Even Very Small Th ings Can Be Part of Civil …Amini, Brian Wolfgang and Tanya Myers. Maral Amini...

WINTER 20 08/20 09

Message From the Department Head ................. 2

Student Activities ................. 3–4

Undergraduate Scholarships .. 5

Faculty News .......................6–11

Staff News .............................. 12

Student Organizations ..... 13–14

Alumni News .................... 15–17

Research ................................. 18

Lecturers ................................. 19

I N S I D E T H I S E D I T I O N

Educating

World-Class

Engineers

Even Very Small Th ings Can Be Part of Civil Engineering

Kaolin Clay

Diatom Particles

Images of Kaolin Clay and Diatom Particles provided by Dr. Angel Palomino.

2 C E E N E W S L E T T E R • V O L U M E 2 5 , 2 0 0 8 / 2 0 0 9CEE N


On behalf of the faculty and staff

in the Department of Civil and

Environmental Engineering, I

would like to welcome you to

take some time to look through

our newsletter and discover all

the exciting activities going on

in this past year. Our department

continues to grow and excel. In

the past year, we awarded 177

B.S. degrees and 34 graduate

degrees during the 2007–08 aca-

demic year. We were delighted to

learn that the National Science

Foundation (NSF) ranked our

department as 16th in the nation

for research expenditures. As you

browse our newsletter, you will fi nd samples on some of the exciting

research endeavors that have, in part, contributed to this very high

ranking.

Our faculty and students have been very active this year. Dr. Bruce

Logan, Kappe Professor of Environmental Engineering at Penn State,

was one of 12 scientists to receive a Global Research Partnership

Investigator award from the King Abdullah University of Science and

Technology. Dr. Logan will receive up to $10 million over the next

fi ve years to investigate microbial fuel cell technologies that convert

waste into electricity or hydrogen and in the process, clean water.

Drs. Chris Duff y and Th orsten Wagener were engaged in research as

part of the NSF Center for Sustainability of Semi-Arid Hydrology

and Riparian Areas. Th is center was awarded the 2007 International

Great Man-made River Prize by UNESCO, a reward for remark-

able scientifi c research on water usage in arid drought-prone areas.

Two new faculty members joined the department. Dr. Gordon Warn

joined us as an assistant professor in the area of structural engineer-

ing, conducting research on earthquake- and blast-resistant design,

and Dr. Norm Folmar was appointed to be the new director of the

undergraduate program. Dr. Martin Pietrucha was named interim

director of the Th omas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation In-

stitute. Th e ASCE Committee on Student Activities presented the

2008 Region 2 Governors Award to the Penn State ASCE student

chapter in recognition of excellence. Th is is the third consecutive

year in which our student chapter has received an award. Our steel

bridge team placed second at the AISC/ASCE Regional Student

Competition and the concrete canoe team fi nished fourth. Valerie

Watson, a graduate student in environmental engineering, received

a highly competitive 2008 National Science Foundation Graduate

Research Fellowship award.

Th roughout this newsletter, you will fi nd many more such examples

of excellence. To continue rewarding and encouraging the level of

excellence demonstrated by our outstanding faculty and students

a Civil and Environmental Engineering Endowment for Academic

Enrichment and Excellence has been established by several generous

donors. Th is endowment provides crucial support for rewarding ex-

cellence and developing and pursuing new initiatives in educational

and research pursuits. Th e enrichment and excellence fund is used

to support a variety of program needs, such as internationalizing

our curriculum, exploring and creating new collaborations between

faculty and industry or other outside agencies, funding students to

travel to conferences, establishing teaching awards for both faculty

and teaching assistants, developing new educational initiatives, and

developing interdisciplinary activities that meet the objectives of our

strategic plan. You will read more about this endowment and how

you might contribute in this newsletter so that our growth and excel-

lence will continue to fl ourish.

Please enjoy reading our newsletter and learning about all the won-

derful things that our students, faculty, staff , and alumni are doing.

We would greatly appreciate it if you would take a minute or two to

fi ll out and send back the form that appears later in this newsletter to

let us know where you are now and what you are doing. We would

love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

Peggy Johnson

Professor and Head

Civil and Environmental Engineering

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E D E P A R T M E N T H E A D

b l ill fi

NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 24, 20083C E E N E W S L E T T E R • V O L U M E 2 5 , 2 0 0 8 / 2 0 0 9


V 24 20083

Glunt Fellows Announced

On May 7, 2008 the Glunt Committee met

at the Penn State University campus and de-

cided on the 2008–09 Glunt Fell ows. Th e re-

cipients of the Glunt Fellowships are Maral Amini, Brian Wolfgang and Tanya Myers.Maral Amini is a Ph.D. student (CE) working

on aff ects of wind loads on low-rise buildings;

Tanya Myers, an M.S. student (CE) works on

updated wind loads for Pennsylvania, and Bri-

an Wolfgang, an M.S. student (AE) will work

on heat and mass transfer through imperfectly

insulated walls.

Th e J. Roger Glunt Fellowship (www.engr.

psu.edu/ce/divisions/residential/Glunt.html)

was endowed in honor of J. Roger Glunt, past

president of the National Association of Home

Builders. Th e Glunt Fellowship provides ad-

ditional fi nancial resources to cover travel, re-

search and educational expenses. Th e Glunt

Fellows also receive travel funds to attend the

2009 International Builders Show in Las Ve-

gas—the largest professional show in the coun-

try.

S T U D E N T A C T I V I T I E S

Th e Penn State student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) clinched second place at the ASCE Regional Steel Bridge Competition

sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction and will advance to

the national competition May 23 in Gainesville, FL.

Th e team, consisting of roughly 15 students, has contributed more than 1,000

man-hours in the construction of the bridge since fall 2007 in preparation for the

regional competition hosted by Lafayette College.

Th e bridges must be 20 feet in length, lightweight and able to support 2,500 lbs.

Additionally, the bridges must collapse and fi t into a 42-inch box that is 6 inches

by 6 inches.

Th e competition imitates real-world situations scaled down for students. For

example, the box that the bridge pieces must fi t into mimics the proportions of

a tractor-trailer and teams are penalized for walking in zones designated as water

or dropping tools.

“We take the knowledge we have learned in classes and apply it to this real-world

situation,” said Kory Fish, a senior in civil engineering.

Scores are judged based on the time it takes to assemble the bridge, defl ection

and aesthetics.

In April 2009, Penn State will host the ASCE Regional Steel Bridge Competition.

“It’s a big deal,” said Brad Zacchero, a senior in civil engineering. “Th is is our

chance to show what Penn State can off er.”

Steel Bridge Team Wins Second in Regionals, Sets Sights on Nationals

Top: Brian Wolfgang; Middle: Maral Armini; Bottom: Tanya Myers

On May 7 2008 the Glunt Com

TopMidBot

Th is publication is available in alternative media on request.

Penn State is committed to affi rmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

U.Ed ENG 09-102 MPC 101610


S T U D E N T A C T I V I T I E S

Colby Luzier received a bachelor of science degree in civil engineer-

ing. He chose Dr. Andrea Schokker, adjunct professor of civil engi-

neering, to be his faculty escort. Luzier is the son of Th omas Luzier

of Karthaus and Angela King of Clearfi eld, PA. He is a 2004 gradu-

ate of Clearfi eld Area High School in Clearfi eld. During his under-

graduate career, Luzier was the recipient of numerous awards and

scholarships, including the Evan Pugh Award, the Edwin Earl Sparks

Award, the President’s Freshman Award, the J. Bailey Kendlehart

Scholarship, the Richard W. Austin Civil Engineering Scholarship,

the Weber Roy Irwin Scholarship, the Deaver Elmer Foundation

Scholarship, the Albert Good Scholarship, and Penn State’s chapter

of Golden Key. His extracurricular activities include the American

Society of Civil Engineers, the American Concrete Institute, the

American Institute of Steel Construction, and teaching intern for

CE 340 Structural Analysis. He was also a member of Shepherd

of the Hills Lutheran Church in Karthaus, and of Sinnemahoning

Sportsmen’s Association in Sinnemahoning. Following graduation,

Luzier plans to pursue a position as a designer in the civil engineer-

ing fi eld with an undetermined fi rm.

