CEE Magazine

CEE

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering The Grainger College of Engineering University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Fall 2021

The new CEE space in pictures The difference you make Alumni news and features

CEE VISIT THE CEE MODERNIZATION WEBSITE modernize.cee.illinois.edu Gifts are still needed to outfit laboratories and fully realize all the spaces in the new building.

It’s not too late to make a gift to benefit generations of CEE students and contribute to this tran sformative moment in the department’s history!

Naming opportunities are still available!

Contact Steve Hall, stevhall@illinois.edu, 1 (217) 300-7830

The CEE magazine is published twice a year for alumni and friends of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Ana P. Barros, NAE Donald Biggar Willett Chair of Engineering and Head Celeste Bock Senior Director of Advancement Operations (217) 333-6955 celeste@illinois.edu Steven Hall Director of Advancement (217) 300-7830 stevhall@illinois.edu Kristina Shidlauski Associate Director of Communications Vicki Dixon Associate Director of Operations Keely K. Ashman Assistant Director of Alumni and Corporate Relations Sheree Eyestone Office Manager

CEE Magazine Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering The Grainger College of Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1201 Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory MC-250 205 North Mathews Avenue Urbana, Illinois 61801 Cover: Detail of the painting by Nigerian-born Chicago artist Mukaila Ayoade that hangs in the southeast lobby of the new CEE Building, the Robert and Glenda Johnson Collaboration Space. cee.illinois.edu

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New spaces, new plans /Ana Barros

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Timing is everything/Paula Pienton

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Introducing the new CEE Building and Smart Bridge

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Donors to the Modernization project

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DNA sensor determines virus infectivity

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Researchers work to rescue the reefs

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Engineers in Action students build a bridge in West Virginia

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The impact of your gifts

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Faculty focus: Youssef Hashash

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Hashash named to Surfside collapse investigative team

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Distinguished Faculty recognized virtually

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Department News

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Journal Spotlight: The Journal of Building Engineering

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Zhang invited to edit influential journal

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Alumni News

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CEE Alumni awardees celebrated virtually

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CEE Alumni Association Board of Directors Young Engineers Division

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In Memoriam: Alberto Nieto

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Young Engineers Division: new alumni leadership team

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Parting Shot: Squirrel crossing

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Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 3

United States, 40 percent of all u Infoodtheproduced is never eaten. Thanks

CEEAA Board of Directors President Paula C. Pienton, P.E., S.E., (BS 85) CN Homewood, Ill.

to a $15 million, five-year grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation, research partners from 14 institutions including Illinois have established the first national academic research network on wasted food.

Vice President David L. Byrd (BS 01, MS 06) Envista Forensics Deerfield, Ill. Second Vice President and Secretary Dana B. Mehlman, P.E., (BS 99, MS 01) Vedder Price PC Chicago Past President John P. Kos, P.E., (BS 77) H.W. Lochner Inc. Chicago

Check out these and other stories at

uCEE.ILLINOIS.EDU/NEWS

Directors Nick Canellis (BS 94) Trellis Group LLC Chicago

istockphoto.com/Kemal Yildirim

Kimberly Cummins (BS 98) Cummins Engineering Corporation Springfield, Ill.

Kevin C. Fuhr (BS 96) Hanson Professional Services Chicago istockphoto.com/bobey100

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John E. Conroyd, P.E., S.E., (BS 83, MS 85) Ardmore Roderick Chicago

Middle-ear infections affect more than 80 percent of U.S. children. Antibiotics sometimes fail against the pathogenic bacteria that can develop in the middle ear. Researchers are exploring the use of microplasma – a highly focused stream of chemically excited ions and molecules – as a noninvasive method for attacking these bacterial biofilms.

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With a $1 million grant from the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, researchers will characterize and investigate uses for the ash left over after municipal waste is incinerated – specifically its use in construction materials.

istockphoto.com/Jorge Villalba

new interdisciplinary, multiu Ainstitution research project

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funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture via the National Science Foundation will focus on reducing the vulnerability of disadvantaged communities to the impacts of wildfire-related cascading hazards.

