CEEcee.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/CEEmag_spring2015.pdf · sheree Fruzen office support...

CEEDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering

College of EngineeringUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Spring 2015

The Long ViewMore classrooms, hands-on labs on the way with a Hydro expansionCEE honors Tami Bond, 2014 MacArthur FellowAlumni news and features

CEE AT ILLInoIs

Alumni EvEnts

Mark your calendar for these upcoming CEE alumni events!

Social Hour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 21, 2015 . . . . . . . Springfield, IL

Beer Tasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 2, 2015 . . . . . . . . Chicago

Golf Outing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 16, 2015 . . . . . . . . Lemont, IL

Chicago River Boat Tour . . . . August 29, 2015 . . . . Chicago

Keep up-to-date on all CEE at Illinois alumni events by visiting

cee.illinois.edu/events

CEE is published twice a year for alumni and friends of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Those alumni who donate annually to CEE at Illinois receive every issue.

Benito MariñasProfessor and Head

John SouthwoodDirector of Advancement

Celeste ArbogastDirector of Communications and Alumni Relations

Jamie ByrumCoordinator of Alumni and Corporate Relations

Kristina shidlauskiCommunications specialist

sheree Fruzenoffice support specialist

Letters, comments and editorial submissions: CEE MagazineDepartment of Civil and Environmental EngineeringUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign1210 newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory MC-250205 north Mathews AvenueUrbana, Illinois 61801(217) [email protected]

Cover art: McKenzie Wagner Inc .

cee .illinois .edu

CEE

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Spring 2015 3

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CEE Spring 2015

Modernizing our facilities/Benito Mariñas

Meet the new guy/Allen J . Staron (BS 74)

Shaping the Future of CEE at Illinois

García invested as Yeh Chair

Bond honored with MacArthur Fellowship

Autonomous aerial robots to monitor construction

Project will broaden access to, illuminate geoscience data

Soybean production in Sub-Saharan Africa studied

RailTEC project will improve transit track components

Taxi GPS data shows hurricane’s effect on NYC traffic

Sketch-based instruction improves learning

Illini 4000 ride from coast to coast for cancer awareness

Student organizations: what they’re up to, how to help

Department news

Alumni news

New scholarship honors Eric Kerestes (BS 04, MS 06)

In memoriam

Old Masters: Ven Te Chow

Individual donors

Corporate and foundation donors

Parting shot: Where in the world are CEE’s alumni?

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4 cee .illinois .edu

Modernizing the facilities of ourflagship CEE department

One of the activities that I have most enjoyed during the 15 months that

I have had the privilege to serve first as Interim Head and since February 2015 as Head of our Department of Civil and Envi-ronmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (CEE at Illinois), is the opportunity to meet and get to know alumni and friends of CEE at Illinois . (Admittedly I have many more to go since there are more than 12,000!) These interactions have reinforced my belief that the main reason why our peers and the CEE profession at large consid-ers us the Number One CEE department is that many of CEE at Illinois alumni are nationally and internationally acclaimed leaders . I also believe, as many of you have confirmed, that the outstanding ac-complishments of CEE at Illinois alumni and friends are the result of a top-notch educational experience at Illinois . This has included close mentoring by many past legends and current legend-in-the-mak-ing members of our CEE faculty and staff, as well as access to world-class teaching and research facilities .

Newmark Civil Engineering Labora-tory, inaugurated in 1967, and Hydrosys-tems Laboratory, inaugurated in 1970, have been wonderful facilities to train generations of CEE at Illinois students . However, we must recognize that they are well into their fifth decade . Although CEE at Illinois has been active in modern-izing these building over the years, with

By Benito Mariñas

ivan racheff Professor of environMental engineering and head

Mariñas named Head

Professor Benito J . Mariñas has been named the new Head of the De-

partment of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) . Mariñas has been serving as Interim Head of the depart-ment since the departure of former Head Amr . S . Elnashai in January 2014 .

Mariñas joined the CEE faculty in 1995, having previously earned M .S . and Ph .D . degrees in sanitary and envi-ronmental engineering at the Univer-sity of California at Berkeley . At Illinois, Mariñas is the Ivan Racheff Professor of Environmental Engineering as well as Director of the Safe Global Water Insti-tute . In this role, Mariñas has worked with various interdisciplinary teams

to create sustainable solutions to sani-tation and water purification issues in developing countries .

In a message announcing the ap-pointment, College of Engineering Dean Andreas Cangellaris wrote, "Beni-to's exceptional scholarship, his global stature as a thought leader and an in-novator in processes and technologies for water sustainability and safety, and his record of successful leadership as interim head of CEE over the past year make him the perfect choice to head the department ."

Mariñas is the fifteenth Head of the CEE department since its establish-ment in 1967 . i


the exception of the recent addition of the state-of-the-art teaching facilities in the M .T . Geoffrey Yeh Student Center, we feel that our efforts have been mostly both dispersed and incremental, and un-able to catch up with the evolution in in-structional needs demanded by the CEE profession . Thus, we feel that it is now time to undertake a major modernization effort . We are getting inspiration for our modernization plans from the Yeh Stu-dent Center . It is motivating both in terms of how a modern, state-of-the-art facil-ity can enhance our educational mission and also in terms of how our alumni and friends can facilitate the achievement of our modernization goals through their in-volvement and financial support .

This edition of the CEE Magazine in-cludes a description of our vision and pre-liminary plans for modernizing the CEE at Illinois facilities . The overall plan includes four phases . The first phase, already com-pleted, is the Yeh Student Center . The sec-ond phase, currently underway, focuses on creating instructional laboratories and additional classrooms by adding two floors to the Hydrosystems Laboratory building and modernizing the old parts of the building . Phase 2 also includes the construction of a smart bridge that will connect the new classrooms and instruc-tional laboratories with those in New-mark Lab . The bridge will have functional space, and be equipped with sensors so that it can serve as a laboratory for struc-tural engineering courses . The bridge will also serve as a landmark proudly stating to visitors walking on campus that it is the

Newmark Civil

Engineering

Laboratory,

inaugurated in 1967,

and Hydrosystems

Laboratory,

inaugurated in 1970,

have been wonderful

facilities to train

generations of CEE

at Illinois students .

However, we must

recognize that they

are well into their fifth

decade .

home of CEE at Illinois, the flagship CEE department in the nation and the world . Key motivating factors for phase 2 of the modernization plan are the recognition by the CEE faculty that we need to de-velop new courses providing design and hands-on laboratory experience for our students, and also that we need addition-al classrooms to serve all courses now that the number of CEE students has gone up significantly—from approximately 1,200 when the Yeh Center was designed more than five years ago to 1,500 currently .

Phases 3 and 4 of the modernization plan will focus on expanding and renovat-ing Newmark Lab . The modernized build-ing will have a new main entrance in the southeast corner with professional motifs proudly communicating our stature as the Number One CEE department . The entrance will have large lobby and atrium spaces serving as venues for alumni and homecoming events, an auditorium serv-ing as classroom and convocation center, modern offices and meeting rooms for faculty, staff and students, and state-of-the-art research laboratories .

Please take some time to read about our modernization plans beginning on page 8 of this CEE magazine, and watch our website and future issues of the mag-azine for updates as plans progress . The CEE faculty and staff are looking forward to working with you and getting your support in making the modernization of CEE at Illinois facilities a reality . With your help, we will continue with Illini pride our tradition of being the Number One CEE department in the world! i

The first phase, already completed,

is the Yeh Student Center .

The second phase, currently underway, focuses

on creating instructional laboratories and

additional classrooms by adding two floors to

the Hydrosystems Laboratory and modernizing

the old parts of the building .



Excellence.Flexibility.

Illinois.

CEE at Illinois Online

cee.illinois.edu/ceeonline

Professional Development Hours, Certificates

You can register as a non-degree student for a single course or pursue a 3-course certificate as a non-degree student. Afterwards, you can apply for the M.S. program and transfer up to 12 hours (3 courses) to be used toward your 36-hour M.S. degree program requirement.

• Interact with other students through projects and

assignments.• Earn the same M.S. degree with the same degree

requirements as on-campus students.• Access lectures and course materials online.• Work toward professional development hours and

certificates.• Enjoy the flexibility and convenience of an online

program.

CEEAA Board of Directors

PresidentAllen J . Staron, P .E ., (BS 74)Clark Dietz Inc .Chicago

Vice PresidentColleen E . Quinn, P .E ., (BS 84)Ricondo & Associates Inc .Chicago

Second Vice President and SecretaryJohn P . Kos, P .E ., (BS 77)H .W . LochnerChicago

Past PresidentTracy K . Lundin, P .E ., (BS 80, MS 82)FermilabBatavia, Illinois

DirectorsDaniel F . Burke (BS 92, MS 93)City of Chicago DOTChicago

David Byrd, P .E ., (BS 01, MS 06)Bully and Andrews General ContractorsChicago

Nick Canellis (BS 94)Turner ConstructionChicago

Lynne E . Chicoine, P .E ., (BS 78, MS 80)CH2M HILLPortland, Oregon

John E . Conroyd, P .E ., S .E ., (BS 83, MS 85)Tishman Construction Corp .Chicago

James M . Daum, P .E ., (BS 77) Bowman, Barrett & AssociatesChicago

James K . Klein, P .E ., S .E ., (BS 78)Illinois Department of TransportationSpringfield

Dana B . Mehlman, P .E ., (BS 99, MS 01)Hinshaw & Culbertson LLPChicago

Paula C . Pienton, P .E ., S .E ., (BS 85)T .Y . Lin International GroupChicago

Frank Powers, P .E ., S .E ., (BS 82, MS 83)H .W . Lochner Inc .Chicago

Julian Rueda, P .E ., (BS 80, MS 82)Geo Services Inc .Naperville, Illinois

David A . Schoenwolf, P .E ., (BS 77, MS 78)Haley & Aldrich Inc .McLean, Virginia

C . Wayne Swafford, P .E ., S .E ., (BS 78, MS 82)Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc .Oakland, California

Scott Trotter, P .E ., (BS 90)Trotter and Associates Inc .Saint Charles, Illinois

Daniel J . Whalen, P .E ., (BS 84, MS 85)Hanson Professional Services Inc .Springfield

The new guyBy allen J. staron, P.e., (Bs 74)President, cee aluMni association Board of directors

Allow me to introduce the new guy . My name is Allen Staron, the first-born and arguably

the best-looking child of Theresa and Adam Staron . I was the first in the family to attend col-lege and somehow, through divine intervention perhaps, was fortunate to work my way through the Department of Civil Engineering at the Uni-versity of Illinois and earn a degree . I have had the good fortune of working as a civil engineer in the Chicago area my entire career, with my work occasionally taking me across the country . My wife, Paula, and I have three adult children and four (soon to be five) grandchildren . I assume the office of President of the Civil and Environmen-tal Engineering Alumni Association Board of Di-rectors with humility and a sense of awe in my predecessors . First and foremost is Tracy Lundin, who has guided the ship for the last two years . He has become a friend and a mentor over my years on the CEEAA Board . I will attempt to stay on course during my term in office .

As I move into my new role, I reflect on what I have learned while serving on the CEEAA Board for the past 10 years and how has it prepared me to serve you now . Three overarching themes have been consistent the past decade for the CEE department: a commitment to excellence, the ability to overcome challenges and a strong desire to have fun .

The accolades and high rankings for the CEE department are well-deserved . As with any suc-cessful organization, the foundation for its suc-cess lies with its people: dedicated staff, talented students, and accomplished alumni . The teach-ing and research staff of professors, graduate as-sistants and research assistants is extraordinary . Their ability to work cross-discipline to meet the challenges of today is amazing . Supporting the education mission are also skilled professionals like John Southwood, Celeste Arbogast and Ja-mie Byrum; they keep the CEEAA Board on track and help make my job much easier .

Next, the CEE students at both the under-graduate and graduate levels are equally amaz-ing . Every year the incoming freshman class has a new record of high achievement . They are smart, articulate and diverse in background and gen-der . I am confident that they will excel in meeting the challenges of the future .

Lastly, the achievements of our alumni across

our nation and the world are overwhelming . The CEEAA Board annually recognizes the achieve-ments of our distinguished alumni . I have come to appreciate that our CEE graduates reflect the best of the best in education, research, engineer-ing, management and construction around the world . Name any major infrastructure improve-ment in the last 50 years, and I bet you will find Illinois CEE graduates instrumental in its success .

Another unexpected observation during my board tenure is that higher education is also a business—different in many ways from the con-sulting engineering business that I operate in, but a business nonetheless . The CEE department has adroitly met its business challenges of lead-ership transition, recruitment, retention, funding, strategic planning and communication . As a stu-dent I did not have an appreciation for how the CEE department functioned; I was having a hard enough time trying to work my way through an introductory structures class taught by Bob Mos-borg and a soils class with Herb Ireland . Today, I appreciate how hard the department’s leader-ship works to maintain high quality while living within its budget . I can attest that they are good stewards of their funds and extremely creative on how to leverage their resources .

All CEE alumni can help to keep student edu-cation affordable while maintaining high qual-ity through a donation back to our school . With more than 12,000 CEE alumni, even a relatively small donation can have a positive impact . Ap-proximately 6 percent of our alumni base makes a regular contribution to the CEE department . Imagine the impact if that number doubled . To those of you who make regular gifts to the CEE department, thank you! To those of you who have not, why not? How much of what you have and what you have accomplished do you owe to the lessons learned on campus? Why not give back by making a donation today!

Lastly, I love to see how much fun our CEE graduates have when we gather together . Wheth-er it is a golf outing, dinner meeting, beer tasting or boat ride, we like to have fun, tell stories and maybe share a beverage or two . I look forward to meeting many of you over the next few years and hearing your tales of survey camp, Murphy’s, the Quad, the Flying Illini, and especially how to improve the football program . Go Illini! i


Approximately 6 percent of our

alumni base makes a regular

contribution to the CEE

department. Imagine the

impact if that number doubled.

To those of you who make regular

gifts to the CEE department,

thank you! To those of you

who have not, why not?


CEE at Illinois has embarked on a comprehensive plan to modernize our facilities to improve the student experience and promote innovative and emerging instructional methods . The four-phase project began with the construction of the Yeh Student Center, continues with an exten-sive upgrade to the Hydro Lab and will end with the renovation and expansion of Newmark Lab .


Hydro Lab modernization to feature hands-on labs, classroomsThe Hydrosystems Laboratory will be expanded

and modernized over the next three years in a project supported by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), the College of En-gineering, the campus and private gifts .

The goal is to provide classroom and laboratory space to support innovative and emerging instruc-tional methods, such as hands-on and project-based learning .

Although located in the Hydro Lab, the new space will be utilized by students and faculty in all of the de-partment’s areas of study . The expansion is another step in the larger, ongoing plan to modernize CEE at Illinois’ infrastructure, which began with the addition of the M .T . Geoffrey Yeh Student Center, dedicated in fall 2011 . The Yeh Center brought state-of-the-art classrooms and collaborative spaces to Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory, which is now a half cen-tury old . Soon after the Yeh Center was dedicated in 2011, however, it became apparent to department leadership and the faculty that there was more work to be done .

“We had outgrown the Yeh Center almost before it was completed,” said Benito Mariñas, Department Head and Ivan Racheff Professor of Environmental Engineering .

The department has now begun planning to con-tinue the modernization of its facilities in multiple phases throughout the next decade . CEE leadership and faculty believe the move is critical to support modern instructional methods and retain the depart-ment’s preeminence as the top program in the nation for civil and environmental engineering education .

“The future of our educational and research mis-sions requires a significant modernization of our fa-cilities,” Mariñas said . “Our curriculum must evolve to provide design and laboratory experience to our stu-dents in modern instructional laboratories with flex-ible configuration and state-of-the-art equipment, and to impart fundamentals with interactive smart technologies that require more modern classrooms .”

Plans are still coalescing, but a definite feature will be the addition of an elevator to make the building

continued on page 11



“We created the cross-cutting programs, and now we need to provide the infrastructure, the modernized space, that will allow the faculty to implement this vision for our students .”

Preliminary conceptual design developed by CEE at Illinois students Alex Dowd and Matthew McClone, under the

direction of Associate Professor Liang Liu.

The lab’s largest tilting flume is 161 ft long, 6 ft wide and 4 ft deep, and required an outside consulting firm to design the mechanical and electrical systems associated with it .

The building was financed by funding from the State of Illinois and a federal grant from the National Science Foundation .

McCarthy Hathman Construction Company was the general con-tractor for the building construction .

10

compliant with the Americans with Dis-abilities Act . The project will also ex-pand the building’s footprint to create laboratories, classrooms and collabora-tive space . The Hydro Lab and Newmark Lab will be c o n n e c t e d with a bridge designed to include use-able space for studying or collaboration and to be visually striking and structurally inno-vative . The bridge will be instrumented with display panels outside at ground level showing the collected data, such as strain .