Student Marshal Spring ‘08

Colby Luzier

Frank Gross, Ph.D. candidate in civil engineering and research

assistant at the Th omas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Insti-

tute (PTI), was honored as the best young researcher by Committee

ANB20, Safety Data Analysis and Evaluation, at the 87th annual meet-

ing of the Transportation Research Board Jan. 13 to 17 in Washington,

D.C., for a paper based on his Ph.D. dissertation. Th e paper was titled

“Estimation of Safety Eff ectiveness of Changes in Shoulder Width

Using Case-Control and Cohort Methods.”

“Being chosen the best young researcher in this group is very im-

portant,’’ said Dr. Paul Jovanis, professor of civil engineering and

faculty adviser to Gross. “Th e award is available every year, but only

given when there is a deserving paper. Th is committee receives over

80 papers per year for review. I was honored to share the award with

Frank as his co-author and adviser.’’

PTI is Penn State’s primary center for transportation-related research,

education and technology transfer activities. Numerous University

faculty and graduate students were involved in the national meeting,

including presiding over committee meetings and paper sessions,

and presenting or authoring papers and poster presentations.

Th e Transportation Research Board meeting attracted approximate-

ly 10,000 transportation professionals from around the world to

Washington, D.C. Th e meeting program covered all transportation

modes, with more than 3,000 presentations in 600 sessions address-

ing topics of interest to policy makers, administrators, practitioners,

researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and aca-

demic institutions. Th e theme of the 2008 meeting was “Partner-

ships for Progress in Transportation.’’

Student Honored as Best Young Researcher at Transportation Conference

Faculty escort, Dr. Andrea Schokker and Colby Luzier.


U N D E R G R A D U A T E S C H O L A R S H I P

Ralph R. Cranmer Trustee ScholarshipVincent Guiliani

Diefenderfer ScholarshipAndrzej Kulik

Engineering General Scholarship (Bechtel)Joshua Brubaker

Nancy and Bernard Gutterman ScholarshipJames Hosgood

Russell D. and Alma D. Hartz ScholarshipKelly E. Bird

Darin P. and Laura Taylor Johnson Trustee ScholarshipBrandy GibbonsTyler Th euret

Harold J. Light ScholarshipCraig M. Broadbent

Don and Marion MacKinnon Minority ScholarshipTehetna Tesfaye

Richard A. McQuade Memorial ScholarshipMichael Newhouse

Frank Blaise/Lynne C. Shigley Modruson ScholarshipChristopher E. BakeyMatthew J. Quinn

Mohn ScholarshipMatthew McKissick

Paul Morrow Endowed ScholarshipBrian CrawfordRyan W. JenkinsLaura Ryan

John and Betty Palmer Scholarship Benjamin Martz

Robert and Sandra Poole Schreyer Honors College ScholarshipChristopher Motter

Rozmus Family Trustee ScholarshipRichard Love

Charles A. and Linda E. Sorber Trustee ScholarshipChristopher CobleAlexandros Petrides

Walter E. and Dr. Regina B. Thompson ScholarshipMatthew Hefelfi nger

Triangle Fraternity Penn State ChapterVincent DerosaPhillip Ruby

Trustee Scholarship Fund for EngineeringJeff rey Eveland

George M. Wildasin Memorial Trustee ScholarshipMatthew BoykoMatthew DuboveckyVernon GernhartDarwin KeenerBrian McBrideRyan MedvitzMackenzie MurynRichard RivardoAdam Smith

ASHE—Delaware ValleyJoshua Brubaker

ASHE—Clearfi eldBrian Garman, Jr.

KendlehartMatthew KeiterAlberto Lao

Penn State Alumni—LA ChapterAlberto Lao

Exxon Mobile FoundationAlberto Lao

Hispanic Scholarship Fund Alberto Lao

Gert & Jean Aron EndowmentDavid BreindelKevin Shumberger

Richard W. AustinAnthony Shulde

Beaver TrustJaynie Lewis

Fred & Kit Bigony Scholarship in EngineeringJeremiah RoehrigBrian Wolfgang

CEE General ScholarshipBryan Geib

Janet B. CunninghamTehetna Tesfaye

Leonard S. FioreJames Hosgood

Helen Fiedler HeckertBrian Brittingham

Russell E. & Eleanor B. HornKyle KarschnerKyle LantzyMatthew Miles

Frank Holzer MemorialCraig BroadbentMatthew BoykoChristopher CobleAndrew ConradCharles DevinneySteven DonahueJared EbertsJeff rey Eveland

Steven GibsonJanelle HeminitzBenjamin HolmesRyan JenkinsAlberto LaoJeff rey LennerRichard LoveMatthew LumadueBenjamin MartzMatthew NebelLee NonnemacherJustin PodunajecEric Sideras

Robert & Judith HontzMichael Taptich

George W. JohnstoneJames Smith

Stan & Flora KappeBradley Sick

R. Rupert Kountz MemorialMichael Bloom

Anthony F. LisantiGregory Braun

Michael D. LoyKelly Bird

William MarciniakJoshua Brubaker

Thomas A. MekisOmar AshourAndrzej KulikChad MartinEric RobinsonFang Qin Wu

Dean Meyers Memorial Marc Onder

Arthur & Mary MillerBrandan Vavrek

Helen Wood MorrisTh omas GuessScott Trout

C. R. & Annette PennoniVernon Gernhart

Joseph & Mary ReedChristopher Wright

Leland S. Rhodes MemorialBrian Crawford

Elizabeth A. ShattuckMatthew Mooney

Harold B. ShattuckChristopher Moyer

Kenneth & Marilyn TracyJacqueline GrandelTasha Moore

Roy I. WebberBrian Crawford

Harmer A. WeedenMatthew Keiter

Paul M. WentworthAmir KalashehKyle KarschnerBryce MillerChristopher MotterMichael Newhouse

Michael & Virginia YouchakScott Heddy

Graduate Scholarships & FellowshipsCMT Lab Graduate ScholarshipHo Ki Ban

J. Roger Glunt Graduate FellowshipMaral Amini

George W. Johnstone Graduate FellowshipAlessia Eramo

Cecil Pepperman Memorial Graduate FellowshipCaroline Newcomb

Leo P. Russell Graduate FellowshipStephen Damin

Wen Hu

Michael Keller

ACI graduate fellowship for concrete researchBrian D. Swartz, received his BS and MS in civil engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 2005 and 2007, respectively. He is pursuing his PhD in civil engineering at PSU and expects to garaduate in 2010. Upon completing his doctoral work, Swartz will focus on the concrete

industry and hopes to contribute to the design of concrete bridges. Nomi-nator: Andrea Schokker.

ACI/ Richard N. White StudentFellowshipJared Weisman expects to complete his BS in civil engineering at the Pennsyl-vania State University this year. Upon graduation, he will pursue an MS in civil engineering at PSU. Weisman’s primary goal is to become a structural and/or sustainable designer for a prom-inent design fi rm. Nominator: Andrea Schiokker; Converntion Guide: John

J. Meyers.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship awardValerie Watson, Ph.D. candidate in environmental engineering has been selected to receive the 2008 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) award. Th is award is based on your ablities and accomplishments as well as your potential to contribute to strengthen-ing the vitality of the U.S. science and engineering enterprise.


