FAMU-FSU Engineering
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

October 2020 CEE Newsletter




Greetings from the Chair


Making COVID Lemonade

Despite the pandemic, and in many cases because of the pandemic, the last eight months have been a whirlwind of activity at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. Both students and faculty have shown their adaptiveness and resilience in the face of changing conditions for teaching and research, as we implement safety protocols and master new instructional technologies. Currently, about one-quarter of our classes, including all of our labs and our senior design sequence, are being taught face-to-face. The rest are being taught remotely, using a combination of synchronous and asynchronous models.

Faculty and graduate students are slowly moving into our new Center for Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response (RIDER), which is housed in the Sliger building on the Innovation Park campus. Although led by researchers from the CEE Department, the multidisciplinary nature of the center is highlighted by a recent grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, in which director Eren Ozguven will be working with researchers from the College of Communications & Information to develop GIS tools to help librarians better serve vulnerable populations. This research is described on the college’s website, along with other recent projects that test full-scale bridge girders with corrosion-resistant stainless-steel strands, and that investigate models to predict future water needs under changing land use.

In the midst of establishing a new normal at the college, we were thrilled when the US News & World Report released its 2021 rankings, and the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering catapulted 37 spots to No. 40 among public engineering programs nationwide. Boosted by the college’s achievement, FAMU was named the number one public HBCU while FSU retained its Top 20 status among public institutions. These top rankings reflect an increasing recognition for the quality and hard work of our students and faculty, forging a unique and powerful partnership between two great universities. While COVID has changed some of our day-to-day activities, we won’t let it get in the way of our continued upward trajectory.

Tarek Abichou teaches a hybrid class, attended by remote students over Zoom, and face-to-face students in a socially-distanced environment

FAMU-FSU Engineering vaults to Top 40 public schools ranking nationwide
The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering vaulted 51 spots to reach No. 69 among all doctoral granting undergraduate engineering schools in the U.S. and 37 spots to No. 40 among public universities, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. 
The improvement ranks the joint college second among all, both public and private, engineering schools in Florida.
CEE Students & Alums in the News
Engineering researchers harness wind data to help meet energy needs in Florida

Many of you know him as the CEE Professor of Practice, but did you know that Sean Martin is also a graduate researcher at the college?  His work on harvesting wind energy in Florida has attracted attention from both 
national and international environmental organizations.
FAMU-FSU Engineering alumnae share a vision for the Big Bend Florida Engineering Society 

Not afraid of hard conversations and rising to challenges, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering alumnae Jamie Graham, Sandra Bucklew and Victoria Howard use their leadership skills to advocate for the Big Bend chapter of the Florida Engineering Society (FES).
Howard
Graham
Bucklew
ASCE-FES Student Members Succeed Despite Pandemic Challenges
By Antoinette Velazquez

Our FAMU-FSU student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers-Florida Engineering Society includes some of our department’s most involved and high-achieving students. In the past several months, these students have also proven their ability to adapt and succeed among challenging new scenarios.

Beginning in March, as our ASCE chapter readied their camouflage concrete canoe and headed down to the University of Central Florida for the Southeast Student Conference, these students have had to acclimate to a whole new normal. Pursuing their Civil Engineering major solely through Zoom lectures was something that most of our students hadn’t ever imagined or prepared for.

Faculty In The News


Maxim Dulebenets, PhD.
Assistant Professor

NSF-funded “factory-in-a-box” concept could mitigate supply shortage challenges



In a crisis like the current COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic, even something as simple as a face mask can suddenly become a hot commodity. In the wake of a disaster, supplies can run out while getting time-sensitive medicines to people in need could mean life and death for someone from an affected area.

Two researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering hope a new concept called “factory-in-a-box” may provide a solution for disruption in the supply chain that occurs in a disaster.
ANNOUNCEMENTS

CCE DEPARTMENT WELCOMES NEW FACULTY

Ebrahim Ahmadisharaf, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate
Research Interests
  • Uncertainty/risk analysis
  • Hydrologic and hydraulic modeling
  • Watershed management
  • Hydroclimatic extremes
  • Urban stormwater
  • Impact of nonstationarity stressors on water system
  • Environmental sustainability
  • Resilient water infrastructure
  • Integrated natural resources management
Nasrin Alamdari, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
  • Urban hydrology and stormwater management
  • Hydrologic & hydraulic modeling
  • Sustainable and resilient urban water systems
  • Smart city technologies
  • Surface-groundwater interaction 
  • Impact of nonstationary stressors—climate and land use change on hydrology and biogeochemistry
Qianwen Guo, Ph.D.
Teaching Faculty I
Research Interests
  • Public transportation planning and operations
  • Transportation economics
  • Investment under uncertainty


Qian Zhang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Research Interests
  • High-performance and multi-functional cementitious materials
  • Innovative application of advanced materials in structures and infrastructure
  • Multi-scale characterization and modeling of construction materials
  • Thermal properties of construction materials
  • Structure fire safety
  • Structure rehabilitation


Hydra Engineering, owned by alumna Leslie Hope, named US Senate Small Business of the Week
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The Big Bend Chapter of Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers. Our mission is to build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter. We are looking for professionals to help out with our projects, including but not limited to architects, engineers, planners, environmental specialists, and other professionals who can help with our projects. Additionally, we are looking for volunteers to join our Site Selection and Construction Committee. If you are interested in either opportunity, please contact the Site Selection and Construction Committee chair, Michael Weiss, directly at MJW3205@gmail.com.
For Your Information is an update from the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering providing breaking news and information about upcoming events. For more, please visit https://eng.famu.fsu.edu/cee
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