“Our hope is that the bridge will be-come a north campus landmark—a source of inspiration and pride for cur-rent students and returning alumni that communicates the department’s preeminence,” said Associate Professor Liang Liu, CEE Associate Head and Di-rector of Undergraduate Studies .

Completed in 1967, the Hydro Lab has been the home of the department’s Environmental Hydrology and Hydrau-lic Engineering area . It features a large, central experimental bay for hydrologi-cal research, as well as labs, classrooms and offices . The renovations will create

space for use by all CEE areas, includ-ing areas designed for cross-disciplinary collaboration .

“We created the cross-cutting pro-grams, and now we need to provide the

infrastructure, the modern-ized space, that will allow the faculty to i m p l e m e n t

this vision for our students,” Mariñas said .

Professor Marcelo García is leading the committee that will plan the re-design . García is director of the Ven Te Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory and the M .T . Geoffrey Yeh Endowed Chair in Civil and Environmental Engineering .

“We have these classes that have a lot of design content, but we don’t have a lot of design space,” García said . “We want to afford the students more hands-on experience . Right now, my feeling is that between the crane bay in Newmark and the crane bay over in Hydro, students probably feel a lot more like spectators of the whole scene . We want to get them more involved, to use more of the lab and to do more things .”

The longer term plan to modernize CEE’s campus buildings stems from a

continued from page 9

A unique oscillatory flow tunnel was built in the lab as part of an initiative for the Office of Naval Re-search, to help them locate unex-ploded mines on the ocean floor .

At one point in the lab’s history, repurposing the space so Facilities & Services could use it for condensers was under consideration . Fortunately for the department, the Chancellor nixed the idea .

In 2011, CEE students received a special gift from department alumni and friends: a brand new student center, complete with a sunny atrium, study areas, modern classrooms and meeting spaces . The three-story Yeh Student Center provides a central “home” for CEE students who previously had classes in more than two dozen locations on campus . The meeting rooms allow for collaboration, the open spaces encourage socializing and gathering, and the state-of-the-art classrooms provide students and faculty with a modern environment for education .

The student center was funded entirely by gifts, including a $4 million naming gift from CEE Alumnus M .T . Geoffrey Yeh (BS 53) .

Look what you helped create!

desire to ensure that the department’s facilities support emerging innovative instructional methods being introduced by the faculty, Liu said .

“We have a lot of new ideas, new ways of teaching our students,” Liu said . “We need to ask ourselves, ‘What will the new facilities be that can cater to the new pedagogies, the new ideas? What are the spaces that will be needed?’”

The design of the renovated Hydro lab is scheduled to be completed by fall 2016, with construction finished by summer 2018 .

The project is one of six facility proj-ects totaling $23 million within the Col-lege of Engineering that are being fund-ed by the departments, the college and the campus matching funds program . The projects will provide upgrades to in-struction that will benefit an estimated 6,000 students across the University of Illinois engineering campus .

For the Hydro Lab expansion and future phases of the CEE Moderniza-tion Plan, there will be opportuni-ties for alumni to contribute by mak-ing a gift or even naming a classroom or lab . For information on giving to the CEE Modernization Plan, con-tact John Southwood, jfswood@il-linois .edu, (217) 300-5480 . i

“We want to afford the students more hands-on experience .”

In the mid-1960s, a Con-gressional bill rider was required in order to import a water tunnel for the lab from Hamburg, Germany .

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My, how we’ve grownIn the past decade, the CEE department has experienced significant growth in applicants, enrollment and faculty . The graduate program in particular has increased in great numbers but data shows gains in many areas, highlighting the need for expanded infrastructure .

YEH sTUDEnT CEnTEROpened in 2011 . Provided new classrooms and meeting space for students . Made possible by fund-ing from CEE alumni and friends .

nCEL ExPAnsIonLarge, three-story building addition on the southeast corner will add an auditorium, classrooms and modern office space . Target completion 2024 .

gREEn RooFIn addition to a modernized “face,” the NCEL expansion project will include installa-tion of a green roof .

UnDErgrADUAtE ProgrAMUndergraduate enrollment has been stable in recent years, though when current numbers are compared with those from 2005 a noticable increase is clear .

Total undergraduate student enrollment:

2005 493 2014 712

Teaching Assistants:

2007 28 2014 86

FACULtY AnD StAFFHiring of faculty has mirrored the growth of the student body and the development of new cross-disciplinary programs that provide education, research and global outreach op-portunities for undergraduates and graduates alike . CEE cur-rently has 50 faculty members and four additional faculty po-sitions are expected to be filled in the coming months .

As the number of programs, students and faculty has in-creased, the staff has grown accordingly . Additional profes-sional staff, Postdocs, hourly employees and service staff have been hired to provide support to the department .

CEE onLinE The CEE Online graduate program, while still relatively new, has shown marked increases in the number of applicants and enrolled students . Between degree and non-degree students, 235 students have taken nearly 400 classes online since the program began . Five degrees have been awarded to date .

Applications to online program:

2011 7 2014 43

Students enrolled in degree program:

2011 12 2014 61

Number of courses offered:

2011 13 2014 19 (soon to be 25)

StUDEnt orgAnizAtionSStudent groups provide an opportunity for students to en-gage with others in the program, learn things outside of a classroom environment and establish connections with pro-fessional organizations . The opportunities for student en-gagement have more than tripled since 2005 .

Number of student organizations within CEE:

2005 7 2014 27

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As plans progress on the new infrastructure project, beginning with the Hydro Lab modernization, alumni and friends will find many opportunities to contribute to the continued excellence of the department in a very concrete way:

− Naming opportunities for classrooms, labs, student spaces and meeting rooms .

− In-kind donations of equipment, materials or other assets .

− Company gift-matching .

− Ideas and input .

Donors will be recognized on a giving wall .

To learn more about the ways in which you can be a part of the CEE Modernization project by making a gift to the department, please contact John Southwood, Director of Advancement, (217) 300-5480, jfswood@illinois .edu .

Below: Preliminary conceptual design developed by CEE at Illinois students Alex Dowd and Matthew McClone, under the direction of Associate Professor Liang Liu

Help shape the future of CEEat Illinois

ConnECTIng BRIDgEPart of the initial project plan from the 1960s, which was scrapped due to lack of funding . Bridge design still conceptual .

HYDRosYsTEMs LABoRAToRY UPDATEsExpansion will provide new classrooms, offices and lab space . Target completion date 2018 . “At the end of the day, doing physical testing and experiments is very relevant, and affording that opportunity to our students is very important . That’s going to give them an edge with respect to the education other students receive at other schools .”— Professor Marcelo García

grADUAtE ProgrAMInterest in the CEE at Illinois graduate program continues to in-crease every year . Since 2005, the number of applications received has more than doubled and graduate enrollment exceeds that of the undergraduate program . CEE at Illinois’ reputation as a top civil and environmental department extends beyond the nation’s bor-ders: the number of international students enrolled in the M .S . pro-gram has more than quadrupled in the past nine years .

Graduate program applications: 2005 645 2014 1,373

Graduate program offers of admission:

2005 254 2014 666

Total graduate student enrollment:

2005 398 2014 730

International M .S . student enrollment:

2005 63 2014 281

Domestic M .S . student enrollment:

2005 127 2014 209

Graduate research assistants:

2005 193 2013 248

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Professor Marcelo H . García was invest-ed December 9, 2014, as the second

holder of the M .T . Geoffrey Yeh Endowed Chair in Civil Engineering . CEE alumnus Yeh (BS 53) established the chair in 1998 . Yeh is a philanthropist and the retired chairman of Hsin Chong International Holdings Ltd .

Special guests at the investiture in-cluded García’s wife, Estela, and their daughter, Emma; former University of Il-linois Chancellor and Emeritus Professor of Psychology Morton W . Weir and his wife, Cecelia; and Jon Khachaturian (BS 78), president of Versabar Inc ., who with his wife, Bobbi, made a gift to name Kha-chaturian Hall, where the investiture was held, after Jon's father, Narbey Khachatu-rian (BS 47, MS 48, PhD 52), deceased pro-fessor emeritus of CEE .

“I would like to thank Geoffrey Yeh for his generosity to his alma mater,” García said . ”Becoming the holder of the Geffrey Yeh chair is, for me, just incredible .”

García is a leader in the field of river mechanics, sediment transport, sedimen-tation engineering and environmental hydraulics . He is best known for his re-search in sediment entrainment from riv-erbeds, flow and transport in vegetated channels, the mechanics of oceanic tur-bidity currents, and the dynamics of mud-flows in mountain areas . García joined the faculty of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as an assistant pro-fessor in January 1990 . Since 1997, he has served as the Director of the Ven Te Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory . He was Editor-in-Chief of the American Society of Civil Engineers Manual of Engineering Practice 110 "Sedimentation Engineering," pub-lished by ASCE in 2008 .

Speakers at the investiture included College of Engineering Dean Andreas Cangellaris; Abbas Benmamoun, vice provost for faculty affairs and academic

García invested as Yeh Chair

policies; CEE Professor Emeritus and for-mer Head Robert H . Dodds Jr . (MS 75, PhD 78), who in 2000 became the first holder of the Yeh Chair; and CEE Professor Gary Parker, the W .H . Johnson Professor of Geology, who was García’s adviser at the University of Minnesota .

“I extend my most sincere congratu-lations to you, Marcelo, for this well-deserved honor,” Dodds said . “You’re an extraordinary scholar by every measure, an inspiring classroom teacher and a wonderful colleague . During my tenure as department head you set a very high mark for energy, enthusiasm and passion for our missions and, without question, earned the most frequent flyer miles of any faculty member I ever knew . I greatly enjoyed our 20 years shared together on the CEE faculty .”

Dodds spoke about Geoffrey Yeh and his devotion to the department, demon-strated by his funding of both the Yeh Chair and a significant portion of the M .T . Geoffrey Yeh Student Center .

“Geoffrey is a most impressive per-son,” Dodds said . “Words that immediate-ly come to mind to describe him include charming, kind, warm, exceptionally gra-cious and humble . He has a quick wit . He

loves to discuss international politics … and the hope he has for future genera-tions .”

Yeh has long been a supporter of the University of Illinois, from which he earned his bachelor’s degree in civil en-gineering in 1953 . He went on to earn a master’s degree from Harvard in 1954 . In 2011, he founded the Yeh Family Philan-thropy, a family foundation . A member of the President’s Council of the University of Illinois Foundation, Yeh was the lead donor for the M .T . Geoffrey Yeh Student Center, a 20,500-square-foot addition to Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory that provides state-of-the-art classrooms, meeting rooms and informal gathering space for students in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Il-linois .

Endowed chairs and professor-ships help the department retain top professors . Faculty recipients receive a significant career honor that also el-evates the stature of the department . They also receive additional funding that stimulates innovative research not covered by traditional sources . iFull story at cee.illinois.edu//garcia_invest-ed_as_yeh_chair.

Marcelo García with his daughter, Emma, and his wife, Estela .

Tami Bond wins MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant”

CEE Professor Tami Bond has been awarded a 2014 MacArthur Fellow-

ship, commonly known as a “genius grant,” from the John D . and Catherine T . MacArthur Foundation .

The fellowship carries an unrestricted $625,000 stipend to be used as the re-searcher sees best . According to a state-ment from the MacArthur Foundation, the fellows are chosen according to three criteria: “Exceptional creativity, promise for important future advances based on a track record of significant accomplish-ment, and potential for the fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work .”

Bond is a world leader in the study of aerosol emissions . She studies particles released into the air from burning all sorts of fuels, from biomass burning to kerosene lamps to diesel engines . She has been a pioneer in understanding the ef-fects of black carbon, the dark soot that floats into the air when organic matter is burned – a hazard for human health and the environment, affecting air qual-ity both indoors and out . She has formed partnerships with the World Bank to mea-sure emissions from diesel vehicles in de-veloping nations and with nonprofit or-ganizations to measure biofuel-cooking emissions . Understanding is only half the battle, though, and Bond seeks innova-tive solutions through practical, low-cost interventions, such as training people in developing countries to measure and evaluate their own cookstoves .

“Professor Bond is an exemplary scholar, a great mentor and teacher, and a dynamic voice for using science and prac-tical engineering solutions to address the grand challenges of aerosol and black carbon pollution threatening our envi-ronment and our health,” said Phyllis M . Wise, chancellor of the Urbana campus . “This recognition by the MacArthur Foun-dation is well-deserved and —to those

of us who know her on this campus—not at all a sur-prise . We’re proud to have her as a colleague and all of us here at Il-linois offer our congratulations to her for this honor .”

Bond earned a master’s degree in me-chanical engineering, focusing on com-bustion, from the University of California at Berkeley in 1995 and an interdisciplin-ary Ph .D . in atmospheric sciences, civil engineering and mechanical engineer-ing from the University of Washington in 2000 . She completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and served as a visiting scientist at the National Cen-ter for Atmospheric Research before join-ing the faculty at Illinois in 2003 . She also is affiliated with the department of atmo-spheric sciences at Illinois .

Bond received a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation in 2004 and was named a University Scholar by the U of I in 2012 . She has been a part of a num-ber of panels and reports on air pollu-tion for governmental agencies, and has served on committees to promote stan-dards and testing for clean cookstoves . iA video about Bond’s work created by the MacArthur Foundation is available at http://tinyurl.com/bond-macarthur.

Professor Tami Bond speaks at an Oct. 28 recep-tion hosted by the department to honor her as the department’s first MacArthur Foundation Fellowship recipient. Point your smart phone’s QR code reader at the code above to view a vid-eo about Bond’s work.

Bond poses at the reception with some of her students. Front row (left to right): Cheryl Weyant, Laura Fierce, Bond, Tianye Sun, Liang Liu. Back row (left to right): Francisco Mena Gonzalez, Nick Lam, Kevin Hade, Ryan Thompson, Alex Torres Negron, Rishabh Shah.



Autonomous Aerial Robots to Monitor Construction

One of the team’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) flies over a residence hall construction project on the campus of the University of Il-linois at Urbana-Champaign. To view the video, point your smart phone’s QR code reader above.

Imagine a construction site in which small, computer-controlled aerial ro-

bots autonomously navigate the job site indoors and outdoors, conduct visual inspection with onboard cameras and more . The robots measure construction progress and provide detailed and con-tinuous performance data on workers and equipment .

This futuristic scene is probably a lot closer than you think, thanks to research by CEE assistant professor Mani Golpar-var-Fard and collaborators Timothy Bretl, associate professor of Aerospace Engi-neering, and Derek Hoiem, assistant pro-fessor of Computer Science .

Quadcopters, small aerial robots with four propellers ranging in size from two to four feet across and also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, are being deployed already at some construction sites, but their use is currently limited to taking photographs and videos . In addi-tion, all quadcopters now being used at construction sites can operate autono-mously only when access to GPS data is available; otherwise they must be oper-ated by people . Golparvar-Fard and his research team are developing something very different: quadcopters that will be

computer-controlled to fully automate the data collection and, more impor-tantly, the analysis and reporting of prog-ress information on the construction site . They have also developed a way for these robots to install cameras on elements of the site automatically . They are envision-ing the use of these cam-eras for other tasks such as tracking the location of workers and equipment and maximizing accuracy in activity interpretations for performance monitor-ing purposes .

Construction is a $900 billion industry with 25-50 percent waste in coordinat-ing labor and equipment and in managing, moving and installing material, said Golparvar-Fard . In addi-

Students bring a UAV to a resi-dence hall project at U of I.

tion, he said, productivity arguably has been declining for many years at the in-dustry level . This has led the National Research Council of the National Acad-emies to identify improving the efficiency of construction as a key national need . Construction monitoring improves ef-ficiency by characterizing the extent to which construction plans are being fol-lowed and the extent to which workers and equipment are fully utilized . Cur-rent methods can be expensive, time-consuming and subjective, resulting in less frequent monitoring than is optimal, Golparvar-Fard said .

“The need for prompt feedback about actual or potential performance devia-tions on job sites is growing because the margins of profit are getting smaller, and companies need to be more competitive . Also current data collection methods are tedious, arduous and prone to being done only intermittently . … Many com-panies end up having incomplete perfor-mance data, and you cannot mount any analytics or root-cause assessments on top of it,” Golparvar-Fard said .