F A C U L T Y N E W S

Dr. David Hill, associate professor of civil engineering, was recently awarded a TU GRANTS award from

the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Th e GRANTS program was established by the TU

in 2004 “in order to attract prominent members of the international academic community to Delft Uni-

versity of Technology to take up temporary positions.” Th e program provides full funding for six months

and will be used by Dr. Hill for visits to the TU during the summers of 2008 and 2009. Dr. Hill will be

collaborating with faculty and graduate students in the fl uid mechanics and hydraulic engineering sections

of the civil engineering and geosciences department. His work will involve developing and improving stereo

imaging and remote sensing techniques for the quantitative assessment of wave evolution in the surf zone.

Civil Engineering’s Logan Named KAUST InvestigatorDr. Bruce Logan, the Kappe

Professor of Environmental

Engineering at Penn State,

is one of 12 scientists to re-

ceive a Global Research Part-

nership (GRP) Investigator

award from the King Abdul-

lah University of Science and

Technology (KAUST). Dr.

Logan will receive up to $10

million over the next fi ve

years to investigate micro-

bial fuel cell technologies that

convert waste into electricity

or hydrogen and in the pro-

cess, clean water.

Th rough the GRP, KAUST, a new world-class, graduate-level re-

search institution currently under development in Saudi Arabia, is

providing individual research assistance to a group of highly accom-

plished scientists and engineers who are dedicated to a wide range

of research topics of global signifi cance with particular importance

to Saudi Arabia and the region. Th eir research includes issues such

as water desalination, renewable and sustainable next-generation

energy sources, genomics of salt-tolerant plants, durable and envi-

ronmentally friendly construction materials, sustainable utility of

hydrocarbons, low-cost high-effi ciency solar technology, and the ap-

plication of computational science to human health and biotechnol-

ogy.

Each investigator is expected to spend between three weeks and three

months per year on the KAUST campus in Saudi Arabia participat-

ing in the research and academic life of the institution.

Logan is a recognized leader in his fi eld with a strong record of

achievement. His KAUST research, “Energy for a Sustainable Water

Infrastructure and Agriculture,’’ aims to produce energy from waste-

water. Th e microbial fuel cell process, which produces clean water,

also produces energy by recovering it from organic matter in waste-

water and agricultural wastes. Th is energy can be used for water de-

salinization, pumping or other applications. He has also developed a

related technology that produces pure hydrogen from organic waste.

Dr. Logan’s work aims to create sustainable water and agricultural

water practices that is in strong alignment with KAUST’s focus on

renewable energy and environmental technology. His Web site is at

www.engr.psu.edu/ce/enve/logan.htm

His Excellency Minister Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia’s min-

ister of petroleum and mineral resources and chairman of the board

of trustees of KAUST, said, “We are pleased that these exceptionally

talented individuals have chosen to partner with KAUST to bring

their signifi cant scientifi c and technological contributions to life.

Th eir specifi c research will not only stimulate the growth of Saudi

Arabia’s emerging knowledge-based economy but also serve as a cor-

nerstone of scientifi c advancement for the good of all people the

world over.’’

KAUST is being built in Saudi Arabia as an international, graduate-

level research university dedicated to inspiring a new age of scientifi c

achievement in the kingdom, across the region and around the globe.

As an independent, merit-based institution, KAUST will enable top

researchers from around the globe and across all cultures to work

together to solve challenging scientifi c and technological problems.

Under the GRP, there are three main programs: investigators

(individual scientists), centers (multiple investigators), and fellows

(post-doctoral researchers). KAUST is expected to announce grants

recipients for centers and fellows in the second quarter of 2008.

Th e core campus, located on more than 36 million square meters on

the Red Sea at Th uwal, is set to open in 2009. For more information

about KAUST, visit www.kaust.edu.sa.

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Hill Awarded TU GRANTS Award

NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 24, 20087C E E N E W S L E T T E R • V O L U M E 2 5 , 2 0 0 8 / 2 0 0 9 7


Two Engineering Faculty Part of U.N. Award-winning Team

Pennsylvania Transportation Institute Renamed to Honor Thomas Larson

Th e Pennsylvania Transportation Insti-

tute (PTI) at Penn State has been re-

named to honor the late transportation

leader Th omas D. Larson following

approval from the University’s Board

of Trustees on Jan. 18.

Th e new name is the Th omas D.

Larson Pennsylvania Transporta-

tion Institute. Larson was a student

and professor of civil engineering at

Penn State who served as the secre-

tary of the Pennsylvania Department

of Transportation and later as head of

the Federal Highway Administration.

While at Penn State, Larson co-founded PTI in 1968 and served as

its fi rst director. PTI is an interdisciplinary center for research in the

areas of transportation operations, transportation infrastructure and

vehicle systems and safety. Th e center coordinates the research of 47

faculty affi liates and in fi scal 2005–06 had research expenditures in

excess of $7.5 million.

Larson also played a signifi cant role in the development of Innovation

Park at Penn State, a 118-acre research park that currently provides

tenants with access to Penn State’s scientifi c, engineering, technology

and business resources. At the state level, Larson retooled and im-

proved the management of the Department of Transportation during

his time as secretary. As head of the Federal Highway Administration,

Larson helped implement policies that encouraged innovation, moved

the national transportation system into the post-interstate era and

championed research and technology. Upon retiring from this role

in 1993, Larson returned to central Pennsylvania, where he actively

pursued consulting activities, served on the advisory board of PTI

and helped lay the groundwork for the new Schlow Centre Region

Library.

Larson died in 2006.

In 2007 the Th omas D. Larson Fund for Excellence was established

in Penn State’s College of Engineering to promote professionalism in

transportation.

Goals of the endowment are to engage undergraduate and graduate

students in interdisciplinary programs; develop academic and research

programs that demonstrate the importance of integrating public and

private sector transportation issues; establish undergraduate scholar-

ship and graduate fellowship support; enhance transportation-related

teaching and research facilities; and provide students and faculty with

state-of-the-art equipment and technology.

Two Penn State engineers were part of a team that won an

award from the United Nations.

Dr. Christopher Duff y, professor of civil and environmental

engineering, and Dr. Th orsten Wagener, assistant professor

of civil and environmental engineering, are members of the

National Science Foundation Science (NSF) and Technol-

ogy Center for Sustainability of Semi-Arid Hydrology and

Riparian Areas (SAHRA). Th e NSF SAHRA group was one

of two institutions to be awarded the 2007 International

Great Man-Made River Prize by the United Nations Educa-

tion, Science and Culture Organization.

Th e annual prize recognizes signifi cant scientifi c work on

water usage in arid areas and areas subject to drought, as

well as the development of agriculture for the benefi t of

humanity and the environment.

Headquartered at the University of Arizona, SAHRA is

a joint eff ort with universities, government agencies and

national laboratories. Drs. Duff y and Wagener, along with

other SAHRA researchers, worked on improving the un-

derstanding and prediction of the hydrology of the world’s

semi-arid and arid regions.

Left: Christopher Duffy; Below: Thorsten Wagener




Civil Engineering Faculty Member, Doctoral Grad Win Best Paper AwardCarlos Coronado, a 2006 civil engineering doctoral degree gradu-

ate, and Dr. Maria Lopez de Murphy, the Will Assistant Professor of

Civil Engineering, were awarded the 2007 Best Basic Research Paper

by the American Society of Civil Engineers Journal of Composites

for Construction. Th e two were recognized for their paper, “Damage

Approach for the Prediction of Debonding Failure on Concrete

Elements Strengthened with FRP.”