James K. Klein, P.E., S.E., (BS 78) Springfield Justin R. Lewis, P.E. (BS 07, MS 08) Keller North America Chicago Michael J. Mack (BS 89) Burns & McDonnell Downer’s Grove, Ill. Andrew J. Martin Greeley and Hansen LLC Chicago Douglas S. Pelletier (BS 95) Kiewit Chicago Katherine Pripusich-Sienkiewicz (BS 03, MS 13) Amazon Web Services Chicago Robert Risser (BS 87, MS89) Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Chicago David A. Schoenwolf, P.E., (BS 77, MS 78) Haley & Aldrich Inc. McLean, Virginia Richard Sieracki (BS 74) The Kenrich Group LLC Chicago Michael Vitale, P.E., (BS 82, MS 84) Mott MacDonald Cleveland, Ohio Daniel J. Whalen, P.E., (BS 84, MS 85) Hanson Professional Services Inc. Springfield

New spaces, new plans

By Ana Barros, NAE Donald Biggar Willett Chair in Engineering and Head Dear CEE Friends, It has been an exciting fall semester in CEE at Illinois! It’s wonderful for the faculty, staff, and students in the department to be back together in person, albeit with face masks. When I wrote my spring magazine message, we were hopeful that we could welcome all of you back in October for the grand opening of our new CEE Building and the Kavita and Lalit Bahl Smart Bridge. Unfortunately, lingering pandemic concerns prevented that. Now we are aiming for a grand opening celebration on April 29, 2022.

Please save the date and watch your email for more information. We look forward to welcoming you home and thanking you in person for your generosity in making this project a reality.

Although we haven’t yet had our official ribbon-cutting, our faculty and students are enjoying30,000,000 the new building, which opened

for use in August. You can view some photos of the building in this issue of the magazine. The classrooms and some teaching labs are in use, and the public spaces were instantly popular with students! Also in this issue is our list of donors as it stood at press time. We are hoping this list will grow before our final donor signage is completed.

There is still a need for gifts to this project.

The graph on this page shows that the department still needs to raise approximately $5 million to do away with the building debt and thoroughly outfit the teaching labs. Even if all pledges are paid on time, we are facing a significant deficit in the next several years. If you are able to give more, please consider doing so. There are still naming opportunities – including the opportunity to name student offices and the building as a whole; that would truly be a transformative gift.

Even as we work to close the chapter on this Continued on the next page

There are still naming opportunities – including the opportunity to name the building as a whole;

20,000,000

Total cost of project, $32M Received, incoming funds 10,000,000

that would truly be a transformative

Debt

gift.

0

CURRENT 2021YE

2022

2023

2024

2025

-10,000,000

-20,000,000

-30,000,000

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 5

New spaces, new plans Continued from page 5 exciting project, we look to the future.

Our goal is to continue to evolve to meet the demands of a changing world, make the most of emerging research opportunities and ensure that the department retains its leadership position. We are planning still more capital improvements, this time focused on our main building, Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory, which is approaching 60 years of age. Our vision is to transform our spaces into the most innovative and forward-looking CEE research facilities anywhere. We are committed to strengthen our partnerships with industry, and we hope to partner with companies to create facilities and acquire equipment that will both meet the needs of industry and serve our research and education mission. We invite your input on the most pressing needs and the most impactful facilities.

Two new initiatives are in the planning stages, tentatively named (we may

There is still time!

If you have not yet made a gift to CEE, please consider doing so.

It is not too late to include your name on the donor wall in the new building as one of the many benefactors who have contributed to this transformative moment in the department’s long history, or to support our department and our students. You can easily make a gift by visiting our Modernization website at modernize.cee. illinois.edu. Or if you prefer, you may contact our Director of Advancement, Steve Hall, (217) 3007830, stevhall@illinois.edu, or me, (217) 244-0857, barros@illinois.edu.

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yet find better acronyms!) The Center for Transformative Engineering Solutions and Society (TESS), and the Illinois Sustainability Innovation and Technology for Engagement (ISITE) Testbed. These initiatives will leverage ongoing initiatives in the College and in CEE including AI, transportation, remote sensing, climate science and environmental sustainability in addition to our traditional core areas, as well as the depth and breadth of expertise in our department, across campus and beyond to rethink critical infrastructure systems, climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions, quality of life and the human future.