The system Golparvar-Fard and his team are developing works this way: the quadcopters take photos and videos of the construction site, guided by a cloud-

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Full story at cee.illinois.edu/golparvarfard_UAV2015

based computer program that can direct them to the right spots, resulting in au-tomatic data collection . The activities of the aerial robots are fully autonomous, including take off, navigation, landing and charging . The captured images and videos are then used to create an actual 3D model of the site under construction . The system compares this automatically generated 3D model to the as-designed 4D (3D plus time) Building Information Model, resulting in more frequent and complete progress monitoring infor-mation . The system also autonomously mounts battery-operated and WiFi-en-abled surveillance cameras on different elements of the site to automatically cap-ture videos of ongoing construction op-erations . Once the data is captured and transferred to the cloud, the system auto-matically detects and tracks workers and equipment in real time from the video feeds and categorizes activities of the re-sources automatically . The progress and activity monitoring results are visualized in a web-based, 4D augmented reality (D4AR) environment—a representation of the construction site in 4D with addi-tional performance information superim-posed on it . These D4AR models can also be made available to construction profes-sionals through smartphones and tablets, enabling them to make effective control decisions on- and off-site more quickly and easily .

“The autonomous nature of the sys-tem in terms of data collection and the automated performance analytics will significantly improve monitoring and control practices in construction,” Golpar-var-Fard said .

An expert in developing innova-tive construction monitoring methods, Golparvar-Fard (PhD 10) is an alumnus of both CEE at Illinois and the Computer Sci-ence department . His research interests include creating and developing com-puter vision, image processing and ma-chine learning methods to automatically monitor building and construction per-

formance . Hoiem’s contribution will be in visual analysis, which is necessary for en-abling the computer system to recognize construction materials from the surfaces of images, identify the actions of workers and track construction equipment . Bretl’s focus will be automating the process of data collection with the aerial robots . His team will develop methods of navigation and control that get the robots safely from one place to another in the site, en-able the placement and retrieval by ro-bots of cameras on structural elements, and guarantee that enough video is taken to support the visual analysis .

In order to test and develop their sys-tem, the researchers have been granted access to several active construction sites around the U .S . being operated by Zachry Construction and Turner Construction, in-cluding the new Sacramento Kings arena in Sacramento, Calif . In addition, the Uni-versity of Illinois Facilities and Services division has granted access to a current residence hall construction site . The result will be a new way to increase efficiency on the job site by giving the routine, te-dious jobs to the quadcopters and the as-sociated cloud-based computer systems, so construction professionals can focus on the more important tasks of decision-making and root-cause analysis of perfor-mance deviations .

“We want to minimize the time to ac-cess accurate performance information, and we don’t want construction profes-sionals to spend any time doing analyt-ics on how things are running on the job site,” Golparvar-Fard said . “All we want them to do is focus on how things could be improved .”

The preliminary work for this project was funded through an interdisciplinary faculty fellowship grant from National Center for Supercomputing Applications . The National Science Foundation award-ed the team a $1 million grant to kick off the full project from January of 2015 . i

Rutherford to study tidal turbines with CAREER award

CEE Assistant Professor Cassandra J . Rutherford has been awarded a Na-

tional Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award to study foundation systems for undersea tidal current turbines . The tur-bines generate energy when they rotate in response to tidal flows, similar to the way windmills make electricity from wind .

“Relative to wind, the energy resource potential for tidal current power is the least understood, and its technology is the least mature . Decreasing the cost of the foundation system is an important part of making tidal power a viable source of renewable energy,” Rutherford said .

Currently, there are no commercial grid-connected turbines operating in the United States, but a few prototypes and demonstration units have been tested globally, Rutherford said . There are plans to install turbines on the Pacific North-west and east coasts of the United States, she said .

Rutherford’s project is the first ex-perimental study of the loading on tidal current turbine foundations with the ob-jective of decreasing the cost of the foun-dation system . Tidal turbine foundations must be designed to resist high lateral loads as well as vertical and horizontal cy-clic loading from the oscillating blades, al-lowing the turbines to effectively absorb and harness the source of energy while attached to the sea floor . Rutherford’s re-search will evaluate suction caisson foun-dation systems for tidal current turbines .

CAREER awards, administered under the Faculty Early Career Development Program, are the NSF’s most prestigious form of support and recognition for ju-nior faculty . i



Project will broaden access to, illuminate geoscience data

Demand for soybeans in Sub-Saharan Africa is growing at a rapid pace,

while production lags far behind . This non-native crop is valued for its nutri-tional value, high yield and versatility, yet productivity is hampered by a lack of information . Farmers are not familiar with growing it, households are unfamil-iar with processing and cooking meth-ods, and communities must learn how to profit from it . CEE Assistant Professor Jeremy Guest is part of a multi-disciplin-ary effort to further soybean research and development in the region .

The Soybean Innovation Laboratory (SIL) at the University of Illinois is a con-sortium of non-governmental organi-zations (NGOs), government agencies, local stakeholders and researchers from diverse disciplines with a common goal of increased soybean productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa . As the Environmen-tal Sustainability Lead for the SIL, Guest is researching the environmental impact of growing soy in countries such as Gha-na, Mozambique, Malawi and Ethiopia .

“We’re trying to understand the lo-cal, regional and global environmental implications of transitioning to soy in Sub-Saharan Africa, and to use that un-derstanding to inform policies and agri-

Soybean production in Sub-Saharan Africa studied

Photo: From left, CEE Professor Praveen Kumar, CEE Research Associate Mostafa Elag and Na-tional Center for Supercomputing Applications Senior Research Programmer Luigi Marini are part of a team working to make long-tail data and models easier to utilize.

Each day, millions of researchers across the geoscience field and around the

world are busy collecting data for unique research projects . They develop equally specific models to utilize that data for their individual purposes . These collec-tions are called “long-tail” data and mod-els, because large numbers of research-ers collecting relatively small amounts of data add up to an extensive data trail . They represent a potential goldmine for the scientific community, but for one problem: they are too different . Data col-lections and unique models that reflect differences in units, time intervals, loca-tions and a host of other variables are generally so dissimilar that using them is more difficult for researchers than simply starting from scratch .

That may soon change, thanks to a project led by Illinois researchers to de-velop a way to make this data much easier to utilize, promising a significant savings of money and time for researchers wish-ing to utilize long-tail data and models . The team, led by CEE Professor Praveen Kumar, has received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a semantic framework for integrating long-tail data and models .

“We’re developing the semantic framework in software so that we can extract all this information from the dif-ferent data types and different model components and help them talk to each other,” Kumar said . “It cuts down the man-

ual effort that is required in discovering suitable data for a model and converting data so that it’s in a suitable format for a model . All that could be done automati-cally .”

The effect will be similar to giving sci-entists access to a translator, said team member Mostafa Elag, a CEE Research As-sociate .

“Just as languages have a semantic structure, we need semantic techniques for data,” Elag said . “With French and Eng-lish, the root language is Latin . They have a similar structure but not the same struc-ture . It’s the same for data and models . They need an interpreter or a translator .”

In addition to making long-tail data and models easier for other researchers to utilize, the project also will shed light on the very existence of additional scien-tific resources, Elag said .

“The broader impact of this project will be helping to increase the visibility of our resources—either models or data,” Elag said . “Without this framework, we cannot see what other communities are doing . Through this framework, we will be able to reuse other resources that we are not currently aware of .” iFull story at cee.illinois.edu/framework

RailTEC project will improve transit track components

Photo: CEE graduate research assistants (left to right) Matthew Csenge, Henry Wolf and Mat-thew Greve in a New York City subway station.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will work to

develop better track components for rail transit systems, thanks to a $2 .4 million, two-year grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) . The Rail Transporta-tion and Engineering Center (RailTEC) in U of I’s Department of Civil and Environ-mental Engineering (CEE) will develop new designs for concrete crossties and fastening systems used in light rail, heavy rail and commuter rail infrastructure that take into account their unique loading conditions .

“The resulting components will be more resilient to their respective loading environments and should allow transit agencies to increase the effectiveness of their capital spending by designing infra-structure components that will accom-modate the specific types of loads en-countered,” said J . Riley Edwards, senior lecturer and research scientist at RailTEC .

The research team—made up of ex-perts in transportation, structures and materials in CEE—will work with transit industry partners from across the country . Just one such partner, New York City Tran-sit, is among the largest transit providers in the world, providing more than 5 .5 mil-lion weekday rides through the operation of 8,000 trains per day, Edwards said .

The work will be done at RailTEC’s new Research and Innovation Laboratory (RAIL) at the Schnabel Laboratory on the campus of the U .S . Army Corps of Engi-neers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory in northwest Champaign and at rail transit field test sites around the nation, including one on New York City Transit .

“This is our first project sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration and we are excited about the opportunity,” said CEE Professor Chris Barkan, director of RailTEC .

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been a leader in rail education and research for more than a century . RailTEC at Illinois has the most extensive curriculum in railroad engineer-ing of any university in North America, complemented by an extensive research program in rail engineering and transpor-tation .

The project, “Resilient Concrete Cross-tie and Fastening System Designs for Light Rail, Heavy Rail, and Commuter Rail Transit Infrastructure,” will involve the fol-lowing rail transit industry partners: the American Public Transportation Associa-tion, New York City Transit, MetroLink (St . Louis), TriMet (Portland, Ore .), Metra (Chi-cago), Amtrak, CXT Concrete Ties Inc ., GIC Inc ., Pandrol USA, Amsted RPS and Hanson Professional Services Inc . i

cultural decision-making,” Guest said .Part of that process is having a solid

understanding of agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa . In March, Guest and his Ph .D . student Kia Alexander traveled to Ghana to visit demonstration farms where soy cultivation practices are be-ing tested . They looked at soil and water quality, erosion and other related factors to measure the impact of soy produc-tion . They also studied how equipment, chemical and energy usage is changing as a result of new farming methods, and what unintended consequences might result . Food security, a concept that is loosely defined as physical and eco-nomic access to food that meets dietary needs, is another topic that Guest feels is important to address .

“My research group is interested in understanding nutrient and water flows around populations, and developing technologies and resource manage-ment strategies that enable us to create closer links between populations and their food supply,” Guest said .

The SIL is funded by a $25 million federal grant awarded to the Univer-sity of Illinois and administered by U .S . Agency for International Devel-opment (USAID) . The project is part of Feed the Future, the U .S . govern-ment’s global hunger and food secu-rity initiative .

More information about the SIL can be found at soybeaninnovationlab .illi-nois .edu . i

Demonstration farm in Ghana. Photo: Soybean Innovation Laboratory



Taxi GPS data shows hurricane’s effect on NYC traffic

When Hurricane Sandy struck the east coast in late October 2012, the

“superstorm” disrupted traffic in New York City for more than five days, but the evacuation proceeded relatively effi-ciently with only minor delays, according to transportation researchers at the Uni-versity of Illinois . The largest Atlantic hur-ricane on record, Sandy offered a chance for Illinois researchers to try out a new computational method they developed that promises to help municipalities quantify the resilience of their transpor-tation systems to extreme events using only GPS data from taxis .

Dan Work, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmen-tal Engineering (CEE) and Brian Donovan, an M .S . student in CEE’s Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems program, analyzed GPS data from nearly 700 mil-lion taxi trips—representing four years of taxi travel in New York City—to determine the city’s normal traffic pattern and study the variations during extreme events like the hurricane and snowstorms . The data, routinely recorded by taxi meters, shows travel times and the metered distance for various trips around the city at different times of the day and night . The research-ers’ method works by computing the his-torical distribution of pace, or normalized travel times, between various regions of a city and measuring the pace deviations during an unusual event .

“The first step was to figure out from the data what is normal,” Work said . “There is a heartbeat pattern to the city every single day . In the middle of the night when traffic is light, you can get from one side of the city to another very quickly, and every morning during rush hour the roads are congested . The data shows us the typical heartbeat, and then we look for the arrhythmia .”

A resilient transportation system is one that can weather an extreme event with only minimal damage or service dis-

ruption and bounce back to normal rela-tively quickly, Work said . When cities know how their traffic systems respond to extreme events, they can examine ways to improve them . For ex-ample, an unexpect-ed effect of Hurricane Sandy was that the longest traffic delays occurred as people returned to the city to resume their normal activities immediately after the storm, Work said .

“That was the one surprising piece to us,” Work said . “A lot of literature on disas-ters has been very much focused on how to get people out of the city quickly and safely . It makes sense . But the re-entry process is also important, because you don’t want your first responders stuck in gridlock .”

There is still work to be done to trans-late this research into improved infra-structure resilience, Work said, but now there is a way to quantify the progress at a city scale .

“Importantly, this project shows us that the period immediately following the disaster should be the focus of addi-tional research, with the ultimate goal of enhancing post-disaster transportation management and policy,” Work said .

The researchers obtained the taxi data through a Freedom of Information Law request to the New York City Taxi and Lim-ousine Commission, which already col-lects it routinely . This gives it advantages over traditional methods for monitoring traffic that rely on sensors in the roadway or video cameras; that equipment can be expensive to deploy throughout a city, Work said .

“Although the taxi data isn’t primed for traffic monitoring purposes because it is so coarse, with the right processing, you can still see things about the city-scale performance that you would expect to observe from a dense network of tradi-tional traffic sensors,” Work said .

“One thing that I think is kind of cool about this project,” Donovan said, “is that taxis are designed to just get people from point A to point B, but this is a second use for them . The taxis themselves act as sensors to tell you what’s going on in the city .”

With 700 million records, the size of the data set creates its own set of chal-lenges . One of Donovan’s significant contributions to the project involved op-timizing the efficiency of the calculations to speed up the analysis, Work said .

“One of the major challenges when you’re dealing with a large data set like

A visualization of GPS data from taxicabs show-ing how Hurricane Sandy affected traffic in New York City. The color spectrum from blue to red represents the pace of traffic, with red being the slowest. View a 3-minute video of this visualiza-tion at http://tinyurl.com/taxigps. Point your smart phone at the QR code above for a direct link to the video.


Sketch-based instruction improves learningBy Mike koon

A group of CEE professors believe their use of sketch-based instruction could

help revolutionize learning .Sketch recognition involves teaching

computers to understand the meaning and intent of what humans draw by hand . That understanding can then be integrat-ed into a decision or learning system . The technology allows students to learn faster by offering immediate feedback for prob-lems involving drawing .

Research Assistant Professor Joshua Peschel is the principal investigator on a team that is piloting the technology in classrooms, using funding from the Col-lege of Engineering’s Strategic Instruc-tional Initiatives Program .

“Sketch Recognition really lies at the intersection between the liberal arts—understanding how and why people per-ceive things—and computational science and engineering—artificial intelligence,” Peschel said . “We have a lot of experi-ence with pen-based computing, such as recognizing basic shapes and handwrit-ing . By taking the next step in teaching computers to understand what it is we’re drawing by hand, it is allowing us to take some specific algorithms and package those up in a new and different way ."

The technology is being tested in CEE courses taught by CEE assistant profes-sors Megan Konar and Cassandra Ruth-erford using a concept called flow nets . Konar teaches a water resource engi-neering course with a focus on surface and subsurface hydrology . Rutherford teaches geotechnical engineering, which concerns, among other things, how wa-ter flows into an excavation, including

around buildings and under dams .In both classes, students are asked to

draw or diagram the lines and curves for flow net problems to visualize how water flows through soil . Currently, students learn flow nets using the traditional pen and paper method, which typically takes weeks to grade given the 100 or more students in the classes . With sketch rec-ognition, however, students can sketch on a tablet, which can tell them imme-diately whether their drawing is correct while also reminding them of the set of properties by which the problem needs to be solved .

“With this program, if they start draw-ing the line incorrectly, it tells them,” Rutherford said .

For the pilot study, the students were divided into three groups . The first used the pen and paper method, which of-fered no feedback; the second required students to solve problems on a comput-er using a finite element program, which asks them to copy what they see; and the third used the tablet with the sketch recognition software . The team found that those who used the tablet with the sketch-based recognition performed an average of three to five points higher on those types of questions than those who did not .

Peschel believes this is a launching point for uses in engineering and beyond .

“The beauty of the software we have developed is we can apply it to many different uses . . . . We don’t think it’s limited to engineering . For exam-ple, imagine learning Japanese with this same concept .” i

this is that you don’t want the program to run for 24 hours . In a disaster, that’s too long to wait; you need an answer immediately . So you have to design the algorithms appropriately,” Donovan said .

Donovan, who earned his bach-elor’s degree in computer science, was drawn to the M .S . program at Illinois because of the opportunity to work on multi-disciplinary projects like this one, he said, through the Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems pro-gram . The combination of computer science and transportation systems knowledge is the key to the success of a project like this, Work said .

“Our background in transportation engineering helped us choose the data set, clean it, and determine the perfor-mance metrics to study,” Work said . “At the same time, we needed the right computational tools to be able to pro-cess this much data and turn it into ac-tionable information .”

A paper on this work, “Using coarse GPS data to quantify city-scale trans-portation system resilience to extreme events,” published in the Conference Proceedings of the Transportation Research Board, is available online at http://tinyurl .com/workdonovan-tax-igps . The researchers have also made the data set available to the public, and the source code is available on Github .