Mason Named Associate Provost and Vice President for Research at Auburn UniversityDr. John Mason, asso-

ciate dean for graduate

studies, research and

outreach in the College

of Engineering, has been

named associate provost

and vice president of re-

search for Auburn Uni-

versity.

Dr. Mason will begin his

appointment at Auburn

on Sep. 2.

Dr. David Wormley, the

Harold and Inge Marcus

Dean of Engineering,

said, “John Mason has

worked to signifi cantly advance research and graduate education in

the College. He’s worked closely with people around the University

to promote high-priority research and education initiatives. John is

well versed in major national research priorities and will certainly

serve Auburn well as associate provost and vice president of research.’’

Dr. Eva Pell, senior vice president of research and dean of the Gradu-

ate School at Penn State, said “John Mason has been a superb as-

sociate dean for research and graduate education. He has served the

College of Engineering extremely well, always representing the inter-

ests of its faculty and students. John was an excellent partner as we

worked together to develop programming and secure resources to

move forward the goals of the College.’’

In addition to serving as an associate dean at Penn State, Dr. Mason

is also director of the Th omas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transporta-

tion Institute (PTI) and executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Uni-

versities Transportation Center.

He holds a bachelor of science degree in transportation from Penn

State, a master’s in transportation engineering from Villanova Uni-

versity and a doctorate in civil engineering from Texas A&M Univer-

sity. Dr. Mason is a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania

and began his career in consulting engineering practice.

He began teaching at the community college level and completed his

doctorate while performing research at the Texas Transportation In-

stitute. After returning to private practice as a district transportation

manger for a Florida engineering fi rm, Mason was recruited by Penn

State to return to teaching and research and was named the direc-

tor of the Transportation Operations Program at the PTI. While at

the University, he became center director, institute director and, in

1997, associate dean of engineering.

As associate dean in the College of Engineering, Dr. Mason’s respon-

sibilities included research administration and development, gradu-

ate studies, governmental aff airs and continuing and distance edu-

cation programs. He also led state and federal grants that included

partnerships with multi-state agencies, a consortium of land-grant

universities and private sector sponsors. Most recently he coordinat-

ed the establishment of a legacy endowment for the PTI.

Dr. Mason has served in several leadership roles with national

organizations including the Transportation Research Board of the

National Academies, American Society of Civil Engineers, Interna-

tional Institute of Transportation Engineers, American Road and

Transportation Builders Association. He is past president of the na-

tional Council of University Transportation Centers and incoming

chair of the Engineering Research Council of the American Society

for Engineering Education.

He is the recipient of several distinguished professional and academ-

ic awards, has a record of continuous scholarly publications and is a

member of the Tau Beta Pi and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies.



V 24 2008


Pietrucha Named Interim Transportation Institute DirectorDr. Martin Pietrucha, associate professor of civil engineering, has

been named the interim director of the Th omas D. Larson Pennsyl-

vania Transportation Institute (LTI), eff ective July 15.

Pietrucha takes over for Dr. John Mason, who served as the

institute’s director and associate dean of Graduate Studies, Research

and Outreach in the College of Engineering. Mason was recently

named associate provost and vice president of research at Auburn

University.

A member of the Penn State faculty since 1990, Dr. Pietrucha is

currently director of the LTI’s Transportation Operations Program.

His experience includes work related to highway traffi c operations,

highway safety and human factors issues for public and private insti-

tutions. Dr. Pietrucha’s research has focused on traffi c signing, road-

way delineation, pedestrian safety, highway geometric design, road

safety audits and the visibility of commercial signing.

He is a fellow of the Institute

of Transportation Engineers

and a member of the Ameri-

can Society of Civil Engi-

neers, the National Research

Council’s Transportation Re-

search Board and the Intel-

ligent Transportation Society

of America. Dr. Pietrucha is a

licensed professional engineer

in New Jersey.

He earned his B.S. from the New Jersey Institute of Technology,

his M.S. from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Ph.D.

from the University of Maryland, all in civil engineering.

Dr. Norman Folmar has joined the faculty as the director

of undergraduate programs. Folmar received his Ph.D. in

civil engineering from Penn State in 2004. His specialties

in teaching and research are in hydrology and hydraulics,

specifi cally in surface water hydrology, hydrologic model-

ing, open channel hydraulics, hydraulic modeling, and

dam breach modeling. His current research topics are

1) Unsteady fl ow analysis of multiple failures of low head

dams in a coastal watershed, 2) Increases in storm event

peak discharges due to tree harvesting and related land use

changes, 3) Improving watershed parameter estimation

for hydrologic modeling. His departmental duties include

being the undergraduate academic offi cer and chair of the

Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.

Dr. Folmar had been a visiting professor at Bucknell University in their civil engineering department

for the past three years as well as being an adjunct professor for Norwich University’s online graduate

program where he instructs a stormwater management course. He has his PE license in Pennsylvania

and stays active in industry by working with several engineering fi rms on water resources projects and

helping to instruct continuing education short courses dealing with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

software packages, HEC-RAS and HEC-HMS.

Folmer Named Director of Undergraduate ProgramsDo

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Scanlon Presented an Invited Keynote PaperDr. Andrew Scanlon, professor of civil engineering

presented an invited keynote paper titled, “Defl ec-

tion Control of Concrete Slabs for Lifetime Per-

formance,” at the 3rd International Workshop on

Lifetime Engineering of Civil Infrastructure held

at Yamaguchi University, Japan, in July 2008. He

also presented an invited lecture at Kyung Hee Uni-

versity, Seoul, Korea on “Serviceability of Concrete

Structures in October 2008.

Dr. Andrew Scanlon with faculty and students at Kyung Hee University, Korea.

Top photo: Dr. Andrew Scanlon with delegates to the international workshop at Yamaguchi University, Japan.

Bottom photo: after a round of golf with his Korean hosts.

PartingsDr. Andrea Schokker associate professor of civil engineering accepted a position as department head

and professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Minnesota

Duluth eff ective September 2008. Dr. Schokker was a member of the department from March 2001

through August 2008.



Dr. Gordon Warn joined the structural en-

gineering faculty as an assistant professor in

August 2008. Warn received his Ph.D. from

the University at Buff alo in 2006 and held a

position as a post-doctoral research associate

and adjunct lecturer at the University at Buf-

falo prior to joining the faculty at Penn State.

His teaching and research interest lie broadly

in the area of structural engineering however,

his specialties are in structural dynamics and

earthquake engineering. Much of his and his

students’ research focuses on improving the

understanding of seismic protective systems

to ensure these devices perform as designed

so that critical structures, such as hospitals,

remain fully operational following a major

earthquake event. Jared Weisman, a M.S.

student, is working with Warn to investigate

the stability for elastomeric based seismic isolation bearing under large lateral dis-

placements. Weisman’s research will lead to an improved understanding of the

stability of these devices under extreme loading conditions with the goal of pre-

dicting more accurately the limits of these devices that could ultimate reduce the

required size and thus cost of incorporating seismic protective technology into

buildings and other structures. Jared is graduate student of Dr. Warn’s and he is

in charge of the research project. Other recent research eff orts are focusing on the

application of seismic fl oor isolation to protect valuable building content from the

damaging eff ects of earthquake ground shaking. Th e goal of protecting valuable

or critical building content such as that found in hospitals and communication

centers is to increase community resilience following a major earthquake event

by decreasing the economic impact and interruption to business. You can learn

more about his research and teaching activities at: http://www.engr.psu.edu/ce/

directory/gpw1.html.