With an eye toward increasing our enrollment and diversity, we are broadening our recruitment efforts. At the undergraduate level, we are reaching out to high schools to educate students about the diverse and ever-growing opportunities in civil and environmental engineering. At the graduate level, we are working to increase the numbers of students from under-represented populations. We are privileged to have a large, talented population of international graduate students – truly the best in the world – but we realize we can do more to attract domestic students from the Midwest’s excellent colleges and from those institutions that have historically served minority populations. Improving the diversity of our student body will ensure that all members of society are represented as we educate the future professionals who will work to address the world’s greatest challenges and improve quality of life for all.

In this season of Thanksgiving, please know that the department is deeply grateful for you, our alumni, and everything you do to improve the educational experience of those who are following in your footsteps – today’s CEE students.

You have my very best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season.

Go Illini! i

Our annual awards dinner is tentatively planned for March, and we are looking forward to the ribbon-cutting of the modernization project near the end of April, if all goes well and the pandemic allows.

Timing is everything

By Paula Pienton, P.E., S.E. (BS 85) President, CEE Alumni Association Board of Directors Timing. It has such an impact on our lives – even when we don’t recognize it. I chose to take computer programming at a community college the summer after my freshman year on campus in an effort to “get ahead” and make my sophomore year just a little easier.

(There were many tales of long nights to get the IBM cards working just right and get output!) The first night of class, I was the last to arrive (I had a job for the summer), and by default, sat next to the person who has been my husband for 35 years now. Would I have sat in that seat if there had been a choice?

Probably not – it was in the back of the room, and I generally gravitated to the front.

My employer, the CN, was awarded the Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence by AREMA in October for replacement of the longest timber trestle in North America, the McComb Spillway in Louisiana. The project was conceived and delivered by others – prior to my joining the CN – but due to timing, I had the honor of accepting the award on the CN’s behalf. It meant a lot to me given Dr. Hay’s tenure at Illinois and his long-lasting influence on the rail industry. The history of rail research at Illinois and its impact on the industry are well known among practitioners, but perhaps not as widely recognized by the general engineering community. The continued legacy of Illinois’ contributions to the global rail industry is a strong point of the civil engineering program.

In early October, I had the opportunity to be on campus and see first-

Scan the code or visit youtube.com/ceeatillinois to watch a video of CEE professor Imad Al-Qadi talking about the Smart Track Infrastructure Initiative, including the proposed llinois Autonomous and Connected Track in Rantoul, Ill. Offered in September 2021, the event was one of the CEE Alumni Association events presented online since the pandemic prevented in-person events.

hand the new CEE Building. What a great space – opportunities for team meet-ups, adaptable classrooms and lecture halls, and of course, the Kavita and Lalit Bahl Smart Bridge, connecting the two anchors of the civil and environmental engineering campus. (By the way, there are still opportunities to contribute – even some opportunities to name a space – and know that you were able to help tomorrow’s engineers!) It felt good to be on campus; it was a beautiful Friday of a football weekend. Students were out and about, but not in the numbers I was accustomed to, suggesting that there is indeed a new normal. And this is not to say for the worse – that is to be determined – just an adaptation to what is next. History will be the judge of the value. But the impact on the lives of today’s students is irrefutable and will be the catalyst for so many other changes.

While on campus, I was able to have lunch with a group of civil and environmental engineering students. How refreshing and inspirational to hear of their plans, expectations and drive for entering the working world and making their mark!

They are well prepared to carry on in the tradition of the program and influence the built environment of tomorrow. In comparison to where I was when I entered the workforce (and I don’t think I was behind the curve at all), these students have exposure to so much more! They are conversant in big data and artificial intelligence, and knowledgeable in how to apply these tools to advance our craft. Their launching point is at a place that I do not have hope of reaching in the world of technology. (This reminds me of a song: “they’ll

learn much more than I’ll ever know.”) It is a bit unnerving to think of where things will be even a decade from now. They’ll be thinking they cannot possibly keep up with the transformations – but they will, because they have a solid foundation in the principals of civil and environmental engineering and have learned how to learn, giving them an advantage to keep pace with a changing world.