Work is also a research assistant professor in the University of Illinois’ Coordinated Science Laboratory and a faculty fellow in the National Cen-ter for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), also based at Illinois . Donovan is a graduate research assistant in both CEE and NCSA .

This material is based upon work sup-ported by the National Science Founda-tion under Grant No. CNS-1308842. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this ma-terial are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Na-tional Science Foundation. i

From left, Josh Peschel, Cassie Rutherford and Megan Konar.



Never assume there are no more hills .— Illini 4000 rider rule

In May 2014, three individuals from the CEE department em-barked on a cross-country bicycle ride to raise money for cancer research and increase awareness of the fight against cancer .

Alex Knicker, a new CEE alumna who was a senior when she signed up for the ride; Arthur Tseng, an undergraduate; and Blake Landry, a post-doctoral researcher at the time of the trip and now a research associate/lecturer in the department, joined 17 other University of Illinois students on the 2014 Illini 4000 Bike America Team . Starting in New York City, the team rode for 4,490 miles through 16 states, across stretches of prai-rie, mountain ranges, high desert and forests, before reaching San Francisco 71 days later .

The ride is an annual student-run event to raise money for can-cer research, spread awareness of the fight against the disease and collect stories of those affected by cancer all across the nation (see portraitsproject .org) . The 2014 fundraising total was $96,273 .48, of which the CEE students raised $11,943 .80 . More information about the organization, as well as informa-tion on the 2015 ride, can be found at illini4000 .org .

The following pages feature blog excerpts and photographs from Blake, Alex and Arthur documenting their journey .


“Three years ago this week, my grandma was taken by breast cancer . Today is her birthday . And I am still cel-ebrating . … As I take part in the Illini 4000, I can cel-ebrate further in each lap I make around the track in training and in each mile I will bike across the States . This journey will celebrate all of the birthdays that will be saved by cancer research . It will celebrate the people we have lost in that we ride for them . It will celebrate the precious lives that all of us have, the struggles and challenges we face, and the strength and perseverance and love that we share . This ride is about change, about hope, about community and about each individual touched by cancer . That’s something we can all cele-brate .” — Alex Knicker, February 28, 2014

“Tomorrow is the big day . The start of my crazy, 71-day trip . We start at the north east corner of Central Park, and will try to find our way to the Atlantic sea and do the traditional dipping of our rear wheels in it . It should be alright, the only problem is the 5:45am waking time .”

— Arthur Tseng, May 24, 2014

“It did not dawn on me until I actually sat in the saddle of the bike for a prolonged period of time during the initial bike fitting that I was completely overwhelmed with emotions of concern and nervousness . Typically, I have always been very selective on the days I bike ride for commuting around town . If it is too cold, hot, windy, rainy or if I just do not feel like riding, I always would opt out . However, during the 72 days of the Illini 4000 journey I will not have the luxury of choosing the ’per-fect’ days to ride, and I will be exposed to all of nature’s splendor for the entire 72 days . There will be no nice windshield or roof to protect me from the elements (sun, wind, rain, hail, etc .), no air conditioning to offset the temperatures, no radio to help pass the time, and no engine other than my own body to move this pre-cisely crafted small collection of aluminum, plastic and rubber at speeds of ~15 mph for 4000+ miles across mountains, deserts, hills, prairies, farmlands and forests under whatever elements Mother Nature decides to provide that day .” — Blake Landry, March 1, 2014

GETTING READY…

Arthur Tseng, Alex Knicker, Blake Landry

“It might seem like we are doing something outrageous, but we are just a few kids on some bikes striving to make a change.” — Alex

getting ready

23


Idaho: eggs, potatoes, salmon cake

Iowa: BLT

Pennsylvania: cheesesteak

Colorado: chicken curry

Utah: fried fish taco

Illinois: rice & duck jaws

California: In-N-Out burger

Oregon: claypot rice

Arthur (May 28):“I realized that I should actually try to eat out as much as possible, because I want to try the food from different parts of the country, as opposed to eating PBJ for lunch every day and wasting the fact that I’m travelling across the country .”

Alex (June 27):

“So many people say that they want to make the most of every single day and live life to the fullest, but I think few re-ally succeed . I am thankful for this ride and these portraits which have made me realize even more how precious our time is and how we can be posi-tive and cherish the right things . So many of the things we hold dear are so disposable and so trivial . We waste so much time on social media and we spend hours shopping for things we don’t need and we are often selfish . We need to look up from our phones and computers . We need to foster relation-ships and take care of them . We need to put our hearts and our actions into things that we care about and things that can make a difference . “

Alex (July 6 ):

“Cancer is so prominent that everyone probably at least walks by someone every day who has been touched by cancer . In general, every day people walk past others who are suffering or worrying or hurting from something . Yet we get angry at the slow driver in front of us or we get annoyed by the restaurant service or we walk through the park without smiling at anyone we pass . Looks are deceiving . That wait-ress might be smiling but she just lost a relative . That person relaxing at the park is actually wondering how he’s going to pay the bills . The man we did a portrait with today was kind and talk-ative and friendly, but when the por-trait began he immediately teared up when sharing the story of his deceased father .

“If we hadn’t taken a moment to just stop and listen, we wouldn’t have known this story which defined part of his life and touched him so deeply . If we jump to conclusions about other people in the world, we could be miss-ing out on relationships and we could miss so many opportunities to learn and grow .”

BLAKE (July 11):

“To be honest at the onset of the ride, I thought I would plenty of time to myself to internalize my thoughts and document my experiences each day of the ride here on my rider’s blog . How-ever, given the packed schedule on top of the physical and mental demands, I am amazed that I make it though each day . What I once thought was just a simple activity of riding a bike has be-come elevated to a whole new level of required focus, attenuation, determi-nation, stamina and dedication .”

Blake (April 24):

“Why I ride?

“It is such a simple question, but one to which the answers seem to be never ending . Distilling it to the purest form, I ride to fight for everything I hold dear and can be summed up in two simple four-letter words: HOPE and LOVE . I ride to support hope (through raising awareness and fundraising for new research efforts) that someday the diagnosis and successful treat-ment of cancer will be common day practice and the pain and heartache that it caused will be fleeting distant memory, something that we only read in history books . I ride to bring hope to close family members and friends that are currently battling (or have battled) this terrible disease, so that they know that they are not alone, we are all con-nected and that only together we can provide the needed support to weath-er the storm . I ride to bring hope and love to those that have lost their way and save precious friendships that are priceless . I fight to restore my hope in humanity, because a world in which noble pursuits, commitments and self-less acts of kindness and compassion are not done is a world that I cannot fathom to live in . Lastly, I ride to bet-ter myself to always remember what is truly important in life and to never lose sight of it .“

pre-ride

Day 34

Day 49

Day 44

Day 4


Arthur (August 2):

“All I can really say is ‘wow .’ This sum-mer has been pretty crazy, this still doesn’t quite make sense in my head, how the hell did I get from New York to San Francisco on a bike?? This summer has been an eye opening experience, it made me fall even more in love with cycling, the country and the people . The views in Crater Lake and the Rock-ies, the conversation with the cowboy cancer survivor, and the memories of climbing the Appalachians, Rockies and Cascades, will all stay with me for-ever .

“It’s ironic how when the trip was al-most over, I wished that it would end sooner . But now that it is over, I feel a certain emptiness, kind of an uncer-tainty . Because whereas in the trip, I knew exactly what I’m going to do the next day, now it’s more like, ‘what should I do tomorrow?’ I will miss mak-ing my body suffer every day, and get-ting hyper from orange soda and the Double Torture coffee drink and having superhuman energy from those drinks . I will miss making people’s mouths drop when I tell them that we were biking from New York to San Francisco .

“This might just be the best summer I’ve ever had in my life .”

Blake (August 29):

“Rarely did I stop to think of how the ride was becoming my own vehicle for internal change through all the difficul-ties and adversities that were encoun-tered . Looking back, the ride will for-ever serve as a constant reminder as to the countless daily battles that people are fighting against cancer and other illnesses, which often have no clear fin-ish lines in sight and still people man-age to press on . …

“There is a simple yet powerful quote that I came to more fully understand and appreciate; “I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person .” – Walt Whitman, Song of Myself . Without a doubt, this ride was indeed my way of becoming a wounded person on all levels: physical, emotional, and mental . …

“The emotional roller coaster of highs and lows was constant throughout the journey; there was never a day that tears were not shed or large smiles had . Through it all I pushed, because this was exactly what I had signed up for and I wouldn’t have had it any other way . The frequent change of emotions help me to truly appreciate all the com-plexities in life and to taste the sweeter side of life all the more .”

“There are days when this trip is fun and easy, like yesterday . And there are days when it’s just really difficult and mentally exhausting, like today . As I finish climbing each hill, and peer over the crest, I see another five hills in front . Rolling hills are my worst enemies .” — Arthur

Day 71 post-ride

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Some of the many student organizations for civil and environmental engineers at Illinois tell what they’re up to and how alumni can get involved . A more extensive list of CEE student organizations and links to their websites appear here: cee .illinois .edu/student_organizations .American Concrete Institute The American Concrete Institute (ACI) Student Chapter promotes student interest in all as-pects of concrete . During monthly meetings, members gain perspective from guest lecturers who discuss unique challenges facing concrete in the field and in the laboratory . The student chapter is affiliated with ACI-Illinois, the profes-sional liaison chapter located in Chicago . This school year, the members have the opportu-nity to attend ACI conventions in Washington, D .C ., during the fall semester and in Kansas City during the spring semester, where they also compete in the undergraduate student compe-titions—a reinforced concrete egg protection device in Washington, D .C ., and a concrete beam with fiber-reinforced polymer rebar in Kansas City . They also operate the popular Concrete Coasters and High-Strength Concrete Demon-stration exhibits at Engineering Open House every March . For information, please contact aciuiuc@gmail .com .

American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way AssociationThe University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s student chapter of the American Railway Engi-neering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) was founded in the fall of 2008 and has since grown to 70 members, representing undergraduate and graduate students from six different majors . The 2014 AREMA Annual Con-ference was held in Chicago in late September and 45 chapter members attended, providing them valuable networking and educational opportunities . In addition, chapter members were afforded the opportunity to become CPR certified, gain hands-on experience with track maintenance, and learn from guest speakers representing a wide array of careers within the railroad industry . This year, chapter members participated in their seventh annual Engineer-ing Open House and went on field trips to gain insight into the field of railroad engineering . The chapter is seeking guest speakers, hosts for field trips, and donations to help fund travel to the 2015 AREMA Conference in Minneapolis . For more information, contact Matthew Greve at aremauiuc@gmail .com .

American Society of Civil EngineersFounded in 1921, the U of I chapter of ASCE is one of the largest in the nation with a member-ship base of over 250 student and faculty mem-bers . The chapter is committed to the goals of ASCE and aims to provide a valuable experience to members . The student chapter helps prepare students for the work life after graduation . To achieve this aim, the student chapter hosts pro-fessional events with invited industry leaders, social events and informative events about new developments in the civil engineering indus-try . ASCE also participates in the Great Lakes Regional Conference this year at Notre Dame University . This is an annual conference where students from 18 regional colleges compete in various events like steel bridge, concrete canoe, materials competition, environmental compe-tition, surveying competition, mystery design and quiz bowl competition . This competition helps student apply their analytical and practi-cal knowledge in a competitive atmosphere . If you are interested in helping out or sponsoring the ASCE Student chapter, please contact Megh Patel at mrpatel6@illinois .edu .

Chi Epsilon Honor SocietyChi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society is a collection of students who excel in academ-ics and have a passion for their chosen field of study . This semester the Illinois chapter is excited to initiate 17 new numbers . Every gen-eral meeting a civil engineering firm comes to speak with the students about their company and one of their current projects . This year’s lineup includes Kimley-Horn, Terra Engineer-ing, and Crawford, Murphy and Tilly . Student members are encouraged to network and con-nect at social events like the wine and cheese mixer where students get to meet CEE faculty at one of the professor’s house in a social set-ting . Other events include happy hours after meetings and service events such as ihelp and can food drives . Chi Epsilon is always looking for scholarship sponsors and guest speakers at their meetings . If interested, please contact President Emma Kay at EmmaKay2@illinois .edu . Visit their website at https://sites .google .com/site/chiepsilonuiuc/home .

Construction Management Association of AmericaConstruction Management Association of America (CMAA) is an organization geared toward aspiring Construction Managers . Con-struction Managers plan, coordinate, budget and supervise projects as they develop from paper to reality . These professionals interact with both the designers and clients in order to deliver the desired project . The CMAA Student Chapter at Illinois strives to introduce students to the dynamic industry of construction . CMAA relies on general contractors for construction site visits and presentations at general meet-ings . In addition, students have the opportuni-ty to receive scholarships and attend the CMAA national conference held in the fall . These events give students a look into the work of a general contractor, the industry as a whole and potential career opportunities . Any students in-terested in events with CMAA should join the Facebook group: “Construction Management Association of America UIUC Chapter” and/or email Becca Nothof at nothof2@illinois .edu .

Earthquake Engineering Research Institute The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) is a leading technical society in earth-quake risk and engineering research . They give any student the chance to make contacts and learn about subjects in earthquake engineer-ing . EERI also hosts visiting professionals for guest lectures . The recent range of topics has included SAP2000, engineering, risk analy-sis and policy . Another event is the Seismic Design Competition . The National EERI also holds an undergraduate competition at their annual conference . The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has participated for the last four years and performed consistently well . Undergraduates who join the design team are introduced to earthquake engineering con-cepts, design and construct a 5-foot-tall balsa wood building, and give a presentation at the conference . Finally, their structure is tested on a shake table to simulate a real earthquake . They are also actively seeking funding to sup-port students to participate in this competition . For more information, contact Carol Chen, at chen396@illinois .edu .

Student Organizations


Geotechnical Engineering Student Organization The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign chapter of the ASCE Geo-Institute graduate stu-dent organization provides geotechnical gradu-ate students with a forum to pursue and discuss their research interests in an educational and constructive environment as well as allow them to develop the leadership and interpersonal skills they will need as future engineers . The chapter continues to have frequent research roundtables, which include student member presentations on their current research and professional speakers from the private or pub-lic sector . Last school year, GESO sent a team of undergraduate and graduate students to the annual GeoCongress conference in Atlanta, Ga ., to participate in the GeoPrediction competi-tion . The U of I GeoPrediction team won third place, competing against other top geotechni-cal engineering schools throughout the United States and world . This school year, GESO plans on attending the GeoCongress conference in San Antonio, Texas, to participate in all three student competitions: GeoWall, GeoPrediction, and GeoPoster . For more information, please contact Steve Wilk at swilk2@illinois .edu .

International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and ResearchThe IAHR is an 80-year-old independent organi-zation of engineers and scientists who work in the area of hydro-environmental sciences and their practical applications . The IAHR student chapter at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign organizes field trips to local hy-draulic works and research facilities, profession-al development seminars and reading groups, and coordinates the exhibits for Engineering Open House at the Ven T . Chow Hydrosystems Lab . It also organizes social activities which in-clude the annual Hydro T-Shirt design contest, pumpkin carving contest, cookouts and mixers . For more info visit: https://sites .google .com/site/uiuciahriwra/ or email iahr .iwra@gmail .com .

International Water Resources AssociationThe student chapter of the IWRA at the Univer-sity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is dedi-cated to expanding the understanding of water resources issues by promoting education and collaboration in research and decision-making . The chapter works locally to raise awareness of water resources issues through educational

events open to the campus community . They also promote interaction among students and faculty within the lab, and provide members with networking opportunities . As of 2014, the main activity of the IWRA student chap-ter was to organize the annual Illinois Water Day, following the spirit of the United Nations’ World Water Day . The First Illinois Water Day, held on April 11, 2014, was a half-day confer-ence featuring four speakers, around than 100 participants, and more than 30 posters . The second Illinois Water day was held on April 10, 2015, featuring a water resources-related docu-mentary followed by panel of expert discussion to further engage scientists, students, research-ers and the community . Additionally, they hold professional development seminars, support community activities such as Boneyard Creek Community Day, and host social and network-ing events to facilitate interaction between students, faculty, alumni, companies and other student chapters . They also publish a newslet-ter, Water, every semester . For more informa-tion, visit http://waterday .illinois .edu, https://www .facebook .com/IllinoisWaterDay, or con-tact shafiee2@illinois .edu .

Steel Bridge TeamThe Steel Bridge team is currently preparing for the regional competition at the University of Notre Dame . Their design approach was made more complex than past years in order for the team to try to win a place at the National Com-petition at the University of Notre Dame . For more information regarding the team or the competitons, please feel free to contact captain Anna Marie Cowan at avcowan2@illinois .edu .