Warn Joins Structural Engineering Faculty

Top: Gordon Warn Bottom: Jared Weisman

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11C E E N E W S L E T T E R • V O L U M E 2 5 , 2 0 0 8 / 2 0 0 9


goutside of work to bolster her chemistry with the goal of passing

organic with an A. Will there be any time left for knitting, reading,

gardening, and camping? Please wish her the best in this new career

change!

Featherer Joins CEE as Staff AssistantJamie Featherer joined the Department r

gof Civil and Environmental Engineering

in August 2008 as a staff assistant for the

Engineering Environmental Institute (EEI)

under Dr. Bruce Logan.

Featherer grew up in Boalsburg, but

moved to Shippensburg, PA, after graduat-

ing from State College Area High School

g in 2001. After attending Shippensburg

University, she began a career in bank-

ing with a small bank based out of Chambersburg. She most re-

cently worked as administrative assistant for the chief fi nancial

offi cer of a bank in Shippensburg.

yFeatherer jumped on an opportunity to move back to Happy

VValley after seven years away, and now lives in Howard with her

husband, Jamie, six-year-old daughter, Dakota, and Jack Russell

Terrier, Rocky.

S T A F F N E W S

Staff NewsBobbi Leitzell joined the De-

partment of Civil and Envi-

ronmental Engineering in June

1999 as the Department Head

Staff Assistant VIII. She started

out at Penn State in 1969 in

the Offi ce of Exam Services as a

clerical keypunch operator. She

married and moved to Florida

where her husband was fi nishing

his degree. After taking eleven

years off , Leitzell returned to Penn

State and worked for the Depart-

ment of Independent Learning, a

branch of Continuing Education.

In 1985 she was promoted to the administrative offi ce of Continu-

ing and Distance Education, Outreach and Cooperative Extension

as staff assistant VI until coming to Civil and Environmental Engi-

neering in 1999.

Leitzell enjoys being with her family and especially her two grand-

daughters Mackenzie, four years old and Morgan, eight months.

Leitzell has two sons, Doug and Duane, who are both graduates

from Penn State. Her true passion is working animals. She is the

president of the Nittany Beagle Rescue in State College.

David Faulds began his career

with the Department of Civil

and Environmental Engineering

in 2000 as an engineering aide.

In 2002 he was promoted to the

position of laboratories supervi-

sor formerly held by Gerry Zim-

merman. In this position Faulds

oversees all work performed

in the various department labs

and also serves as the depart-

ment safety offi cer ensuring that

all activities comply with Penn

State policies. Faulds enjoys as-

sisting students, faculty, staff ,

alumni, and others with a wide variety of needs. He assists many

student organizations with their projects, such as the concrete canoe

team, the steel bridge team, American Society of Civil Engineers,

and Penn State Engineers for a Sustainable World.

Faulds also has started an initiative to preserve many historic and ar-

chival items that otherwise might end up at salvage or be discarded.

He has created a display to showcase some of these items. He is cur-

rently working on a pictorial history of the College of Engineering to

be displayed in the third fl oor hallway of Sackett Building.

Ellen Bingham joined the Department of

Civil and Environmental Engineering in

Fall 2008 as full-time engineering support

for the Kappe Environmental Engineer-

ing Lab under the direction of Dr. Bruce Logan and the day-to-day training pro-

vided by David Jones. Bingham had previ-

ously worked with the University Learning

Centers under the guidance of Dr. Ann

McLaren and Dr. Jon Olson. Prior to that

she assisted part-time for ten years in the

Department of Agriculture, most recently in chemical ecology with

Dr. Heidi Appel and Dr. Jack Shultz.

With undergraduate teaching and graduate degrees from Penn State

in the Department of Health and Physical Education, and being

married to an electrical engineer for more than 20 years, Bingham

is familiar with how to think like an educator, a researcher, and an

engineer. Her primary work responsibilities are to run the gas chro-

matograph in room 16 and help with lab organization.

Bingham lives in Pennsylvania Furnace with her husband, Stuart,

two fi ne daughters, and a multitude of pets. She plans to use the time

Bingham Joins Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as Engineering Aide

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1 2 C E E N E W S L E T T E R • V O L U M E 2 5 , 2 0 0 8 / 2 0 0 9

NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 24, 20081 3C E E N E W S L E T T E R • V O L U M E 2 5 , 2 0 0 8 / 2 0 0 9


V 24 2008

S T U D E N T O R G A N I Z A T I O N S

ASCETh e Penn State student chapter of the Ameri-can Society of Civil Engineers is continuing its tradition of excellence within the civil engi-neering department. Th e organization is com-mitted to maintaining a high level of activity for the student body of civil engineering. Th e department has been experiencing a great in-crease in the number of students interested in the study of civil engineering, and the ASCE chapter has been fortunate enough to experi-ence a similar growth. As always, the chapter will look to expand to include new events and involvement within the community.

We recently held the bi-annual civil engineer-ing career fair. Nearly 100 companies came to University Park in pursuit of civil engineering students across all of the disciplines. Students had the opportunity to speak with employ-ers about intern and full-time opportunities. During a time when the job market for many recent college graduates is slowing, it was very refreshing to see how highly Penn State civil engineers continue to be recruited. Th e steel bridge and concrete canoe teams have already begun very diligent work on their projects in the hopes of advancing through the regional com-petitions to travel to the national competitions in the spring. Our Habitat for Humanity out-ings have been very popular among the mem-bers of the chapter, and we have been holding more frequent trips to assist the Habitat for Hu-manity of Greater Centre County. Th e ASCE student chapter is also continuing its support of the Penn State Dance Marathon in the hopes of curing pediatric cancer, through canning trips and soliciting money from alumni and compa-nies. Th e chapter is once again sending repre-sentatives to a variety of conferences within the fi eld of civil engineering. Th roughout Novem-ber, students traveled to St. Louis for the ACI

Convention, Boston for the Greenbuild Inter-national Conference and Expo, as well as a large group of offi cers attended the ASCE National Conference in Pittsburgh.

In addition to these activities from past years, ASCE is starting many new initiatives that we hope will be carried out for years to come. To strengthen ties with the local community, ASCE has teamed up with Special Olympics of Centre County to perform a service project. Th e Special Olympics Bocce Team needs a por-table court to play on and we have volunteered to help construct the court. Penn State ASCE also hosted the ASCE Central Section Dinner in September. Th omas Anthony spoke on the North Shore Connector Project in Pittsburgh, and this was a great opportunity for Penn State CE students to network with students from Bucknell as well as local professionals. We have also helped to organize a lecture by Dr. Brenda Bohlke, president of American Underground Construction Association, in conjunction with the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Th e chapter continues to hold general meetings throughout the semester exposing students to aspects of civil engineering that they may not receive in the classroom. We often have rep-resentatives from engineering fi rms host the meetings, and we would like to hold workshops for students throughout the spring semester.

Th e Penn State student chapter of ASCE has a large presence within the civil engineering department and we constantly strive to be a bridge between the students and faculty of civil engineering. Th e organization is here to provide support for all civil engineering stu-dents and we are confi dent that this will be an-other successful year.



Th is year, the National Association of Home Builders student chap-

ter has 25 student members drawn largely from civil and environmen-

tal engineering and architectural engineering. Th e offi cers elected are

Brian Wolfgang, president; Neal Diehl, vice president; Daniel Weida,

treasurer; and Jeremy McGrath, AE/CE student representative.

Th e NAHB student chapter at Penn State has established a group

of seven members who will compete in the NAHB Student Chapter

Residential Construction Competition at the International Builders

Show in Las Vegas.