The CEE Alumni Association was optimistic that we would have resumed in-person events by now, but it wasn’t meant to be. We continue to adapt, and our opportunities to connect to a broader cross-section of alumni is improving.

For example, the online faculty-alumni events are very well attended and so informative! Check out the video of the fall faculty research reception by scanning the code at the top of the page. Professor Imad Al-Qadi presented on the Smart Track Infrastructure Initiative, including the Illinois Autonomous and Connected Track, a state-of-the-art arena for the development, testing and commercialization of smart, autonomous and multimodal transportation.

Although our online events have been successful, we are still looking forward to one day soon being in-person and networking with old and new friends. Our annual awards dinner is tentatively planned for March, and we are looking forward to the ribbon-cutting of the modernization project near the end of April, if all goes well and the pandemic allows. When the time is right, we hope you will come home, join us and celebrate where we all hail from.

I-L-L…. i

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 7

Welcome

TO THE NEW CEE BUILDING

The new CEE Building – Phase II of CEE’s ambitious plan to upgrade infrastructure and revolutionize the curriculum – opened for business in time to hold Fall 2021 classes.

See the following pages for more photos of the completed building, and watch your inbox for an invitation to the April 29, 2022, Grand Opening Celebration.

cee.illinois.edu 8 8cee.illinois.edu

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 9 9

FIRST WEEK of classes

Students quickly make themselves at home on the Kavita and Lalit Bahl Smart Bridge, taking advantage of the various collaboration spaces.

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Associate professor Jeremy Guest leads CEE493 Sustainable Design Eng Tech in the Transportation Faculty classroom.

Professor John Popovics leads CEE504 Infrastructure NDE Methods in the Milhouse Family classroom.

At Freshman Kickoff, held in the William J. and Elaine F. Hall Classroom, CEE students learn about the different Registered Student Organizations available for them to join.

Though not the first week of classes, CEE 458 Field Methods in Water Resources is the first class to use the Vernon L. Snoeyink Water Chemistry Lab.

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ART

in the public spaces Windy City

by Mukaila Ayoade

A painting titled “Windy City,” by Mukaila Ayoade, hangs in the east lobby, the Robert and Glenda Johnson Collaboration Space. Ayoade, who currently resides in Chicago, was born in Nigeria and trained at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos. He works with a range of media including watercolor, acrylics, oils, charcoal and ink, sometimes also using materials such as feathers, newspaper and leaves. Ayoade has participated in several group and solo exhibitions, and his works can be found in Nigeria, Benin Republic and Ghana.

This vibrant painting brings the Chicago skyline into the new building, providing a familiar landscape for the many CEE students who grew up in the city.

Water Panels Water-themed panels that feature droplet and wave forms line the top of the walls of the first floor hallway, paying homage to the history of the Ven Te Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory.

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Convolution

by Barbara Cooper In her proposal for the sculpture, artist Barbara Cooper explains that Convolution was inspired by the meander flume forms in the Hydrosystems Laboratory. These meanders show the dynamic energy of the water moving through them and the ability of water to move energy and materials as it finds its way through gravity. Silver vortices embedded in the form are coated with a natural paper pulp and small bits of plastic water bottles, referencing the issue of microplastics and environmental disasters that face society.

Cooper studied fiber art at the Cleveland Institute of Art and earned her Master of Fine Arts degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She has taught sculpture and drawing at Montana State University and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Art- in-Architecture Program The Illinois General Assembly created the Art-in-Architecture program in 1977 for the “promotion and preservation of the arts by securing suitable works of art for the adornment of public buildings constructed or subjected to major renovation by the State or which utilize State funds, and thereby reflecting our cultural heritage, with emphasis on the works of Illinois artists.” Art is purchased using one-half of one percent of the construction cost of qualifying projects.

Artists are selected and commissions are awarded based on the recommendations of a committee made up of community members, art professionals, the project architect and representatives of the building’s users.

Still to come: a glass installation on the wall of the first floor of the new CEE building acknowledging the department’s rich history and celebrating the exciting future of civil and environmental engineering.