Structural Engineers AssociationThe Structural Engineers Association student chapter serves to educate students about structural engineering through networking events and professional opportunities . They have monthly meetings given by structural en-gineers, tour active construction sites, give lec-tures on engineering software, visit engineer-ing offices in the Chicago area and host various research panels . Their social events include barbeques each semester, bowling nights, broomball, field days and bar crawls with vari-ous other organizations within the Civil and Environmental Engineering department . This year they celebrated their 10th Anniversary by hosting a dinner and listening to speeches from

their past presidents to congratulate this orga-nization on all of their achievements . To get in-volved or to ask any questions, please contact Peter Busch at pabusch2@illinois .edu or visit their website at https://sites .google .com/site/seauofi/ for more information .

U.S. Green Building CouncilUSGBC Students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is officially affiliated with U .S . Green Building Council (USGBC) . The U .S . Green Building Council is committed to a pros-perous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings . USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmental-ists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students . USGBC is the developer of the LEED green building certification pro-gram and the convener of the Greenbuild Inter-national Conference & Expo . USGBC Students is a registered student organization, and a mem-ber society of Engineering Council of the Uni-versity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign . Their goal is to advance USGBC’s mission to move towards a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings . Their activities include monthly gen-eral meetings, campus projects, service work and LEED GA exam study sessions .

Water Environment FederationThe Water Environment Federation-American Water Works Association joint student chapter is a place for students who are interested in pur-suing fields related to water . They provide the opportunity to grow as students professionally, academically and personally through their net-work of professional connections and support . They take frequent drinking water and waste-water treatment plant tours, engineering firm office tours and host company representatives as well as professors to speak to their organiza-tion . Through their student design team, they compete with other universities at the regional level in Madison, Wis ., and at the national level between Chicago and New Orleans during WEFTEC . As they grow, they anticipate expand-ing their involvement to attend more confer-ences and host more events . The best way to keep up with their organization and contact them is through their website http://publish .illinois .edu/wef-awwa-uiuc/ .

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Adjunct Professor William F. Baker was elected to the Royal Academy of Engineer-ing. The Academy elects Fellows from diverse backgrounds, including leading engineering and manufacturing companies and world-leading academic institutions. Fellows are invited to join the Fellowship in recognition of their outstanding and continuing contribu-

tions to engineering.

Professor Tami Bond has been awarded a 2014 Campus Distinguished Promotion Award to support her scholarly activities. Her dossier was identified as one recommend-ed for special recognition, based on the scope, quality and impact of her scholarship, teaching, service and en-gagement efforts.

Professor Tami Bond was chosen as a Chi Epsilon Chap-ter Honor Member for the University of Illinois’ Alpha Chapter. As such, she joins the ranks of Ira O. Baker, Na-than M. Newmark and Narbey Khachaturian. Bond was chosen because she embodies the definition of a CHM: an outstanding individual who has made an impact in the field of civil engineering and the lives of students. according to chapter leadership.

Assistant Professor Eun Jeong Cha has been awarded the “Enabling the Next Generation of Hazards & Di-sasters Researchers Fellowship.” The prestigious NSF-funded program is aimed at developing junior faculty to become active scholars in both their individual disci-plines and in the broader hazards and disasters research

community. The program fosters the development of hazards scholars who will expand and strengthen the interdisciplinary research community by provid-ing mentoring from leading scholars in the field and through organized workshops.

PhD Student Hajin Choi won the student paper compe-tition in the area of sensors, nondestructive testing and industrial applications at the 2014 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, held in Chicago this month. The title of the winning poster was “Application of air coupled ultrasound to full-scale concrete columns using tomography.”

Assistant Professor Roland Cusick was awarded the 2014 Paul V. Roberts/AEESP Outstanding Doctoral Dis-

sertation Award for his Ph.D. dissertation work on “Nutrient and Heat Recovery from Waste Streams Using Microbial Electrochemical Technologies.” This annual award from the Association of Environmental Engineer-ing & Science Professors is given in recognition of a rig-orous and innovative doctoral thesis that advances the science and practice of water quality engineering for engineered or natural systems. Cusick’s work involved the development of two new METs to enhance the sus-tainability of wastewater treatment.

Associate Professor Rosa Espinosa-Marzal was se-lected for an NCSA fellowship for “Critical Molecular Interactions Underlying Biomineralization.” This project will provide understanding of the molecular interac-tions responsible for mineral formation and self-healing

The CEE department will host the in-augural Women Exploring Graduate

Opportunities in Civil and Environmental Engineering (We Go CEE) workshop at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Cham-paign on September 18-19, 2015 .

The We Go CEE workshop is focused on encouraging women engineers to seek graduate degrees . Junior, senior and master’s level women students from

Workshop encourages women to pursue advanced degrees

around the U .S . and our own women students will be in-vited to attend the event . The seminars will be focused on prepara-tion for graduate school, writing effective fellowship applications, mentoring, net-working and developing leadership skills .

The keynote lecture, “Pathways to Suc-cess,” will be presented by CEE alumna Dr . Sharon Wood (MS 83, PhD 86), Dean of En-

gineering, the University of Texas at Aus-tin . If you are interested in attending the alumni/networking dinner on Friday eve-ning please contact Assistant Professor Cassie Rutherford, cjr@illinois .edu . More information about the event can be found at wego .cee .illinois .edu . i

Middle school students from Blessed Sacrament School in Springfield, Ill., toured the department in October 2014. The students are part of the Illinois Math and Science Academy’s Fusion program, a sat-ellite program which seeks to promote excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathemat-ics. In this photo, they pose overlooking the crane bay.


properties by directly exploring them through ab initio quantum chemistry methods. The long-term goal is to establish design principles for sustainable self-healing biomimetic materials.

Research Program Coordinator L.B. Frye and advance-ment team member Sheree D. Fruzen recently com-pleted the Citizen Police Academy training at the Police Training Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Citizen Police Academy is a 10-week educational and informative program that allows citi-zens the opportunity to learn about the issues that face law enforcement efforts in the county. The goals of the academy are to provide stronger citizen/police relation-ships, to enhance lines of communication, and to help reduce crime in the community.

Professor Youssef Hashash has been selected as a governor of the Geo-Institute (G-I). The G-I is a specialty membership organization focused on geo-professionals and the geo-industry. It is one of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ eight specialty Institutes.

Professor Youssef Hashash was a keynote speaker as part of the University of Maryland’s Mpact Week on Di-saster Resilience, a comprehensive exploration of what engineers, researchers and scientists can do to help pre-vent, mitigate, respond to and recover from disasters, and make our society and infrastructure more resilient. The title of his keynote presentation was “Geotechnical Engineering Perspective on Sustainability and Resilien-cy Implications of Hurricane Sandy,” and took place dur-ing the Mpact Week session on Coastal Infrastructure. The event was organized by Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering.

Professor Gholamreza Mesri is the 2015 recipient of the Karl Terzaghi Award. This prestigious award is pre-sented by the American Society of Civil Engineers to rec-ognize outstanding contributions to knowledge in the fields of soil mechanics, subsurface and earthwork en-gineering, and subsurface and earthwork construction. Professor Mesri was recognized for his pioneering work on soil mechanics and soil behavior including consolida-tion and settlement analyses, shear strengths for static and seismic slope stability analyses, and undrained shear strength of soft clays and loose sands.

Professor Gary Parker is the winner of the 2014 G.K. Gil-bert award from the AGU EPSP Focus Group. This award

About 125 CEE alumni and students set sail on the Chicago River Aug .

29 for a boat tour hosted by the Civil and Environmental Engineering Alum-ni Association (CEEAA) . The tour was narrated by a two-person team includ-ing CEE alumnus Richard F . Lanyon (BS 60, MS 61), retired executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Water Recla-mation District of Greater Chicago, and Constance Rajala, a docent from the

Chicago Architecture Foundation . The author of “Building the Canal to

Save Chicago,” Lanyon spoke about the importance of the canal system to the city in historical and contemporary terms . Rajala talked about the city’s architectural history and buildings along the route .

The CEE Chicago River boat tour will be offered again on August 29 . Check cee .illinois .edu/events for more informa-tion as it develops . i

CEE alumni, students cruise Chicago River

GAMES 2015 Environmental Engineering and Sustainability Camp June 21-27, 2015

GAMES is a residential, week-long camp for rising 10th through 12th grade girls . Topics will include sustainability and how the environment, culture, society and economics are all linked; environmental pollutants and the cycles they follow as they move through the air; water and soil; climate change; renewable energy sources and energy efficiency; water resources and clean water technologies; and air quality management . Classroom, field and laboratory sessions and activities are taught by CEE faculty and advanced graduate students . For more information, visit tinyurl .com/environmentalgames2015 .

Continued on page 30

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CorPorAtE PArtnErS ProgrAM

cee .illinois .edu/cpp

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering gratefully acknowledges the following companies who contribute to CEE at Illinois as Corporate Partners .

PRINCIPAL PARTNERS

LEGACY PARTNERS

is given to a scientist who has either made a single significant advance or sustained signif-icant contributions to the field of earth and planetary surface processes and who has in addition promoted an environment of unself-ish cooperation in research and the inclusion of young scientists into the field.

Professor Billie F. Spencer Jr. won the 2014 J.M. Ko Medal of Advances in Structural Engineering for the pa-per “Full-Scale Experimental Validation of High-Fidelity Wireless Measurement on a Historic Truss Bridge,” Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 93-101, by Shinae Jang, Billie F. Spencer, Jr., Jennifer A. Rice and Zhihao Wang.

Embedor Technologies, a University of Illinois at Urba-na-Champaign startup in structural health monitoring based on the work of Professor Billie F. Spencer Jr. and Professor Gul Agha, Department of Computer Science, won the Cisco/Chicago Exchange Challenge sponsored by Cisco’s EIR program to support early-stage startups in the Internet of Things. As a winner, Embedor should re-ceive financial support from Cisco and the CIE, as well as the opportunity to incubate in the CIE’s primary 17,000 square foot space, along with collaboration/mentoring

CEE at Illinois gratefully acknowledges the sponsors of lunch

at the CEE job fairs

Continued from page 29

from Cisco engineers and executives.

Professor Erol Tutumluer, research assistants De-bakanta Mishra and Yu Qian, and student Hasan Kazmee were awarded the GeoShanghai Prize for Best Paper at the GeoShanghai International Conference 2014 for their paper entitled “Behavior of Geogrid Reinforced Ballast at Different Levels of Degradation.”

Professor Emeritus Marshall R. Thompson has re-ceived the 2014 Carl L. Monismith Award from the ASCE Geo-Institute. The award was presented June 2 during the 12th International Society of Asphalt Pavements (ISAP) Conference at NC State University, Raleigh, N.C. The award citation reads: “For five decades of leadership in pavement engineering, including pioneering research

on the geotechnical aspects of pavements and mecha-nistic pavement design and performance prediction.” Thompson’s Monismith Lecture, delivered at the con-ference, considered the historical development of M-E (Mechanistic-Empirical) design, materials characteriza-tion, structural modeling and design criteria.

Assistant Professor Daniel B. Work was selected for an NCSA fellowship for “Improving the Efficiency of Taxi Systems Through Real-time Seek Time Prediction.” The goal of this project is to assess if the seek time for a taxi is predictable, and if so, to also learn the predictors. This work will examine a dataset of more than 700 million taxi trips in New York City to predict seek times, ulti-mately enabling predictive taxi information services to improve system efficiency.

Fall 2014 Bowman, Barrett & Associates Inc .ChevronCiviltech Engineering Inc . Sargent & Lundy LLCTrotter & Associates Inc .Union Pacific Railroad

Spring 2015 Bowman, Barrett & Associates Inc .Civiltech Engineering Inc . Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc . CTLGroupUnion Pacific Railroad


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2010sShorma (Bianca) Bailey (MS 14) has been named as one of the Historically Black College University “2014 Top 30 Under 30.” Bailey was awarded the White House “Champion of Change Award for Women & Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math” in 2012, and was nominated by Girls In-corporated for her volunteer work and

engineering leadership with Engineers Without Bor-ders. Her master’s thesis focused on using black and green tea leaves to purify and clean water. She is now a Ph.D. candidate in Agricultural and Biological Engineer-ing, and will continue researching sanitation and water purification using plant-based methods. As a mentee of First Lady Michelle Obama and member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Bailey is committed to scholarship and ser-vice in the community and abroad.

Donald E. Manhard III (BS 14) has joined Manhard Consulting, a civil engineering and surveying firm with offices nationwide, as staff engineer. His hiring repre-sents the third generation of Manhards practicing civil engineering at the firm. In his new position, he will work closely with Don Manhard Sr., P.E.; Don Manhard Jr., P.E.; and Peter Manhard, P.E.

2000sKevin R. Day (MS 02), assistant chief engineer, tech-nology, testing and standards for Canadian National Railway has been selected as one of Progressive Rail-roading’s 2014 Rising Stars. The finalists were chosen based on their contributions to railroading, career achievements, education, demonstrated leadership, professional association activity and/or community in-volvement.

Matthew A. Johnson (BS 04, MS 08) has joined the Fehr Graham engineering and environmental office in Champaign, Ill., as a project manager. He will be respon-sible mainly for water and wastewater projects, as well as business development in the local office. Johnson has 12 years of project management experience and is licensed as a professional engineer and structural engi-neer.

Yung-Cheng Lai (MS 04, PhD 08) received the Wu Da-Yu Memorial Award from the Ministry of Science and Technology. It is the most prestigious award for young researchers under the age of 42 in Taiwan.

Chevron Senior VP, CEE alumnus delivers Dean’s Distinguished Leadership Lecture

Joseph C . Geagea, senior vice presi-dent of technology, projects and

services at Chevron, delivered the College of Engineering’s Dean's Dis-tinguished Leadership Lecture Octo-ber 22 . His presentation, “Meeting our Energy Needs For a Better Tomorrow,” took place in Khachaturian Hall at the Yeh Center in Newmark Civil Engineer-ing Laboratory .

A CEE at Illinois alumnus, Geagea (BS 81, MS 82) joined Chevron in 1982 as a design engineer . In his current po-sition, which he has held since January

2014, he is responsible for energy tech-nology, delivery of major capital projects, procurement, information technology, upstream production services and talent selection and development in support of Chevron’s upstream, downstream and midstream businesses .

During his visit, Geagea presented a $100,000 gift from Chevron to the Univer-sity of Illinois and met with various faculty across the engineering campus . After his talk that evening, Geagea mingled with CEE students at a reception in his honor at the Yeh Center . i

At left, at a reception following Geagea’s lecture, the CEE alumnus and Chev-ron Senior VP visits with students in the Yeh Center. Below, Geagea poses with CEE students during a check presentation on the quad. CEE Professor Emeritus Marshall Thompson is at far left.



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CEE alum, retired general inducted into RoTC Hall of Fame

Michael C. Quill (BS 06) engi-neer intern, recently joined Han-son Professional Services Inc.’s Chicago regional office. He will assist with infrastructure-related

projects. Quill was previously a project en-gineer for a construction firm in Chicago, where his responsibilities included help-ing with field operations and coordinating with architects and designers for submit-tals and requests. He also served as a surface warfare officer for the U.S. Navy in San Diego.

1990sDennis C. Evans (MS 97) is the new commanding of-ficer of the U.S. Coast Guard Research & Development Center in New London, Conn. His military awards include the Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal and the Coast Guard Commendation Medal. The Research & Develop-ment Center supports the Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, other U.S. government agencies and the international maritime community with tech-nology for search and rescue, law enforcement maritime safety, environmental protection and ports, waterways and coastal security. The center’s everyday mission en-sures each Coast Guard unit has the equipment, training and policies needed.

Denny C. Fish Jr. (BS 94) has joined RS Investments, a global investment management firm, as a senior tech-nology analyst. Previously, he was the co-head of the Technology Team and senior equity research analyst at Janus, primarily focusing on the technology sector, in-cluding hardware, software and services.

Michael W. Flatt (BS 95, MS 96) P.E., S.E., PMP, LEED AP®, federal operations and project manager at Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s Springfield, Ill., headquar-ters, recently became a certified project management professional (PMP). The Project Management Institute, a non-for-profit professional membership association, offers the PMP credential that recognizes demonstrated competence in leading and directing project teams. Flatt has provided project management and structural engineering services on a variety of projects, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the University of Illinois Springfield’s University Hall and Founders Residence Hall, renovations at the Illinois

State Capitol and the new geothermal system for the adjutant general’s office at the Illinois Army National Guard’s Camp Lincoln, all in Springfield; multiple Bank of Springfield locations in Illinois; the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Muscatine, Iowa; and the expansion of an International Broadcasting Bureau station in Kuwait. He is a member of the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers, National Society of Professional Engineers and the Society of American Military Engineers. He is a li-

censed professional and structural engineer and a Lead-ership in Energy and Environmental Design accredited professional.