Th e 2009 competition team consists of seven core members, from

multiple degree programs. Th e four majors represented are both civil

and architectural engineering, economics and architecture. A course is

being off ered for the fi rst time, this year, for participants on the team.

CE/AE 496A is considered a lab section and provides one credit hour

for work on the competition. Th e instructors for the course are Dr. Bo Kasal and Dr. Jack Willenbrock.

Th is year’s competition is sponsored by Centex Homes, with a devel-

opment in San Antonio, TX. Th e project will encompass phase one of

the 152 townhouse sub-division.

Th e following students will represent Penn State at the competi-

tion: Neal Diehl (AE), Steve Donahue (CE), Rachel Gingerich (AE),

Pat Kiranantawat (ARCH), Jeremy McGrath (AE), Daniel Weida

(CE), and Ryan Winkowski (BA EC).

Penn State Chapter of the National Association of Home Builders to Compete in Competition

Left to right: Daniel Weida, Brian Wolfgang, Steve Donahue JeremMcGrath, Ryan Winkowski Neal Di hl (Kiran tLeft to right: Daniel Weida, Brian Wolfgang, Steve Donahue, Jeremy McGrath, Ryan Winkowski, Neal Diehl (missing: Rachel Gingerich, Pat Kiranantawat)

S T U D E N T O R G A N I Z A T I O N S

Penn State ASCE Chapter Receives AwardTh e Penn State student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) received the Region 2 Governor’s Award

for 2008. Th e ASCE Committee on Student Activities recognized

the chapter for its consistent involvement in activities such as com-

munity service projects, professional meetings and social activities.

Th e committee selected winners based on activities recorded in the

2007 Annual Report. Region 2 of ASCE consists of Pennsylvania,

Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.



V 24 2008

A L U M N I N E W S

David Sheridan 2008 Outstanding AlumniDr. David Sheridan, principal in Aqua Cura, was educated in civil and environmental engi-neering, earning a B.S. at the University of Pittsburgh and an M.S. and Ph.D. at Penn State University. In 1978 he provid-ed engineering analysis to the City of Baltimore in some of its early nutrient management strategy for the Chesapeake Bay. In 1992, he assumed man-agement of Gannett Fleming’s environmental practice, a $25 million annual business unit, which he directed until 2002.

In 2002, Dr. Sheridan formed Aqua Cura to focus his eff orts on the critical water issues facing U.S. society. He directs the Integrat-ed Water Management services off ered by the fi rm to assist pub-lic and private clients to derive the greatest benefi t from waters of various qualities at land development sites. Dr. Sheridan is deeply involved in the green building movement, serving the U.S. Green Building Council as the chair of the Water Effi ciency Technical Ad-visory Group. Dr. Sheridan believes that cooperation and collabo-ration of the many parties with interest in the health of our water

environment are essential elements of success. He is an active mem-ber of three watershed associations in central Pennsylvania, and a member of the board of the Paxton Creek Watershed and Education Association.

Dr. Sheridan is a fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers and has been a member of the Water Environment Federation since 1972. He served as the president of the Chesapeake Water Pollution Control Association and a board member for many other organiza-tions. In October 2004, Dr. Sheridan was appointed the executive director of the Green Building Association of Central Pennsylvania. He is a registered professional engineer in ten eastern states, as well as, the District of Columbia.

Dr. Sheridan has been in the department many times to conduct classes, including one on LEED. He has also conducted workshops at Penn State, such as one on Sustainable Water Planning at the Penn State Harrisburg campus. He is an adjunct member of the Penn State Harrisburg faculty.

Dr. Sheridan exemplifi es many of the World Class Engineering at-tributes that we seek to instill in our students. He is an excellent role model for them. He has developed a successful business in an im-portant area of civil and environmental engineering, focused on sus-tainability. His leadership in the profession is clearly demonstrated through his appointments in professional societies and associations.

Alumni Isett Endows CEE Academic Enrichment and Excellence Fund Businessman and civil engineering alumnus Mr. Barry E. Isett ’58 recently pledged $50,000 as the lead gift toward the newly estab-lished Civil and Environmental Academic Enrichment and Excel-lence Fund.

Th e Civil and Environmental Academic Enrichment and Excellence Fund will provide support for rewarding excellence and developing initiatives in research and education. Th e enrichment and excellence fund will be used to support travel to meet with educational and research collaborators and funding agencies, fund students to travel to conferences with faculty, establish teaching awards, develop new educational initiatives, and initiate interdisciplinary activities that meet the objectives of the CEE Department’s vision.

Mr. Isett is president of Barry Isett & Associates, Inc., a full-service engineering fi rm, with locations in Trexlertown, PA, Delaware Val-ley, and Hazleton, PA. Barry Isett & Associates, Inc. was founded in 1977 to provide structural and civil engineering and surveying to architects, private clients, and developers. Today, BIA is a multi-disciplinary consulting engineering fi rm with more than 125 em-ployees which serve clients throughout the Middle Atlantic states. It provides the following services: engineering (civil, structural,

mechanical, electrical, plumbing, environmental and municipal), surveying, construction manage-ment, landscape architecture and geographic information services.

“Mr. Isett’s gift is a huge benefi t to the students within the civil and environmental engineering de-partment at Penn State and we are grateful for his generosity,” said Dr. Peggy Johnson, civil and environmental engineering professor and department head. “His lead gift to establish this endowment will allow faculty and students to pursue opportunities and develop new teaching and research ideas that might not be within their grasp otherwise.”

Mr. Isett is also a 2007 Outstanding Engineering Alumnus award winner and has a long-standing relationship with the department and the College of Engineering at Penn State. Th e entire department is grateful to him for his generous support of this program!


C E E N E W S L E T T E R • V O L U M E 2 5 , 2 0 0 8 / 2 0 0 9CEE N

A L U M N I N E W S

Remembrance of Kenneth Hunter

Kenneth Hunter, passed away on January 19, 2008 at the age of 86. He was born in Millom, Cum-berland, England and emigrated to the United States in 1934 at the age of thirteen. In 1942 Ken joined the United States Army and became part of the country’s “Greatest Generation,” serving in the 95th Division as a staff ser-geant in the Headquarters Battery of the 358th Field Artillery Battalion.

At the close of the war, Hunter enrolled in civil engineering at Penn State, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in 1949. He also enrolled in several graduate courses. He was employed by the American Bridge Company in Elmira, NY, for a short time before returning to Penn State in 1950 to work in Continuing Education. He served in this capacity, and also on the faculty of the Department of Civil and En-vironmental Engineering, until his retirement as an associate professor in 1984. He coordinated Civil Engineering’s off er-ings in Continuing Education and, for a short time, directed the Land and Construction Surveyors Conference. Within Civil Engineering, Hunter taught courses in surveying and acted as the departmental scheduling offi cer for several years.

As scheduling offi cer, Hunter served well the needs of students and faculty alike by his careful attention to detail. He pho-tographed individual students, adding to each student’s fi le a personal dimension that became a helpful source of identifi -cation both during that person’s time of enrollment and after he or she graduated.

Some of Hunter’s greatest sources of pleasure were his vol-unteer work at the Centre Community Hospital Emergency Room and the Centre County Library Pennsylvania Room. Additional volunteer positions included St. Paul’s United Methodist Church benevolence treasurer, the Centre County Genealogical Society newsletter editor, and troop committee member of the Hemlock Council of the Girl Scouts of the United States.

Family was at the center of Hunter’s life. He and Angeline, his wife of 62 years, enjoyed sharing in all the activities and adventures of their daughters’ families, which included eight grandchildren and fi ve great grandchildren.

Ken was a faithful participant in the monthly breakfast meetings of the retired civil engineering faculty. His cheerful company will be greatly missed.