Engineer

by David Reekie An art glass piece by artist David Reekie, donated to the department by Judith S. and Jon C. Liebman, will be installed in the Liebman Gallery on the second floor. Jon Liebman has previously explained: “The piece that we are giving for incorporation in the space is called ‘Engineer’ and is by British artist David Reekie. Reekie is known for his humorous figures that show aspects of the human condition, usually with an underlying serious social commentary. This work, with its almost-robotic figure with a screwedon arm, is a reflection on under-utilization of highlyeducated technical skill.”

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MORE

faculty offices and other spaces

Above: the Edwin H. Gaylord Jr. Distinguished Faculty Office, currently occupied by professor Praveen Kumar, is a spacious suite on the third floor with an attached meeting room. A similar suite, the Nathan M. Newmark Distinguished Faculty Office, is located on the second floor.

At right: assistant professor Megan Matthews in the John D. Haltiwanger Faculty Office. Haltiwanger earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Illinois, and spent his career on the CEE faculty. Matthews, who joined the faculty in January 2021, is Haltiwanger’s granddaughter.

Although the new building is in use, there is a still a need for gifts to outfit labs, and a number of naming opportunities still exist.

To make a gift or pledge, please visit: modernize.cee.illinois.edu or contact: 14

Steve Hall, Director of Advancement (217) 300-7830 stevhall@illinois.edu

The CEE Building Grand Opening celebration is currently scheduled for April 29, 2022.

Stay tuned for more information.

The Robert H. Dodds Jr. Commons is a comfortable space perfect for studying between classes or meeting with friends.

The west lobby is the future home of the donor wall, which will list the names of the generous supporters who made the building project possible.

The Sidney Epstein Alumni Welcome Center on the third floor has a conference table and arm chairs, and two walls of smart glass windows for light and heat control.

Plenty of workstations on the second and third floors provide much needed space for graduate students to work and study.

Orange and blue lights span the underside of the Kavita and Lalit Bahl Smart Bridge, marking the spot as a true Illini landmark.

The CEEAA Board of Directors Student Collaboration Space spans both sides of the entrance to the bridge, and overlooks the Judith S. and Jon C. Liebman Gallery on the second floor.

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Thank you, Donors

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is deeply grateful to those listed on the following pages, who have made gifts or pledges to support the new CEE Building and Smart Bridge. This is a transformative moment in the life of the department. There is still time to give; the final donor recognition signage has not yet been created. Naming opportunities are still available. We have worked hard to ensure the accuracy of this list. To report any errors, please email Celeste Bock, celeste@illinois.edu.

Lalit and Kavita Bahl Wilbur C. Milhouse III John R. Anderson Jerry and Terry Benson Paul H. Boening Michael A. and Gloria L. Burson Peter A. and Meghan Byler Pedro J. Cevallos-Candau Continental Cement Company John Endicott George and Ann Fisher Foundation Marjorie Gaylord and William A. Bardeen Greeley and Hansen Lyle W. and Nancy W. Hughart 16

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MODERNIZE.CEE .ILLINOIS .EDU Rashod R. Johnson of Ardmore Roderick Mickey and Janice Kupperman Judith S. and Jon C. Liebman Mary G. Medearis William E. and Constance S. Nelson Richard and Joan Newmark Gerald R. and Audrey G. Olson W.E. O’Neil Construction Portland Cement Association Terracon Foundation Roger L. VanZele Mehdi S. and Manijeh Zarghamee Tirso A. Alvarez John L. and Karen E. Carrato Richard Cramond Barry and Pauline Dempsey Doctor Mole Inc. Robert H. Dodds and Deana Bland-Dodds Rudolph Frizzi Robert B. and Lizan Gilbert Neil M. and S. Ann Hawkins Larry G. and Alison Hobson Langan Engineering & Environmental Services Inc. George E. Leventis Thomas C. H. Lum Richard D. Payne and Jane A. Goldberg David G. and Janet S. Peshkin Alan R. Poeppel Robert N. Quade and Susan Q. Bahrenburg Phyllis and Stan Rolfe Christopher W. Stori and Kelly Hayashi M. E. Tears Albert J. Valocchi and Anne H. Silvis Damon Williams Francis Young Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 17