Mathew A. Fletcher (BS 94) P.E., S.E., a vice president and project manager at Hanson Professional Services’ Peoria, Ill., office, received the Civil Engineer of the Year Award from The American Society of Civil Engineers’

(ASCE) Central Illinois Section, which recognizes distinguished civil engi-neers for significant engi-neering contributions. His work at Hanson includes being the engineer of record for the 3,300-foot-long Tanana River Bridge that is part of Alaska Railroad Corp.’s Northern Rail Extension between North Pole, Alaska, and

Delta Junction, Alaska, and Union Pacific Railroad’s (UP) Proviso Third Main (B2) project from Elmhurst, Ill., to Melrose Park, Ill., for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program; struc-tural design engineer for BNSF Railway Co.’s intermodal facility expansion in Memphis, Tenn.; and project engi-neer for UP’s Global III facility in Rochelle, Ill. Fletcher was selected as a Rising Star in Structural Engineering by ZweigWhite’s Structural Engineer magazine in 2012. He is a licensed professional engineer in multiple states, including Illinois, and the Canadian province of British Columbia; and he is a licensed structural engineer in Alaska, Illinois, Oregon and Nevada.

Howard N. Gotschall II (BS 99) P.E., S.E., a structural engineer at Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s St. Louis regional office, recently celebrated 15 years of service with the firm. Gotschall joined the company in 1999 at

CEE alumnus Brigadier General (Retired) Jack Kotter (BS 63, MS 65) was inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame on Octo-ber 24 on the University of Illinois campus. Kotter retired from AT&T, formerly Illinois Bell Telephone Co., after 30 years of service in numerous state area field and headquarters staff management assign-ments. He is a retired soldier of the U.S. Army Reserve, having served in a variety of engineer units, where he held com-mand positions from platoon to division level for more than 36 years. Kotter is ac-tive in multiple church, civic and military organizations and holds several board positions throughout Illinois in these ar-eas of interest. He is currently serving his fourth term as an Army Reserve Ambassa-dor. Kotter is pictured above, left, with CEE Professor and Head Benito J. Mariñas at his induction ceremony in Huff Hall.

Michael Quill

Mathew Fletcher



Alum makes second largest gift in CEE historyLyle Hughart (BS 60), third from left, visited the department in March and had lunch with CEE department head Benito Mariñas, second from left, and members of the engineering advance-ment team. Pictured are College of Engineering Associate Dean for Advancement Dale Wright, far left, and CEE Director of Advancement John Southwood, far right. Hughart recently pledged the second largest gift in the history of the department, a $2.4 million estate gift in support of scholarships and professorships. A resident of Plainfield, Hughart is the retired General Partner of Hughart Family Ltd. Partnership.

the Springfield, Ill., head-quarters and moved to the St. Louis regional office in 2001. He has provided bridge design for highway and rail projects, includ-ing multiple bridges for the Illinois and Missouri departments of trans-portation; reconstruc-tion of an interchange at interstates 90 and 39; the Paducah and Louisville Railroad relocation for the Kentucky Dam lock addition on the Tennessee River in Kentucky; and the Alaska Railroad Corp. northern exten-sion, which includes the Tanana River bridge in Salcha, Alaska. Gotschall is a member of the Structural Engi-neering Exam Development Committee for the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois and the Structural Engineers Association of Kansas and Missouri.

Nicholas G. Hyatt (BS 94, MS 96) P.E., S.E., has been promoted in the London office of Thornton Tomasetti, the international engineering firm, to associate princi-pal.

Michael F. Smithson (MS 99) has been promoted to vice president of operations responsible for under-ground projects throughout Skanska USA Civil’s western region as well as supporting national underground proj-ects. A 20-year industry veteran, Smithson is one of the nation’s foremost experts in the underground market. Since joining Skanska two years ago, he has played a key role in expanding Skanska’s underground work in the west including the recently awarded LA Metro Regional Connector project. Smithson is a licensed professional engineer.

Jerome S. Silagyi (BS 93) manager of technical services at Lane Enterprises Inc., Camp Hill, Penn., has received the Kenneth Boekecker Jr. Distinguished Service Award from ASTM International Committee A05 on Metallic-Coated Iron and Steel Products. The award recognizes exemplary contributions to the success of the commit-tee. A member of ASTM International since 2007, Silagyi also serves on Committees B07 on Light Metals and Al-loys, D18 on Soil and Rock and F17 on Plastic Piping Sys-tems in addition to A05. He is a licensed civil engineer in

Howard Gotschall


show your CEE at Illinois pride with an item from the CEE webstore! new items are being added all the time! Visit https://my.cee.illinois.edu/buy.

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the state of Michigan. As manager of technical services, he provides engineering support for the design, construction and maintenance of underground structures, small bridges, retain-ing walls and buried conduit. Silagyi is a mem-

ber of the National Corrugated Steel Pipe Association in addition to ASTM International.

Lee A. Staab (MS 90) is the incoming city manager for New Minot, N.D. He worked for the Army Corps of En-gineers for 28 years before spending more than seven years in private industry. He has made more than 50 trips in connection with his work to Iraq, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Eric M. Widstrand (BS 93) P.E., T.E., P.T.O.E. has joined Michael Baker International as the Active Transportation Manager for Southern California and will support active transportation efforts throughout the company’s West and Mountain regions. Widstrand has a strong back-ground in transportation, with emphasis on full traffic impact analysis and multi-modal traffic operations. He has more than 20 years of experience working on vari-ous traffic and transportation projects for both public and private agencies. He is a registered Professional En-gineer in California, Illinois, New York and Washington, as well as a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer and Traffic Engineer in California.

1980sManson K. Brown (MS 85), retired Vice Admiral in the U.S. Coast Guard, has been nominated by President Obama to be the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Observation and Prediction at the National Oceano-graphic and Atmospheric Administration. He will be overseeing the nation’s weather satellite programs, the Joint Polar Satellite System and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R. Brown retired after more than 36 years in the Coast Guard. Over the last decade, he has been a constant military executive presence at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards Sci-ence, Technology, Engineering and Math Training and Career Fair Conference. Brown’s many military decora-tions include the U.S. Transportation Secretary’s Gold Medal, Legion of Merit, and Iraq Campaign Medal. In 1994, he was honored as the first recipient of the Coast Guard’s Captain John G. Witherspoon Award for Inspi-rational Leadership. He is a registered professional civil

engineer.

William J. Hupperich (BS 88), BSCE, has been hired as a Senior Project Manager at Manhard Consulting, a civil engineering firm headquartered in Vernon Hills, Ill.

Daniel J. Whalen (BS 84, MS 85), P.E., has been named a senior vice president at Hanson Professional Services Inc. Whalen, principal of the power and industry mar-ket, works at the firm’s Springfield, Ill.

headquarters. He also recently celebrated a cumulative 25 years with the company. As market principal, he oversees project planning, design and construction sup-port services for Hanson’s industrial and power generation and transmission cli-ents. Throughout his career at Hanson, he has provided geotechnical engineering, project management, feasibility studies, site evaluations, quality assurance and quality control and other services for proj-

David R. Maidment (MS 74, PhD 76), the Hussein M. Alharthy Centennial Chair in Civil Engineer-ing in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, visited the Hydrosystems Laboratory in October. He delivered two lectures, one on the National Flood Interoperability Experiment, an initiative to create a new national flood data, modeling, forecasting and flood inundation mapping system for the United States. The other lecture focused on former CEE faculty member Ven Te Chow, with whom Maidment studied during his time at Illinois. Maidment, center in the back row, is pictured above with members of the Hydrosystems faculty. Assistant Professor Ashlynn Stillwell, seated at right in the front row, organized Maidment’s visit. Maidment is a Distinguished Alumnus of CEE at Illinois.

Maidment lectures on flood mitigation, Chow

Dan Whalen


A scholarship fund established in memory of deceased CEE alumnus

Eric J . Kerestes (BS 04, MS 06) will make its first award to a CEE student this spring . Kerestes died on August 14, 2012, at the age of 30, when he was struck by a taxi in Chicago . Kerestes’ parents, Bob and Carol, and his younger brother, Jeff, with the support of Eric’s wife, Tatijana Stafets, established the Eric J . Kerestes Memorial Scholarship fund to honor Kerestes, who his parents say was so committed to the University of Illinois that, as a high school student, he applied only to Illinois .

At the time of his death, Kerestes worked for Kiewit, an international con-struction and engineering firm . He lived in Chicago with Stafets, who had also at-tended the University of Illinois, having graduated with two degrees from the University’s architecture program . Ker-estes was working toward his Master’s in Business Administration at the University of Chicago .

“He wanted to be a CEO,” said his fa-ther, Bob, a mechanical engineer at Ex-elon Power Corporation in Clinton, Ill .

The scholarship will be awarded to CEE undergraduate students, with prefer-ence given to those whose primary con-centration is in structures, transportation, geotechnical engineering, construction management or construction materials . Kerestes’ undergraduate primary concen-tration in CEE at Illinois was transporta-tion, and his master’s degree was in con-struction management .

“Eric had a great base at U of I,” said his mother, Carol, who teaches English as a Second Language at Illinois State Univer-sity . “What he learned was a great help to him when he went out into the business

Kerestes honored with scholarship fund


If you know of a deserving col-league who graduated from CEE at Illinois, consider nominating him or her for a CEE Alumni Asso-ciation award . The Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award and the Young Alumnus/Alumna Achieve-ment Award recognize those who have distinguished themselves in the field at different career stag-es . The next deadline is August 1, 2015 . For more information, please visit our alumni awards page of the CEE website at cee .illinois .edu/CEE-AAawards .

noMInATIons InVITEDCEE Alumni Awards


Interested in serving on the CEEAA Board of Directors?

The CEE Alumni Association Board of Directors celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2013 . If you’re inter-ested in serving the department as a board member, fill out an online application at cee .illinois .edu/alum-ni . For more information, contact Jamie Byrum, jbyrum@illinois .edu, (217) 244-6804 .

ects nationwide and in several foreign countries. He is a licensed professional engineer and a member of the CEE Alumni Association Board of Directors.

1970sGautam H. Oza (MS 70) has co-authored two books, “Dock and Harbour Engineering” and “Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering,” and has also been select-ed as Author of the Month for September 2014 by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India.

1960sEdwin G. Burdette (PhD 69), the Fred N. Peebles Pro-fessor in the Department of Civil and Environmental En-gineering at the University of Tennessee (UT), has been named the Peter G. Hoadley Award winner for 2014. The award is given to the outstanding engineering educa-tor by the Tennessee Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Burdette is considered an expert in the study of concrete and concrete-based construction. He has spent almost six decades at UT, and has won numer-ous accolades for his teaching. He is a Fellow of both the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Concrete Institute.

Marvin E. Criswell (MS 66, PhD 70) has been named by Tau Beta Pi as the 21st Outstanding Adviser at Colorado State University in its program to recognize engineering faculty who make important contributions to students and collegiate chapters. Criswell was cited in his nomi-nation for setting an example with his leadership style, thirty-plus years of dedication to the association, and in-fusing the human component within advising. Criswell joined Colorado State University in 1970 as an assistant professor. He became an adviser to the Colorado Delta Chapter of Tau Beta Pi in 1977, and began two decades as Chief Adviser in 1996. He continues to perform vital tasks for the prosperity of the chapter such as processing class rankings, guiding officers, and encouraging orga-nized agendas and goals.

To submit alumni news, contact Celeste Arbogast, [email protected], (217) 333-6955.


IN M

EMO

RIA

M

1990sGarth DeShong Hall (MS 97) died July 29. He was 42. He was a partner at Raths, Raths & Johnson.

1980sDavid A. Johnston (BS 80) died May 21.

He was 56. He worked three years at a Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach, Calif., and for 31 years at Compu-Trus Industries.

1970sHoward L. Hellerstedt (MS 74) died June 17. He was 67. He was an officer in the Army for 21 years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel of Merit. He had a second career as a professional engineer and retired again in 2010.

Robert M. Meccia (MS 73) died July 24. He was 70. He was an Airborne Ranger in Vietnam. He was an environ-mental engineer at Foster Wheeler Environmental Corp.

Richard S. Muller (BS 74) died July 25. He was 65. He graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and was a commander in the U.S. Coast Guard.

1960sRonald L. Day (BS 63) died July 30. He was 74. He was formerly a senior engineer specialist with Scott Paper Co. of Mobile, Ala.

Dennis J. Leary (MS 64) died May 23. He was 79. He enlisted in the Army at age 19 and was honorably dis-charged a disabled Korean War Veteran in 1956. He was a geotechnical engineer and partner in Langan Engineer-ing and Environmental Services for 26 years.

Wayne R. Wolter (BS 63) died July 16. He was 74. He worked for the Illinois State Highway Dept. and then for Azzarelli Construction.

1950sRichard J. Beck (MS 58) died June 15. He was 87. His memories of WWII were published in the book “WWII, Duty, Honor, Country: the memories of Those Who Were There.” He taught construction technology at Indiana University Purdue.

John D. Daigh (MS 57, PhD 57) died June 2. He was 83. He spent 20 years in the U.S. Army. From 1961-1971 he was an engineering professor at West Point and later taught at Eastfield and Richland colleges.

William G. Emrich (BS 50) died July 23. He was 86. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and retired as Deputy Regional Administrator for Region 5 after 30 years of service with the Federal Highway Ad-ministration.

Harwood Oxley Herlocker (BS 51) died July 29. He was 88. He worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Chi-cago District Office for more than 40 years and is a member of their gallery of Distinguished Employees.

Gerald V. McCollam (BS 50) died August 1. He was 87. In a 25-year career at James McHugh Construction Co., he played a significant role in the construction of more than 100 notable projects, including Marina City and Water Tower Place.

Curtis A. Tack (BS 58) died July 10. He was 81. He served four years in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and 24 years with the Seabees and in public works. He had three tours of duty in Vietnam and earned the Bronze Star.

1940sMatthew J. Atkinson (BS 47) died June 19. He was 91. He was a U.S. Navy veteran with service in the Pacific Theater dur-ing WWII and served as an engineer for People’s Gas in Chicago for 34 years.

Charles B. Bruggen (MS 47) died June 20. He was 89. He was a U.S. Marine Corps officer in the Korean War. During his pro-fessional career in Chicago, he was involved in the construc-tion of the John Hancock building and the Willis (Sears) Tower. He retired as Senior Vice President of Anning-Johnson after 38 years.

James H. Gallivan (BS 48) died August 29. He was 90. He was a machine gunner in the U.S. Army in World War II. Dur-ing a career in the ready-mix concrete, road, bridge, sand and gravel businesses, he spearheaded the Healey Street Deten-tion Basin.

Robert D. Mahan (BS 47, MS 49) died June 18. He was 91. He was retired from Burgess & Niple Ltd. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946. He worked as an engineer for the University of Illinois, the State of Illinois, the consulting firm of Horner & Shifrin and the U.S. Air Force.

George H. Paris (BS 40) died June 24. He retired from the Portland Cement Association in 1983.

Max J. Weberling (BS 49) died May 14. He was 89. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II. He worked for Amoco Oil for 38 years.


To make a gift to the Eric J. Kerestes

Memorial scholarship Fund, please contact

John southwood, [email protected],

(217) 300-5480.

world . He loved the U of I; I think he kind of hated to leave .”

More than 80 individuals and com-panies donated to the scholarship fund, Carol said, including a group of alumni who had performed as Chief Illinwek, who were encouraged to give by Eric’s uncle, Scott Christensen, also a former Chief . Eric’s brother, Jeff, who now works in advertising in New York City, was in-strumental in establishing the scholarship fund just days after Eric died, as the family pondered what to do with the donations they received from people who had seen the news of Eric’s tragic death, his parents said .

Eric’s company, Kiewit, also honored his memory with an award named for him . A few months after he died, his fam-

ily was contact-ed by Kiewit and told that they were plan-ning to name one of their an-nual awards in honor of Eric . They flew his parents and his wife to their an-nual meeting

in Omaha for the inaugural presentation, Carol said .

“At the lunch, many people spoke about Eric and then they gave the award named after him . It would be awarded from then on in his name,” Carol said . “It was very touching . Afterwards, they gave us a book in which people who had known Eric wrote about their memories of him as an employee and a person . It was amazing to us that a company of this size would do this for us and for Eric .”

That honor, as well as the U of I schol-arship fund, will help to memorialize Ker-estes, who is still remembered by faculty and staff in CEE at Illinois as a friendly, en-gaged student .

“He was a wonderful person . He had a lot of friends,” his mother said .

“You would want him for your son,” his father said . i


To submit news of an alumni death, please contact Celeste Arbogast, [email protected], (217) 333-6955.