A Personal Remembrance of Jack Nesbitt

Th e civil and environmental engineer-ing department grieves the loss of long-term environmental engineering faculty member, Dr. John “Jack” B. Nesbitt, who passed on November 21, 2008 at age 84. Dr. Nesbitt joined the department in 1956, four years after obtaining his doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Preceded by his father, mother, and stepmother, Dr. Nesbitt was fourth in a line of Nesbitts to serve on Penn State faculties. Dr. Nesbitt’s father, Russell, specialized in railroad engi-neering as a faculty member of the de-partment in the 1930s.

I have close memories of Dr. Nesbitt, having shared an offi ce with him for 15 years during which time I learned the patience of his teaching and bore witness to his kindness and respect towards students and fac-ulty alike. Often, after returning home from departmental Christmas parties and picnics with my wife, she would ask, “Why can’t you be a gentleman like Jack Nesbitt?” My standard reply was, “I’m trying.”

Although we had diff erent research and teaching interests, Dr. Nesbitt made it possible for us to partner in notable ways. My professional development as a young faculty member is largely owed to Jack who encouraged me to join major environmental engineering societies, at-tend conferences, and publish in places that would expose me to the environmental engineering “fraternity.” On the local front, Dr. Nesbitt arranged for me to do some campus television appearances on matters of environmental concern.

Dr. Nesbitt and I designed and supervised the construction of the initial “modern” environmental engineering laboratories located in the basement of Sackett Building. Jack was a cofounder of the Environmental Pollu-tion Control Program in 1969 and later became its second chairperson; a position that fell to me upon his retirement in 1984. Dr. Nesbitt was an early advocate of phosphorus removal from wastewater fl ows and, together with then Ph.D. candidate and former faculty member, Dr. David A. Long, conducted full scale application of aluminum salts for precipitation of phosphorus at the State College municipal waste-water treatment plant. Jack invited me to join his team and concur-rently conduct a microbiological study of the treatment system.

In addition to academia, Dr. Nesbitt also served his community well. He was a member and chairperson of the State College Sewer Author-ity and vice chairman of the University Area Joint Authority.

Dr. Nesbitt will always be remembered by those who knew him. I am especially indebted to his guidance and counsel over the many years we were together as faculty members. Indeed, as a veteran of World War II and a pillar of decency, Dr. Nesbitt was truly a member of the Greatest Generation.

Dr. Richard F. Unz, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Microbiology

Th

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NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 24, 2008C E E N E W S L E T T E R • V O L U M E

V 24 2008

A L U M N I N E W S

Elberti Joins Gannett FlemingAnthony G. Elberti, P.E., has joined

Gannett Fleming, an international

planning, design, and construction

management fi rm. Based in the fi rm’s

Valley Forge, PA, offi ce, Elberti serves

as a water and wastewater resource

project engineer.

In this role, Elberti is responsible for a

variety of engineering services related

to water and wastewater treatment

plants, wastewater collection and conveyance systems, and water

distribution systems. He also assesses system facilities and opera-

tions, prepares regulatory permit applications, and performs design

of water and wastewater treatment systems.

Elberti holds a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Penn

State and a master of science in water resources management

from Villanova University. He is a registered professional engineer

in Pennsylvania, and a member of the Water Environment Fed-

eration, American Water Works Association, and Pennsylvania

Water Environment Association.

Humes Joins Gannett Fleming Transit & Rail Systems Steven A. Humes, E.I.T., recently joined Gannett Fleming Transit &

Rail Systems, a division of Gannett Fleming specializing in transit and

railroad track, signal, communication, and electric traction design.

Based in the fi rm’s Valley Forge, PA, offi ce, Humes will serve as a

senior track designer.

In this position, Humes will be responsible

for leading track design projects, perform-

ing track inspections, and preparing con-

struction plans, specifi cations, studies, and

estimates for transit and railroad routes and

facilities. He most recently served as a proj-

ect manager for Southeastern Pennsylvania

Transportation Authority in Philadelphia,

PA.

Humes holds a bachelor of science in civil

engineering technology from Penn State.

CEE Alumni Reunion 2008

1 7E 2 5 , 2 0 0 8 / 2 0 0 9

g

veyance systems and water

a

Left to right: Dick Mirth Ph.D. in Civil Engineering Class of 1968 who resides in Dunkirk, NY, Ruth Hazen and Phil Hazen, Class of 1956 Civil who reside in Tracy’s Landing, MD, and Jim Miltenberger Class of 1956 Civil who resides in Fogelsville, PA. The reunion was on June 6th.


R E S E A R C H

Long-Term Monitoring of Integral Abutment Bridges and Design Criteria Development

Dr. Jeff rey Laman, associate professor,

is the principal investigator for a Penn-

sylvania Department of Transportation

project “Long-Term Monitoring of

Integral Abutment Bridges and Design

Criteria Development.” Th e Penn State

research team includes Woo Seok Kim,doctoral student and recently graduated

doctoral student, Kongsak Pugasap.

It has been observed that integral abut-

ment bridge behavior is much diff erent

from that predicted by current design

methodologies. Th ermally induced displacement magnitudes are

typically on the order of 10 percent to 25 percent of predicted val-

ues. Th ermally induced rotations and displacements are, in certain

locations, opposite predicted rotations and displacements. Th ermal-

ly induced stresses are not currently incorporated into design aids

and guidelines and are not insignifi cant. Design methodologies must

consider actual fi eld observations such that the design accurately

predicts the structural behavior.

Th e objective of this project is to revise and make more accurate

integral abutment bridge design criteria based on observed structural

behavior in conjunction with results of numerical parametric stud-

ies. Observed behaviors are on the basis of long-term fi eld monitor-

ing conducted at four integral abutment bridge sites and a weather

station utilizing 250 instruments and fi ve data acquisition systems

installed by the team. Bridge response data due to environmental

loading is continuously collected and has been since late 2001. Nu-

merical parametric studies are being conducted on the basis of 2D

and 3D fi nite element models, developed and calibrated to the ob-

served integral abutment behavior, in order to evaluate the fi eld per-

formance of integral abutments and establish the range of potential

applications for integral abutment bridge construction in Pennsylva-

nia and states experiencing similar environmental conditions.

Solving a Global Water Crisis in a Local WatershedWhen Dr. Rachel Brennan began her appointment as an assistant professor in 2004, she never imagined that news of the I-99 “Acid Rock” problem would shape the future course of her research. But living a mile from the site and facing daily questions from her un-dergraduate CE 370 class, Dr. Brennan was quick to learn that this problem was being tackled using passive treatment techniques typi-cally applied to acid mine drainage (AMD). Intriguingly, many pas-sive biological treatment systems for AMD were believed to fail due to a defi ciency in nitrogen. And coincidentally, Dr. Brennan had done considerable research on using nitrogen-rich crab-shell chitin to enhance bioremediation technologies for the treatment of solvent-, nitrate-, and perchlorate-contaminated soil and groundwater. On a whim, she asked one of her honors students to add crab shells to some local AMD samples, and it worked! Not only did the crab-shell chitin reduce the acidity, aluminum, iron, and sulfate concentrations in the AMD, it also removed manganese, a traditionally more recal-citrant compound for which there are few existing low-cost removal methods. With funding from the Water Resources Research Institute, Dr. Brennan was able to perform additional proof-of-concept experi-ments that opened up entirely new avenues of research in AMD treat-ment. Th ese ideas formed the basis of a winning CAREER proposal to the National Science Foundation in 2007.