Samer S. Adham Ryan S. Altemare Dean Arnold Paul F. and Anne D. Barber Robert A. Becherer Dennis D. and Karen J. Beckmann William B. Bedesem Matt and Diana Bellagamba Beth A. Bowman David L. and Monica H. Byrd Carollo Engineers Inc. Qin Wei Chow Herbert Y. Chu Edward Cording Howard and Mary Cox Bradley J. and Bryn M. Dannegger Carlos E. Rodriguez Dan C. and Judith E. Dees Charles and Jane A. Dowding Carolyn Eberhard Joseph R. Elarde Richard J. Erickson Marion C. Erwin Kenneth Floody Douglas A. and Connie E. Foutch John A. Frauenhoffer Marcelo H. Garcia and Estela B. Canga Joseph C. and Marianne J. Geagea Manuel Gomez-Achecar and Milagros Ramirez de Gomez Franco Gomez-Ramirez Jared M. Green W. Charles Greer Jr. Daniel A. Guill James Hagstrom Harold and Lucy I. Hamada William H. Hansmire and Julia Anne Ryan Thomas N. and Marion R. Harvey Susan Hawkins Ryokichi Higashionna Alan J. and Karen A. Hollenbeck William Huston Tyler M. and Jane B. Jackson Lawrence F. Johnsen Ralph W. Junius Bengt I. and Kathryn A. Karlsson 18

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Byung R. Kim Jim and Stacey Klein David A. and Risë R. Lange Richard Lanyon and Marsha Richman Peter A. Lenzini Jeffrey A. Liggett Kathryn Mallon Benito J. Mariñas and Yolanda L. MariñasKeliia'a Karen and Andy Martin Susan Newmark Mayfield Dana B. Mehlman James and Jane Montgomery Douglas Nyman Robert and Flo Anne O’Brien Harvey and Karen Parker Jerry F. and Sharon J. Parola Eleanor A. and Elmer Passow Douglas S. Pelletier Paula Pienton Francis J. Powers and Therese Maginot Colleen E. Quinn Mark J. Randall William A. and Julie H. Rettberg Robert J. Risser Jeffery R. and Sandra E. Roesler Medhi Saiidi and Sohila Bemanian Richard J. and Linda J. Sieracki Michael F. and Cyntha A. Slavish Vernon L. and Virginia M. Snoeyink Dave and Elizabeth Snyder Allen J. and Paula L. Staron George Tang Asan G. and Indu A. Tejwani Marshall Thompson R. Rhodes and Elizabeth S. Trussell James G. Uber and LotuSh Y. Chang Donald R. and Margarete B. Uzarski Ramaswamy Variankaval Mark D. Varljen Bryan Wesselink Larry C. and Rhonda S. Wesselink Daniel J. and Mary E. Whalen Thomas Willingham Doris and James Willmer Albert Y. and Fernadina Chan Wong Sharon Wood

MODERNIZE.CEE .ILLINOIS .EDU

Raymond and Margaret Ackerman José A. Amaya Mohammad and Gloria Amin Emily C. Anderson Joseph J. Anderson Robert J. Andres Robert W. Bailey Barry R. Balmat Barr Engineering Company John E. Barrett Thomas A. Beck Jackie and Allen Becker Hans G. Bell BioAir Solutions David W. Bird Steven Blinderman Ronald J. Boehm Amanda C. Bordelon James T. Braselton Earl Downey Brill Jess Brown Craig W. and Sandra J. Brunner Gregory T. Buchanan Robert K. Campbell Carlos Campos-Callao Nicholas L. Canellis James M. and Leslie M. Casey Raymond Castelli Arun Chaiseri Tanai Charinsarn Abraham S. Chen Lynne C. Chicoine John Conroyd Thomas L. Cooling Orlando Coronell and Jeanne Luh Matthew D. Courson John Crittenden James and Mercedes Crovetti Jason M. Curl Michael Curry Cindy L. Dahl and Charles L. Thierheimer Jose R. Danon David Darwin Marlene Davisson Rosina C. and Dennis P. Dean James Delimitros Judy Ding Vicki and Mark Dixon Norman Allen Dobbs Michael A. Donsbach