Ven Te Chow1914-1981Educator, hydrologist, water resources engineer

Pasteur Medal (1976) . He was elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering (1973), a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Academician of the Academia Sinica and of the China Academy, and on and on . Among his long list of awards was the Silver Jubilee Commemorative Medal of the International Commission on Irriga-tion and Drainage . Medals and awards galore came from such groups as the U of I, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Western Electric Fund, Fulbright-Hays, and the National Science Foundation, to mention a few . The State of Texas named him an Honorary Citizen .

Chow was a consultant and lecturer to many governments, governmental agencies and private entities in such countries as Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, the People’s Republic of China, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, France, Ghana, Hungary, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Puerto Rico, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Yugoslavia and the United States . His professional contributions of major societal importance included USAID assistance to the Pan American Union, TVA and the Texas Water Development Board . Chow was an adviser on water problems to the United Nations Secretariat, as well as an adviser to the U .S . State Department on foreign policy on water management in developing countries .

Chow was the author and editor-in-chief of two well-known books, long considered to be classics, namely Open-Channel Hydraulics (1959), and the

By Professor eMeritus WilliaM J. hall

May 2005

As a renowned educator, researcher, and water resources engineer, Ven

Te Chow significantly influenced the understanding and importance of water resources throughout the entire world .

Chow was born in Hangchow, Checki-ang, China on August 14, 1914 . He re-ceived his B .S . in Civil Engineering with honors from National Chiao Tung Uni-versity, China, in 1940, his M .S . Degree in Structural Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1948, and his Ph .D . in Civil Engineering (Hydraulics) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Cham-paign in 1950 . He joined the faculty of the Department of Civil Engineering at Illinois in 1951, advancing through the ranks to Professor of Hydraulic Engineering in 1958 . In the intervening years, between these various degrees, he held a variety of technical positions in China and in the United States . As a professor he was im-mersed in research and instruction, and national and international professional assignments .

A summary of Ven Te Chow’s known activities and honors would fill more than three single-spaced pages; a few highlights follow . Ven was a founder and first president of the International Water Resources Association . He was also presi-dent of the American Geophysical Union’s Section on Hydrology, as well as fellow and founding member of the American Academy of Mechanics .

He received honorary doctorates from universities in India, Korea, France and Canada . The Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg, France, awarded him an honorary doctorate, as well as the Louis

Engineering giants of the department’s historyOld Masters

Handbook of Applied Hydrology (1965) . He was also the co-author of another popular textbook, Applied Hydrology, published after his death in 1988 . He wrote his first book at the age of 27 on the Theory of Structures (in Chinese) . He was the author or co-author of more than 218 other publications covering a wide range of subjects in hydrology and water resources . In addition he was editor of, and contributor to, a wide range of journals, such as Water Resources Research, the Academic Press Series’ Advances in Hydrosciences, Journal of Hydrology, the Elsevier’s series Developments in Water Science, McGraw-Hill’s Water Resources and Environmental Engineering . He was Editor-in-Chief of Water International until very shortly before his death .

Chow was an admired and highly respected colleague at Illinois, revered by his legion of students both here at the university and worldwide . He often was described as a giant in his field, as both a developer and a disseminator of knowledge . It is fair to describe Chow as a worldwide educator and public servant in hydrology and water resources, a stature rarely achieved . He was a true ambassador and leader for the then-emerging field of Hydrologic Science . He organized the first U .S . Meeting of Hydrology Professors at Illinois in 1969 .

Ven Te Chow died on July 30, 1981, in Champaign, Ill . He and his wife, Lora, had two children, Margot and Marana . i


President’s CouncilWe thank those who have joined the University of Illinois President’s Council with a commitment of $25,000 or more. Below are members who joined before June 30, 2014, and who have given to the department.

Friends:Lalit R. Bahl and Kavita Kinra Antoinette D. Berkel Estate Walter L. and Carole A. Crowley Anna Allen Farnsworth (dec) Richard W. and Gayle D. Landuyt Paul M. and Susan N. Mayfield David Boyce Mary Barlow Medearis William E. O’Neil Helen F. Grandone Marilyn Smith Brown Hunt George-Anne Oliver Kelly Narbey Khachaturian David A. and Rise R. Lange Jon C. Liebman Phyllis Oschwald Vern and Jeannie Snoeyink Albert J. Valocchi Robert J. Watkins

1995Wilbur C. III and Dawn C. Milhouse

1991Brian E. and Lin Healy

1987David G. and Janet S. Peshkin

1984Larry C. and Rhonda S. Wesselink

1982Joseph C. and Marianne J. GeageaDonald E. Jr. and Patricia M. Manhard Julian RuedaTracy K. Lundin

1981Kevin J. and Carey A. Dulle

1980William F. Baker John L. and Karen E. Carrato James K. and Rebecca S. Clinard

1979John A. FrauenhofferSusan Douds and Jack L. Goertz

Bruce A. JohnsonStuart A. KleinThomas A. BeckJane C. Penny

1978Robert H. Dodds Jr. and Deana

Bland-DoddsJon E. and Barbara B. KhachaturianDamon S. Williams Stanley M. Herrin and Elizabeth

A. SmallAndrew W. Richardson

1977

William J. Nugent Perry C. and Linda S. HendricksonJames J. Brown and Emi K. Kawasaki

1976Jeffrey A. and Kristin L. LiggettRobert W. and Andrea C. Cusick

1975Leslie J. and Theodora I. Benson Dan and Mary Guill

1974Sergio ‘Satch’ PecoriRichard J. and Linda J. SierackiRichard Jr. and Helen A. Cramond

1973James L. and Doris I. Willmer Ronald W. and Lois T. Crockett

1972Dean J. Arnold

1971Bengt I. and Kathryn A. Karlsson Michael G. and Cinda J. Berry Fred and Paula GarrottJoseph M. and Patricia A. Kaiser

1969Barry J. and Pauline G. DempseyRichard J. Erickson Gholamreza Mesri

1968George K. Varghese Paul D. and Barbara C. Koch Robert G. and Flo Anne O’Brien

1967Arthur R. Jr. and Judy B. Jensen

1966Richard A. Pattarozzi Norman Allen and Lee Ann Dobbs Marvin A. Wollin

1965Larry M. Sur

1964Marshall Ray Thompson

1961Neil Middleton and S. Ann HawkinsWilliam A. Jr. and Delores HustonRobert W. and Donna Mikitka Thomas K. Liu and Olive M. Chen-Liu

1960Lyle W. and Nancy M. HughartPhillip L. and Deborah P. GouldNorman C. and Sharon L. Riordan

1959Thomas C. H. Lum Robert E. Morgan Joseph H. Pound

1958Joshua L. Jr. and Eleanor W. Merritt Benjamin A. Jones Jr.

1957Ronald R. and Margaret M. Watkins

1956Arthur R. Robinson

1955Thomas J. ByrneJerry J. Felmley

1954David C. Crawford Maurice A. and JoAnn Wadsworth William J. and Elaine F. Hall

1952John E. Barrett

1951William K. Becker Louis Bowman Jr.

1950Burton A. LewisWilliam E. and Margarite D. Stallman

1949Wendall Lee Rowe Robert J. and Stella F. Mosborg

1948Melvin and Theda Febesh

1943Sidney and Sondra Berman Epstein

Individual Donors

The Department of Civil and Environmental

Engineering thanks its alumni and friends who

have made it possible for our students and faculty

to pursue their education and research in the best

CEE department in the country . We could not do

it without your support .

Donors to any fund in the Department of Civil and

Environmental Engineering from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014, are

listed here. We strive to make these lists as accurate as possible. If your

name is listed incorrectly or omitted, please accept our apologies. For

corrections or further information about making a gift, please contact

John Southwood, (217) 300-5480, [email protected].


Dean’s ClubThe department is honored to acknowledge members of the Dean’s Club of 2013-2014. Listed below are those who gave $1000 or more to CEE from July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014.

Friends:Timothy S. EngelbrechtSoledad Juamiz Esmilla

2014Brent R. Pflederer

2004George Avery GrimesTjen N. Tjhin

2002Daniel B. Oerther

1997Preetindar Kaur Ghuman

1994Ron Juamiz Esmilla

1993Henry Matt Bellagamba

1992John A. and Gail L. Balling

1989Robert J. Risser Jr. and Martha A.

Boling-Risser

1987Rudolph Pio and Susan Irene Frizzi

1984Sung-Wan HongColleen E. Quinn

1983Bartholomew E. Weldon and

Deborah A. ZrokaKenneth M. Floody Charles E. Gullakson

1982Gregory R. Ashley C. Wayne Swafford

1980James Robert Harris

1978Dennis D. Beckmann

1977James M. DaumAlan J. and Karen A. HollenbeckJohn P. and Catherine M. KosMichael T. McCullough

1975Thomas D. O’Rourke

1974David and Diane M. Darwin Vernon E. Dotson Michael Ray Lewis Douglas J. and Jacqueline A. Nyman

1973Glenn E. FryeWilbur Charles Jr. and Sarah H. GreerLawrence Paul Jaworski

1972Bruce R. and Lois D. Ellingwood

1971Thomas L. and Margaret V. Roscetti

1969Alan B. Butler Michael W. Shelton

1968Hershell Gill Jr. Winston E. and Barbara G. Kile

1965Frederick B. Plummer Jr. Richard A. and Charlotte Wiseman

1963James O. Jirsa

1962H. S. Hamada

1958Robert L. Gende Trust

1957Raymond F. and Arlene L. Wojcieszak

1956Keiichiro Hayashi

sponsoring AssociatesThe department gratefully acknowledges the Sponsoring Associates of 2013-2014. Listed below are those who gave $500 to $999 to CEE from July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014.

Friends:Michael F. DeSantiago

2006Robert Alan Rodden

2004Kyle R. and Katharine M. Duitsman

2001Dana Beth Mehlman

1997Hector Estrada

1995Stephen H. Wassmann

1993Kai Tak and Alisa Ocker Liu

1992Ranji S. Ranjithan and Imara Y. Perera

1991Robert L. and Debra V. Keiser

1990Deron G. Huck Keith E. Johnson Robert Scott Trotter Howard P. Walther

1986Kristina A. Lang Sharon L. Wood

1985George E. Leventis Paula C. Pienton

1984Paul J. Kilgallon

1984David W. and Elizabeth W. Snyder

1983Siu-Wang Stephen Huang

1982Jeffrey L. ArnoldBlaine F. and Kathryn G. Severin

1981Peter E. Manhard David A. and Frances K. Sabatini

1980Marco David and Mary Lynn

BoscardinPedro J. Cevallos-Candau Lynne C. ChicoineCarlos E. Rodriguez-Perez

1979Christina Kochanski Drouet David A. and Kathleen A. Twardock

1978Mark H. Erwin

1977Michael G. and Bette Wallerstein

Lombard Takehira Takayanagi

1975Robert R. Goodrich Jr.

1974Luke Cheng Richard Alan Guinn

1972Robert C. and Joan B. Bauer

1971Charles H. III and Jane D. Dowding John and Eleanor W. Ramage John E. Schaufelberger

1970John F. and Linda S. Harris Gregory L. Perkinson

1969William J. Pananos

1966Maynard A. and Mona C. Plamondon

1965John R. Abbott Salah Y. and Frances M. Khayyat

1962Shamsher Prakash PhD Richard N. III and Teresa Rios Wright

1958Eugene J. Fasullo and Maxine J.

Hyrkas

1957Gary G. and Donna J. Stokes

1955Glenn E. Nordmark

1954Ashley B. Craig Jr.Robert A. and Frances A. Fosnaugh

1949Robert Dale Mahan (DEC)

ContributorsCEE gratefully acknowledges the Contributors of 2013-2014. Below are those who gave up to $499 to CEE from July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014.

Friends:Curtis L. and Heather AppersonLee and Nancy AppersonCeleste ArbogastElizabeth Lyman BarkanThomas J. and Marjorie J. BarrettDavid C. BergmanJames K. CampbellCharles E. CorleyMary Lou DavidsonJanice M. DeckerCarol H. GodoyNancy L. HansenFrances HineslyRolfe B. JenkinsJimmey L. and Mona A. KaiserDavid L. KingCinda KlicknaB. Michael and Ann S. KorteConstance Ann KusLiang Y. LiuSusan Bahrenburg MatthewsBarbara S. MinskerKathy Culver and Randall L. NickellWilma J. ReedDonald H. and Betty L. RiceBetty A. RothPatsy M. RowlandDavid F. and Margaret B. SchmidKristina ShidlauskiBrian J. SinclairCatherine A. SomersLee A. SpachtMark W. and Rebecca L. StanzaBarbara C. SwainBecky Ann WebbArnold R. WieczorekKaren A. WitterLeo G. WoernerBetsy P. and Kam Wu WongDaniel Work


2013Jason L. Frericks Kaleb S. Steidinger Timothy J. Truster Jiali Zhang

2012Ryan S. Altemare Jeffrey T. Schroeder Robert P. Whiteside

2011Thomas A. Burkland Matthew J. Dunne David M. Gebka Alan Phelps Ava H. Strough Brett C. Zitny

2010Thomas M. Carrato Jie Zuo

2009Patrick C. Johnston Jack W. Montgomery Lexie S. Parmar Elizabeth Caitlin Richter

2008Jordan J. and Jennifer J. Card Michael D. Gustavson Joshua M. Hendrix Katherine E. Kelly Martin W. McDonald Jeffrey D. Viano

2007Jun Ji Shaoyun Sun Janice M. and Ryan Wenzel

2006Colin C. Coad Kurt A. Keifer Allison S. Kmett John M. Storm

2005David M. Boddy Gabriel Carvajal Edward W. East Andrew J. Keaschall Darren A. Lytle David A. and Carolyn J. Tayabji

2004Robert A. Bevins Evaristo Quiroz Michael B. Sulser

2003Craig A. Alteri

Carlos H. and Ana L. Caldas Jason M. Curl Timothy E. Frank Jason C. and Meggie D. Fuehne Matthew D. Heron Zhanping You and Qingli Dai

2002Kevin P. Huberty Jensen P. John and Alice S. Martin

Jayaraj Eric O. and Shannon Johnson Matthew Robert Pyles Jeffrey John Tardy Beida Xie

2001Katherine D. Dombrowski Erich S. Flessner Kyle A. and Valeri N. Kershaw Thomas E. Riordan Mark S. and Tracey L. Salvatore

2000Christian M. Carrico Wayne M. Helge Joshua E. Saak Kimberly A. Schmidt Keri A. Schwager Angela S. Wolters Andrew J. and Karen H. Martin

1999Ghassan Abu-Lebdeh Anthony J. Butzek James P. and Nancy E. Hall Thomas J. Mitoraj Simon S. Shim Aaron T. and Brandee L. Toliver

1998Scott Thomas Forrest Andrew L. Goldman Brian L. Hackman Michele E. Hamm John R. Hayes Jr. Matthew J. Niermann Matthew John Pregmon and Karen

T. Hou Paul R. and Lisa A. Ruscko Michael M. Wieczorek Amy J. Wildermuth

1997Brian S. Chaille Brian S. Heil John A. Kerrigan Todd C. and Genevieve Anne Missel Jeffrey B. Naumann Keri A. Nebes Ryan M. Thady Tracy L. Willer

1996Nathan Evan Carrell Tanai Charinsarn Joel M. Krettek Robert Najera Eric B. and Joanna Schmid Williamson

1995Kevin R. Collins Richard T. and Carri R. Nickel Anthony and Kellie S. Sak Christopher T. Sosnowski Theodore F. Szyszka Jr.

1994Nicholas L. Canellis Gregory B. and Laura B. Heckel Jason E. Hedien Julie A. Lomax Bryan J. McDermott Timothy J. Wendt Charles J. Wienrank

1993Gregory T. and Lori W. Buchanan Daniel F. Burke James W. Carter III David T. Lewandowski Pete J. Prommer Monty J. and Rebecca Ellen Perrine-

Wade Arlin C. Williams

1992Robert S. Gwiasda Sava S. and Sponenka Nedic William M. Rexroad II

1991Ronald Michael Hubrich Gary J. Huels David M. Riordan Sophie B. Sacca Susan M. Wallner

1990Matt R. Fauss Allen B. Gelderloos Michael J. Jelen

1989Edward M. Brazle John W. and Michelle S. Hackett

1988Kevin J. and Victoria L. Ahern David Arenas Stacey E. McNamara Alan D. Stuemke Lisa J. Taccola

1987Fariborz Barzegar-Jamshidi Steven C. Jirschele

Kevin W. Kleemeyer Timothy G. LaGrow Frank Russell and Laura Anne

Phillips-Manella Thomas F. Plinke Barry E. and Christine M. Klepp

1986Michael J. Cronin T. and Cynthia A. Knox Andrew J. Querio John E. Sato David T. Soong and Joanne W. Chou Edmund H. Tupay Jr. and Beda B.