Th e grant, titled, “CAREER: Solving a Global Water Crisis in a Local Watershed: A Comprehensive Analysis of Chitin as a Multifunctional Substrate for the Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage” funds funda-mental laboratory research, as well as full-scale fi eld implementation and educational outreach. In the lab, Dr. Brennan’s research team

uses sorption isotherms, chemical equilibrium modeling, and micro-bial fi ngerprinting to investigate the ability of crab-shell chitin to simultaneously support the micro-bial reduction of acidity, chemi-cal enhancement of alkalinity, and physical sorption of metals. To en-sure that Penn State’s graduating students have the ability to conduct watershed assessments and apply the latest remediation technologies in their future careers, Brennan has developed a new, interdisciplinary graduate/undergraduate course, “Field Methods for Remediation Design” (CE497B) which was off ered for the fi rst time in fall 2008.

Dr. Brennan’s research is leading to new approaches for passive AMD treatment, and as a result, she was hired as a consultant to the Engi-neering Technical Support Center of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. She recently assisted with the design, implementa-tion, and evaluation of two chitin-supported, AMD-treatment sys-tems in Colorado. Preliminary implementation results indicate that the performance of crab-shell chitin in the fi eld is similar to the lab, even for the removal of the elusive manganese. Th us, what started as Brennan’s personal examination of the local I-99 problem has led to the potential to mitigate AMD problems in similar communities nationwide.

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V 24 2008

L E C T U R E S

2008 Hankin Distinguished LectureTh e Hankin Distinguished Lecture Series was established in 2006 in honor of the late Ber-nard Hankin. World-class speakers are invited to Penn State to address students and faculty. Th is year’s Hankin Distinguished Lecturer was Mr. Nicolas P. Retsinas, director, Joint Cen-ter for Housing Studies at Harvard University. Th e title of his presentation was “State of Af-fordable Housing.”

Mr. Retsinas was appointed director of Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies in 1998. Th e Joint Center is a collaborative venture of the Graduate School of Design and the Kennedy School of Govern-ment. Th e center conducts research to examine and address the most critical housing and community development issues in America. Mr. Retsinas is a lecturer in housing studies at the Graduate School of Design and the Kennedy School of Government, and is also a lecturer in real estate at the Harvard Business School.

Prior to his Harvard appointment, Retsinas served as Assistant Secre-tary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and as director of the Offi ce of Th rift Supervision. Mr. Retsinas also served on the Board of the Fed-eral Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Housing Finance Board and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. Retsinas received a Meritorious Service Award from the U.S. Treasury Department in 1997. He also received the Excellence in Public Service Award from the Rental Housing Association in 1998 and the Housing Leadership Award from the National Low Income Housing Coalition in 2001. Mr. Retsinas is in the National Housing Hall of Fame and was named one of the most infl uential people in real estate by the National Association of Realtors, in home building by Builder Magazine, and in multifamily housing by Multi-Housing News.

Mr. Retsinas also served the State of Rhode Island as the executive direc-tor of the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation from 1987 to 1993. He received his master’s degree in city planning from Harvard University and his AB in economics from New York University.

Mr. Retsinas has lectured and written extensively on housing, com-munity development and banking issues. He has co-edited Low-Income Homeownership: Examining the Unexamined Goal (2002), Building Assets, Building Credit: Creating Wealth in Low-Income Communities (2005) and Revisiting Rental Housing (2008). He has also co-authored Opportunity and Progress: A Bipartisan Platform for National Hous-ing Policy (2004) and Our Communities, Our Homes (2007). He is a fellow at the National Academy for Public Administration and the Urban Land Institute.

Harleman LectureDr. Heidi Nepf, professor of civil and envi-ronmental engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was featured as last year’s D.R.F. Harleman Honorary Lecture in Environmental Fluid Mechanics.

Dr. Nepf ’s talk, “How vegetation alters water motion, and the feedbacks to environmental system structure and function,” discussed the ecologic and economic benefi ts of aquatic veg-etation. Th e presentation featured a general overview of the impacts of vegetation on aquat-

ic ecosystems, and gave a summary of some basic concepts in vegetation hydrodynamics.

Dr. Nepf, who was recently appointed to serve on the National Research Council panel, is internationally known for her work on the impact of vegetation on fl ow and transport in rivers, wetlands, lakes, and coastal zones. Her research guides the design of treatment wetlands, informs river and coastal restoration, and describes how land-use changes may impact ecosystem services. Dr. Nepf earned her bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University in 1987 in mechanical engineering, and her doctoral degree from Stanford University in 1992 in civil engineering.

Th e Harleman Honorary Lecture in Environmental Fluid Mechanics is intended to enrich faculty and students in the hydrosystems division of civil engineering by providing contact with outstanding researchers and practitioners in the fi eld from outside Penn State. Th e lecture was es-tablished in 2002 in honor of Dr. Donald Harleman, who earned his bachelor’s in civil engineering in 1943. Dr. Harleman is a Ford Emeritus Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology.

Kavanagh LectureTh e fi fteenth Th omas C. Kavanagh Lecture was presented on April 3, 2008 by Leslie E. Robertson before a standing-room audi-ence of more than 450 in Alumni Hall of the HUB-Robeson Center. Th e topic of Dr. Robertson’s talk was “Bringing Together the Architect and the Structural Engineer.”

Robertson received a B.Sc. degree from the Uni-versity of California at Berkeley in 1952. He was employed by Raymond International, John Blume & Associates, and Kaiser Engineers prior to founding Leslie E. Robertson Associates in 1958.

He was responsible for the structural design of the World Trade Center in New York, the United States Steel Headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, and the Puerta de Europa in Madrid, as well as exceptional museums and the award-winning Miho Museum Bridge in Japan. He is a distinguished member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and has received the IStructE Gold Medal of the United Kingdom, the Gengo Matsui Prize of Japan as the out-standing Structural Engineer in the world, an AIA Institute honor, and was recognized as Engineering News Record’s Construction ‘Man of the Year’. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering as well as an honorary and advisory board member of the Center of Sustainability, Accountability and Eco-Aff ordability for Large Structures. He lectures regularly to students of all ages and has taught at Princeton University. Further, he is a distinguished engineering alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley, has received the American Society of Civil Engi-neers’ Outstanding Projects and Leaders Award, AISC’s J. Lloyd Kim-brough Award, Tokyo Society of Architects Honorary Fellowship and Medal, and is the fi rst recipient of the Henry C. Turner Prize and of the Fazlur Rahman Kahn Medal.

Robertson serves on the board of several cultural and professional orga-nizations including New York City’s Skyscraper Museum, the Architec-tural League of New York, and the MacDowell Colony. Th e University of Notre Dame, Lehigh University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have awarded him honorary doctorate degrees in engineering, and the University of Western Ontario in Canada presented him with an honor-ary doctorate in science.

Th e 2009 Kavanagh Lecture will be presented on April 2, 2009, by Dr. D. Max Sheppard, president of Ocean Engineering Associates, Inc, and professor emeritus of civil and coastal engineering at the University of Florida. Dr. Sheppard will be speaking on “Local Sediment Scour at Bridge Foundations.”

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Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringThe Pennsylvania State University 212 Sackett BuildingUniversity Park, PA 16803-1408

L I F E A S A C E E S T U D E N T

Photos clockwise from upper right corner: Bridge demo; Dr. Johnson presenting Brian Wolfgang with ring at Order of Rings Ceremony; ASCE steel bridge team at 2008 regionals competition; Tim McDevitt and beam demo; PTI crash demo; Spring ’08 Commencement ceremony–Andrea Schokker and Colby Luzier.

Even Very Small Th ings Can Be Part of Civil …Amini, Brian Wolfgang and Tanya Myers. Maral Amini...

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