Brian E. W. Dowse Raymond F. Drexler Christina K. Drouet David Dunn Bahadir C. Eksioglu Katsuhiko Emori Carl and Ellen Erikson Felipe P. Espinoza Kara Fitzjarrald Robert A. and Frances Fosnaugh Kevin Foster John S. Fraser and Sandra SiemsFraser Gary Fry John and Janice Garlanger Ana M. Garza Allen B. and Mary K. Gelderloos Preetindar K. Ghuman Thomas E. Gillogly Evandro Gimenes Joseph F. Good Philip L. Gould Scott A. Greer Leonardo A. Gutierrez Charles Haas Karl Hadler Amy R. Halloran Katherine Hammer James R. Harris Hiroshi Hayashi Keiichiro Hayashi Stanley M. Herrin and Elizabeth A. Small Thomas Hintz Kerry J. and Elaine W. Howe Lanhua Hu Xuetao Hu Timothy R. Hurdelbrink Richard A. Hussey David E. Jackson Donald Janssen Lawrence P. Jaworski Claire Joseph Karen C. and Joseph W. Kabbes Daniel J. and Catherine Katzenberger Brant Kelehar Jaehong Kim Mary Jo and John Kirisits James and Laura Klein Paul D. and Barbara C. Koch

Melvin Koh John P. and Catherine M. Kos Lisa D. Kramer and Darren E. Forgy Yan Hoe Kwok Man Jae Kwon Michael L. Leonard Andrew and Alice Leung Burton A. Lewis Jonathan and Michelle Lewis Justin Lewis Qilin Li Fangqiong Ling and He Jing Michelle A. Lipinski Alisa Ocker Liu and Kai Tak Liu Li Liu Wenjun Liu Young Liu Jeffrey R. Livergood Richard Lo Jose M. Mier Lopez Amy C. Miller Marcinkevage Marino Engineering Associates Inc. Yoshihiko Matsui Katherine D. McMahon Scott R. Meyers Terry W. Micheau Jennifer A. Miller Denby G. Morrison Anthony G. Myers Shankar Nair Balakrishnan Narayanan Tze Ling Ng Kevin T. O’Keefe Jim Olsta Osgood Enterprises Inc. Haluk Ozdemir Clayton Patterson Costas Pelekani Jane Penny Jason Petti Steven C. Piekarczyk Richard L. Plambeck Ser-Tong Quek Len Rago Scott D. Reed Terry and Joette Rice Ofelia Romero and Peter Maraccini Rubino Engineering Leroy J. Ruesch Ana Martinez Saenz de Jubera Pankaj Sarin

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 19

Mike and Kathryn Saunders Robert J. and Eryn C. Schneider David A. and Adrienne D. Schoenwolf Amy M. Schutzback William E. Seltz Martha J. and Matthew W. Sigler Kenneth J. Slota L. Allen and Jennifer Smith Ji-Ang Song Julie Spacht Ramachandran Srinivasan Kevin S. and Ellen Stotmeister Makram Suidan Larry and Rose Sur Tasuma Suzuki Wayne W. Swafford James S. Szczupaj Timothy Tack Takehira Takayanagi Timothy P. Tappendorf Thai EE&S Alumni 1970-2013 Tjen Tjhin Scott Trotter Trussell Technologies Larry and Carolyn Hall Vandendriessche Padro M. Vargas George K. and Mami Varghese Howard P. Walther Steve Wassmann Alan Watka Ronald R. Watkins Ronald W. Welch Katherine L. Wolf in memory of Robert and Sharon Wolf John R. Wolosick WQTS Inc. William Wuellner Takeshi and Elva Yoshihara Feng Yue Mingfu Zhang Xiangru Zhang and Yanqin Liu Yang Zhang and Lu Wang Zhengyu Zhang Alan and Susan Zimmer Kathryn A. Zimmerman