Tupay

1985Brian T. and Claire A. Aoki Jan I. Blok and Laura M. Melcher Charles R. and Janet E. Conlon David L. Greifzu Melissa A. Kennedy Anthony G. Myers Brian E. Peck Ronald J. and Jennifer G. Roman Amy M. Schutzbach Peter J. Stork Daniel J. Whalen

1984Randall R. Ackerman Marc P. Beisler Delph A. Gustitus Irvin P. Kirkwood Martin A. Ross Mark S. Wylie

1983Michael S. and Dawn M. Szatkowski Robert E. Bassler III Anthony J. Charlton David Daniel Davis James A. and Carol A. Fischer John M. Heinz David E. McCleary James K. and Donna J. Moore Daniel C. Powers Francis J. Powers Brian D. Smith Robert H. and Anjali M. Sues Carl Weber Brian R. Welker

1982Timothy M. Dixon Mark Steven Engelen Scott G. Frandsen Paul A. Fruin Jeffrey R. Livergood James M. Nau Donald J. Nelson Thomas S. Palansky Gerald L. Siekerka

Thomas J. Waldron III J. Dennis and Sally S. Wermcrantz Dale R. Wilhelm Kevin M. Wilson John A. and Lynn D. Worley Lawrence P. Zablock

1981Robert A. Bauman Mark D. Bowman James M. Casey Michael S. Cheney Guy W. Marsh Linda R. Musser Daniel R. Rehak Frank R. Wengler

1980Keith W. Benting Paul H. Boening Richard P. Byrne Mark R. and Mary Ann Ericksen Michael D. and Mary T. Grimm James F. Hall Jack P. Moehle Carl M. Nagata Mark W. Randolph Daniel J. Rubel Timothy Joseph and Mary Jo

Sheehan Ya-Hu and Hsiu-Mei Shen Steven J. Sieracki Robert W. Steen James B. Sullivan Timothy P. Tappendorf Francis P. Jr. and Leslie K. Wiegand George Ziska Jr.

1979Thomas K. Connery Carl A. and Margaret Ellen Erikson Theodore P. Georgas Thomas E. Havenar Mary L. Miller James T. Olsta Mehdi Saiidi Linda G. Schub John C. Singley John R. Wolosick

1978Roger W. Baugher Dennis J. Benoit Darrell J. Berry Lawrence K. Cunningham Gary W. Ehlert Richard C. Frankenfield Charles D. Morris Neil A. and Barbara Parikh David W. Reed David A. and Adrienne D. Schoenwolf Charles A. Zalesiak


1977Jose R. Danon David L. and Patricia M. Dunn Robert W. Hutson Byung R. and Young H. Kim Michael J. Koob Joel C. and Helen J. Maurer Daniel K. Moss Charles E. and Diane L. Peabody Terrence L. Schaddel Dietmar Scheel

1976James T. Braselton Armen and Nelly Der Kiureghian Dennis W. Dreher Patrick Kielty Dennis D. and Kristine L. Lane Richard W. Liesse Larry W. Mays Douglas C. Noel David E. Rensing Joel Smason Edward J. Tunelius William W. Jr. and Pamela R. Wuellner

1975Ghulam M. Bajwa Larry A. Bolander Gary S. Brierley Michael P. Fallon Gautam and Susan A. Ghosh Gary J. Klein David A. Mifflin Richard W. Myhre Douglas W. Ounanian William James Zelnio

1974Robert J. Andres G. Tim and Susan R. Bachman Andrew D. Cohn Donald R. and Marianne Doonan Edward C. Gray Patrick W. Healy Robert W. Horvath Kevin J. and Margaret M. Kell Billy J. Murphy John V. and Gayle P. O’Holleran Gary A. Rogers Allen J. and Paula L. Staron Robert H. Wicklein Patrick F. and Carol B. Wilbur

1973Thomas A. Broz Martin G. Buehler Ronald W. Deverman Philip A. and Kathleen McMahon

Gazda John H. Gulledge Robert W. and Cheryl Y. Hahn Daniel W. Halpin

Robert B. and Eileen F. Hunnes Jeffry E. and Arlene S. Lamb John W. Laws Ronald E. Meissen Clinton C. and Rae J. Mudgett Toan T. Nguyen Richard C. Reed Larry J. and Marjorie M. Rhutasel Richard S. Weiss James K. Wight Theodore R. Williams

1972Thomas J. Cech Reggie K. Chong James A. Hanlon Daryl D. Moeller Anand K. and Aruna Singh Richard J. and Barbara V. Zdanowicz

1971Patrick P. Brennan Gregory D. and Kathryn T. Cargill Adisak Intaratip Peter A. Lenzini Gregory C. Martin Stephen W. Moulton Dennis D. Niehoff William A. and Julie H. Rettberg Lee J. and Judith W. Scherkenbach Gary A. Wilken Lyle D. Yockey

1970William D. Berg Larry A. Cooper Marvin E. and Lela L. Criswell Robert L. Fark Roger R. Fitting Gary R. and Janice K. Marine William E. and Katherine McCleish Earl J. Schroeder Robert F. and Elberta J. Wood

1969Jeffrey E. and Barbara G. Anderson Harold T. Brown Edwin G. Burdette Yuan Chun Eugene and Isabel L.

Chang Jerome E. Heinz Terry W. Micheau Eric C. Pahlke Alan Zimmer

1968Clyde L. Anderson Robert L. Carter John P. Elberti James M. Fisher Jack A. Groner Thomas F. Hintz Carl H. Johnson

William N. Lane James R. Levey Donald F. and Marian L. Meinheit Robert W. and Patricia C. Nowak Raman K. Raman Roger W. Wright

1967Kenneth A. Clausen Dennis H. File Lonnie E. Haefner Lawrence F. Kahn Harry H. West John G. Wolan Harry J. Woods Jr.

1966Charles H. Allen Donald R. and Ann W. Aukamp Danny N. Burgess Allan W. and Susan Crowther Jerry R. Divine Paul David Ellis German R. Gurfinkel Dennis R. Lagerquist Michael R. and Sandra J. McLamore Edward R. Pershe

1965Ernest J. Barenberg William M. and Jane S. Derby Samuel S. Doak Donald D. Oglesby Herbert J. Seagrim Clarence R. and Mary L. Warning Mehdi S. Zarghamee

1964Paul D. and Amelia R. Andresen George A. Brunner Bernard J. Casey Stewart W. Johnson Darrell G. Lohmeier Theodore W. Nelson Robert L. Nickerson Richard L. Plambeck Russell Ramon Rudolph Charles E. and Jean Sandberg Donald R. Sherman

1963Robert L. Almond (RET) William A. Kreutzjans David M. Lee Robert N. and Carol S. Leslie Stanley L. Paul Allen N. Reeves Emile A. Samara Wayne R. Wolter (DEC)

1962J. Dewayne and Mary A. Allen

Ned H. Burns Chunduri V. Chelapati Bing C. Chin Carroll T. Dunn John T. Gannon Stephen J. III and Janet M. Madden Joseph A. Morrone

1961Walter L. Allen Jr. William L. Hartrick Harry Moore Horn Wayne L. and Margaret F. Johnson John A. Kuske Richard F. Lanyon Jack C. Marcellis William Mirza James A. Tambling Raymond E. Untrauer

1960Harold J. Abramowski Lester D. Bacon Brendan T. Nelligan Martin K. Payne Wallace W. Sanders

1959William M. and Lois Jane Cazier Robert L. Dineen Donald McDonald William K. Stockdale Walter A. Von Riesemann

1958Richard James (dec) and Sarah

Louise Beck Kamil A. Bikul John M. and Elly J. Brandt Philip C. Brumbaugh Richard A. Davino Robert H. Meyer Frank A. Perry Jr.

1957Pedro Jimenez-Quinones William P. Taylor Robert K. Wen Virgil A. Wortman

1956Robert W. and Ruth Hawkins Bein Robert E. and Aneita Atwood Gates Robert G. Grulke Miroslaw Noyszewski

1955Howard Y. and Ellen H. Fukuda Gerhardt Henry Platz (dec) James G. and Diana Spyros John Variakojis Ronald A. and Lois Wisthuff

1954Edward Robert and Mary Massey

Baumann Leo R. DiVita C. Terry Dooley Paul A. and Sharon L. Kuhn Ronald J. Swofford Daniel W. Urish Roger H. Wood Michael and Dorothy Zihal

1953Richard E. and Janet L. Aten Harold F. Honath Charles L. and Joan L. Sheppard Donald E. Thompson Anestis S. Veletsos Clement D. Zawodniak

1952Arthur M. Kaindl

1951Tung Au Benny L. Cochran Neil M. Denbo Samuel J. Errera Gerald E. Hann Joseph J. Jeno Frederick F. Kwasnik John L. Mataya Dean C. Merchant Wayne V. and M. Oriana Miller John W. Ratzki

1950Philip G. Dierstein Fred R. Perlman John R. Ross

1949Gary David Cass (dec) Donald W. Kaminski Walter L. Kevern

1948Walter W. Jr. and Carol Giffhorn

1947Harold Clinton Ward M. Dobbin Chester C. Kohl Bernard J. Krotchen Wilho E. Williams

1946Richard H. and Honor F. Hebenstreit Anthony N. and Bette S. Konstant

1945Lewis A. and Roberta M. Crea

1943William A. Hickman

We are grateful for your support . To make a gift to the department, visit the giving page on our website: cee .illinois .edu/alumni/gift .



Huston Family TrustIBM Matching Grants ProgramICF InternationalIllinois Asphalt Pavement AssociationIllinois Association of County Engineers, Inc.Illinois Professional Land Surveryors AssociationIllinois Road & Transportation Builders Assoc

Road Builder CharitiesIllinois Society of Professional Engineers Inc.Industry Advancement Foundation Central

Illinois Builders ChapterIngenii, LLCIntegriCo Composites, LLCIntel FoundationIntertechne Consultores SAIrvine Institute of TechnologyJL Arnold Engineering, Inc.John Deere FoundationJRW Bioremediation, LLCThe Kansas City Southern Railway CompanyKennedy/Jenks Consultants, Inc.Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.Kinectrics Inc.KSALancaster Laboratories EnvironmentalLangan Engineering & Environmental

Services, Inc.LB Foster CompanyLeidosLeopardo Charitable FoundationLewis Bolt & Nut CompanyLightGuard Systems, Inc.Manhard Consulting, Ltd.Marine Research SpecialistsMarion Environmental Inc.Marshall Miller & Associates, Inc. dba Cardno

MM&AThe MathWorks, Inc.McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.Microsoft CorporationMike & Dorothy Vondra FoundationMilhouse CharitiesMonahan FilamentsMonsanto CompanyMWHNetwork for GoodNorfolk Southern Corp.Norfolk Southern FoundationO’Neil Industries, Inc.OSI Environmental, LLC Oil Skimmers, Inc.Ozinga Bros., Inc.Pace Analytical Services, Inc.Pandrol USA

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is proud of its strong ties to industry and practicing engineers . We gratefully acknowledge the corporations, foundations and professional associations that contributed to CEE from July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014 . This list includes organizations that made gifts directly to the department, as well as those who matched gifts made by their employees . CEE Corporate Partners are denoted in bold .

Accutest Laboratories, Inc.Accutest Labs Southeast, Inc.The Ace INA FoundationAECom Technical Services Inc.Aestus, LLC Alfred Benesch & Company AMEC Ameren American Society for Nondestructive

Testing, Inc.American Society of Civil EngineersAmerican Water Charitable FoundationAmsted RPSApple Junction Design Services PLCARCADISAssociation of American RailroadsAxion International IncBarr Engineering CompanyBassler Family TrustBayco ProductsBechtel CorporationBechtel Group FoundationBelfor EnvironmentalBlueScope FoundationBNSF Railway CompanyBoart Longyear CompanyThe Boeing CompanyBowman, Barrett & Associates, Inc.BP FoundationCanadian National Railroad CompanyCarollo EngineersCatholic Education FoundationCB&ICTEHCentury Group Inc.CH2M Hill, Inc.Chevron CorporationChicago Bridge & Iron CompanyClark Dietz, Inc.Clayco Inc.Clean Air Task ForceClean Harbors Environmental ServicesClimate and Health Research NetworkCN RailroadColeman Industrial Construction, Inc.Conestoga-Rovers and Associates, Inc.Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc.CSX Good Government Fund PacMatchCSX Transportation, Inc.CTL GroupU of I Dad’s Association, Inc.Deep Foundations Institute Educational TrustDelbert’s Clothing, Inc.

Dell Employee Giving ProgramDonald & Patricia Manhard Charitable

FoundationDonohue & AssociatesDow ChemicalDuke Energy FoundationEA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc.Employees of Republic BankEMR, Inc.EnvianceEnvirocon, Inc.Environ International CorporationEnvironmental Engineering Science

Foundation Inc.Environmental Restoration, LLCEnvironmental Works, Inc.EnviroScience, Inc.EpsteinERM-West, Inc.Ernst & Young FoundationExelonExpanded Shale, Clay and Slate InstituteExxonMobil Corp. Research and EngineeringExxon Mobil CorporationFerromexF.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Assoc., LLCFidelity Charitable Gift FundThe Fluor FoundationFMC Corporation-ESDFMC Technologies, Inc.Fullerton Engineering Consultants, Inc.Fundacao Padre Leonel FrancaGannett Fleming CompaniesGATX CorporationGE FoundationGEI Consultants, Inc.Geo-Cleanse International, Inc.Georgetown Rail Equipment CompanyGeosyntec ConsultantsGeosythetic InstituteGIC Ingenieria y Construccion, S. A. de C.V.Global Quality CorporationGolder AssociatesGraefThe Greater Cincinnati FoundationThe Greater Kansas City Community FoundationGreeley and Hansen, LLCHanson Professional Services Inc.Hatch Mott MacDonaldHDR Engineering, Inc.HiRail CorporationHolland Company, LPHulcher Services, Inc.

Phillips 66Pinnacle Engineering, Inc.Polystar, Inc.PrimeraThe Procter & Gamble FundQuandel Consultants, LLCRailPros, Inc.Marketplace Chaplains USARaths, Raths & Johnson, Inc.RF IDeas, Inc.Ricondo & AssociatesThe RJN Foundation, Inc.RJN Group, Inc.Sargent & Lundy LLCSchlumberger Foundation, Inc.Schwab Charitable FundShell Oil Company FoundationThe Sidney Epstein and Sondra Berman

Epstein FoundationSignal-TechSilicon Valley Community FoundationSkidmore, Owings & Merrill LLPSouthern Company Services, Inc.Southwest Jiaotong UniversitySt. Paul United Church of ChristStone Energy CorporationSummit Environmental Services, LLCSunproSWS Environmental ServicesTerracon FoundationTestAmerica Laboratories, Inc.Tidewater Inc.Transpo Industries, Inc.Transportation Technology Center, Inc.TranSystems CorporationTRC, Inc.Trotter and Associates, Inc.Turner Construction CompanyTY Lin InternationalUnilever United States, Inc.Union Pacific RailroadURS CorporationVanguard Charitable Endowment ProgramW. E. O’Neil Construction CompanyWalker Parking Consultants/Engineers,

Inc.Walsh Construction CompanyThe Walt Disney Company FoundationWaste ManagementThe Watkins Family FoundationWillamette Valley CompanyWiss, Janney, Elstner Associates. Inc.

Corporate and Foundation Donors

CEE alumni: where are they now?

Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Arkansas . . . . . . . . . . . 30Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163California . . . . . . . . . . . 984Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . 326Connecticut . . . . . . . . . 62District of Columbia . . 16Delaware . . . . . . . . . . . 16Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . 175Guam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Hawaii . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Idaho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5299Indiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . 54Louisiana . . . . . . . . . . . 50Massachusetts . . . . . . . 120Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . 147Maine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Michigan . . . . . . . . . . . 148Minnesota . . . . . . . . . . 103Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . 267Mississippi . . . . . . . . . . 29Montana . . . . . . . . . . . 15North Carolina . . . . . . . 136North Dakota . . . . . . . . 4Nebraska . . . . . . . . . . . 27New Hampshire . . . . . 27New Jersey . . . . . . . . . 128New Mexico . . . . . . . . . 54Nevada . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55New York . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . . 27Oregon . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . 179Puerto Rico . . . . . . . . . 34Rhode Island . . . . . . . . 19South Carolina . . . . . . . 64South Dakota . . . . . . . . 3Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . 111Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536Utah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307Virgin Islands . . . . . . . . 1Vermont . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Washington . . . . . . . . . 283Wisconsin . . . . . . . . . . 193West Virginia . . . . . . . . 10Wyoming . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Non-Profit OrganizationU .S . POSTAGE PAID

Permit No . 75Champaign, IL 61820

Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignNewmark Civil Engineering Laboratory MC-250205 North Mathews AvenueUrbana, Illinois 61801

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