doyoyo conducts his research at the academia-industry interface leading to concepts that accelerate the commercialization of ultralight technology. 

Dr. Doyoyo will join such notable past RSA fellows as:  Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, Marie Curie, and Michael Faraday to name a few.

More information about Dr. Doyoyo can be found on his Faculty page

CEE graduate student, Jamie Padgett, was selected for an outstanding paper award from the Georgia Tech Student Paper Competition sponsored by the Science Applications International Corporation.  Jamie is a 4th year doctoral student working in the general area of Seismic Mitigation of Bridges, and is advised by Prof. Reginald DesRoches.  Her award was for a paper entitled “Assessment of Retrofitted Bridge Vulnerability for Mitigation of Seismic Risk”.  Jamie plans to pursue a career in academia upon completion of her doctoral studies in summer, 2007.  Jamie will be honored in a ceremony on November 29th.

CEE graduate student, Takao Adachi, was selected for an outstanding paper award from the Georgia Tech Student Paper Competition sponsored by the Science Applications International Corporation.  Takao is a 3rd year doctoral student whose research focuses on seismic risk assessment of interdependent lifeline systems and is advised by Prof. Bruce Ellingwood.  His award winning paper is entitled "Serviceability Assessment of a Municipal Water System under Spatially Correlated Seismic Intensities:  Approximate Closed-Form Bounds".   Takao plans to graduate in Spring 2007, and will work as an earthquake and structural research engineer of nuclear power plants in Japan.

CEE graduate student, Ben Amos, was selected for an outstanding paper award from the Georgia Tech Student Paper Competition sponsored by the Science Applications International Corporation. Ben is a 6th year doctoral student working in environmental microbiology and contaminant bioremediation and is advised by Prof. Frank Löffler.  His award was for a paper entitled “Effect of the Nonionic Surfactant Tween™ 80 on Microbial Reductive Dechlorination of Chlorinated Ethenes.”  Ben plans to pursue a career in academia upon completion of his doctoral studies in May, 2007.

Thinking of going to graduate school?
If you are nearing the end of your undergraduate studies, then you are probably thinking about whether, and which, graduate school is appropriate for you. To help answer these and other questions about graduate school, CEE's Graduate Committee would like to invite you to an informational session on graduate studies opportunities, whether at Georgia Tech or other major schools across the U.S.

The program, with free pizza and drinks, will be:

Thursday, November 9, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
at:
Mason (CE) Building - Room 142

Following a general session for everyone, we will have breakout sessions for you to meet with faculty in our various areas of concentration.

For information on CEE's graduate programs, please visit our Graduate
Applicant Information web site, at: http://www.gradinfo.ce.gatech.edu/

A ceremony held on October 24, 2006 announced the appointment of Dr. Bruce R. Ellingwood as the Raymond Allen Jones Endowed Professor.  The ceremony also recognized Raymond A. Jones, Jr. and his family for their generous gift of this endowed faculty chair.
The Raymond Allen Jones Endowed Chair is awarded to an individual who demonstrates excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship; has a track record of leadership in the profession, and is committed to the highest moral standards. Preference is given to an individual whose past and future contributions and interests are influential to the construction industry... full story

CEE Graduate Students:  To alleviate any situations with delayed monthly stipends and tuition waivers, it is imperative that the Spring Semester Support Form be COMPLETELY filled-out and submitted to the CEE Business Office not later
than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 8th. 

Graduate Research Assistants (GRA); please confirm with your Faculty Advisor/Project Director the account number of the research project you will be working on. Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA); please include the course
name and number in the source box on the support form. Also, Graduate Assistants (GA) requires approval from the Student Services Graduate Office prior to submitting their support form to the Business Office.  If awarded a
fellowship, remember to completely fill in the fellowship information and submit to the Business Office as well.

All graduate positions require Faculty Advisor's/Project Director's signature for approval of hirer. GTA's however, need signatures from both their Faculty Advisor and Faculty Group Leader for approval.

In addition, if you are a CEE student but currently hold a graduate position within another department and plan on accepting a GRA position with CEE; it is required that you also provide a copy of your (PSF) Personal Services Form from the previous work department in conjunction with the support form.

the link to this document is here.  If anyone is unable to access the form you may stop by the CEE Business Office (room 112 of the Mason Building) to pick up a hard copy.