More than 800 Anteater engineers and their families participated in UC Irvine’s first remote commencement ceremonies on Saturday, June 13. Engineering students were encouraged to send in pictures for the school’s social media. Pictured is the decorated cap of Melissa Palencia, civil engineering major, translation: “I cried but I made it.” 
Chair's Message
It is not an over statement to say spring 2020 has been one of the most challenging quarters of our lifetime. But it has also been the best time to test our strength and perseverance under the dark cloud of COVID-19. CEE faculty and students have stood up to the challenges. We rapidly transitioned into online instruction with only one week of preparation before the start of the spring quarter. We produced high quality videos to demonstrate lab experiments to provide students the near real-time experience of the classroom. Not a single student dropped out of the program. Our seniors carried out their senior design projects through online meetings with their clients and completed their final presentations on Zoom. At the virtual graduation celebration, the smiles on students’ faces were the biggest rewards for our faculty. CEE faculty members continue to excel in research and creativity during the lockdown. The awards received by our faculty and students showcased in this newsletter are just a few examples of their achievements.

Sincerely,
Sunny Jiang
Professor and Chair
AghaKouchak Receives Prestigious Research Prize
Professor Amir AghaKouchak will receive the 2020 Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers for his notable contributions to the science of compound and inter-connected extreme weather events.

Samueli School Professors Pull Off Home Version of Experiential Learning
When spring quarter abruptly transitioned to online learning in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Samueli School professors, teaching assistants and lab managers had to quickly adjust. 

Civil Engineering Grad Student Named NASA Future Investigator
UC Irvine graduate student Vesta Afzali Gorooh has been awarded a Future Investigator in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) grant ($135,000) for her proposal to develop efficient near-real-time models to characterize cloud types and their behaviors.

Graduate Student Wins Engineering Dissertation Fellowship
Jawad Fayaz, whose research focuses on structural and earthquake engineering, is working toward enhancing the probabilistic methods of analysis and design of bridge and building structures undergoing seismic loads.

ASCE Student Organization Wins Honorable Mention
UC Irvine’s American Society of Civil Engineers student organization received a letter of honorable mention from the national ASCE Committee on Student Members for its outstanding activities.

Rutherford Engineers Academic, Athletic Success
Engineering for structural integrity requires the careful consideration of load and the successful calculation and execution of accommodation for the weight or source of pressure that can cause buildings to fail.

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering | (949) 824-5333 | cee@uci.edu | Website