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Randall R. Ackerman Samantha M. Acosta Kwabena Adu-Sarkodie Eduardo Aldana-Valdes John Allen Thomas Anderson James E. Arnold Pouyan Asem George T. Bachman Jason Balabas Annika Bankston Rachel Banoff Fariborz Barzegar-Jamshidi Carolyn Baxley William Bellamy Robert A. Bergman Matthew Beyer Benjamin Birch Wayne Birch Richard G. Bird Ted Bluver Celeste and David Bock Fabian Bombardelli Bono Consulting Civil Engineers Robert M. Bracken Edward M. Brazle David K. Bruce Gilbert Brunnhoeffer Martin G. Buehler Daniel F. Burke Patrick Callahan Frederick S. and Elizabeth Cannon Julia Chang Jennifer Chaplin Ji Chen Cheema Chomsurin Reginald Chong Liang C. Chow Jeremy F. Coers Kathleen Davisson Carrie D. Desmond James S. Diemer Li Ding Laura K. Dolak Jeffrey Dolian Amy L. Dombro Michael T. Dooley Donald R. Doonan Joshua L. Dormeier Joel and Dawn DuCoste Kyle and Katharine Duitsman William H. Dunlop Patrick Eaton Shinya Echigo

Andrew Erikson Mary J. Erio Jacob Feiger Benjamin J. Finnegan Anthony E. Fiorato James H. Fisher James M. Fisher Kevin M. and Jennifer M. Fitzpatrick Michael J. Fornek Peter Fox Richard C. Frankenfield Kevin C. Fuhr and Jennifer M. Tammen Kevin Fuller Qitao Gao Stephen D. Garbaciak Jr. Michael Grimm Michael Gustavson Brian L. Hackman Robert W. Hahn James and Melody Hall James P. Hall Susana Kimura Hara Michael J. Hartlaub Louis Haussmann John and Sally Hayes John A. Healy Stephen Helfgott in memory of Gene C. Ruzicka Eric L. Henkel Ryan Hillman Robert W. Horvath Kevin Huberty Ronald M. Hubrich Nattawut Intorn Dao Janjaroen Michael J. Jelen John R. Jenkins Christopher P. Jepsen JSEbenezer Consultants Jun Ji Kevin K. Jim Mark and Shirley Johnson Peter M. and Barbara M. Johnston Kimberly Jones Michio Kanai Jalal Karaziwan Athaphon Kawprasert Stevan Keith Kevin J. Kell John and Elizabeth Kelley Charles B. Kenison Lev Khazanovich Patrick Kielty

MODERNIZE.CEE .ILLINOIS .EDU

Christopher J. King Derrick King Cinda A. Klickna Alexandra Knicker William E. Kolbuk Yukako Komaki Rebecca L. D. Komarek John D. Komorita Wanchalearm Kornkasem Carl Kowalski Jason J. Krohn Timothy and Teresa Krumm Manish Kumar and Anu M. Mathew Debra F. Laefer Karin E. Lange Matthew Larson Donna C. Laudermilch Sarah and Mark Laufenberg Hongxia Lei Andres Lepage Daniel Levitus Hang Li Richard Lin Eric Lo Boonyong Lohwongwatana Jason C. Loo Ricardo Lopez Nanxi Lu Becky Luna Angela L. Magnuson Nishant R. Makhijani Valerie Makri Daniel J. Malsom Gary G. and Janice K. Marine Philip G. Martin Megan L. Matthews Greta Matus Joel C. Maurer Matthew C. McClone Samuel Megli Edward and Brenda Mehnert Jeffrey L. Meling Yujie Men and Jinyong Liu Baoxia Mi Mark D. Mittag John B. Morgan Michael D. Mulhern Ryan T. Mumm Linda Musser Robert Najera Ken E. Nakao Francis B. Nelson Theodore W. Nelson Jr. David A. Norem

Scott M. and Katrina M. Olson Tadahiko Ono Okeoghene O. Orieka Thongchai Panswad Dean S. Papajohn Tammi Paul Jonathan Pearson Jose A. Barrios Perez Brian A. Perkovich Mark M. Petersen Brian Pfeifer Rory A. Polera Katherine E. Pripusich-Sienkiewicz Peter J. and Rosemary F. Prommer Andrew Querio Elizabeth C. Richter Mark J. Rood Michael J. and Wendy L. Rosborg Anni Santos James F. Schmudde John S. Schwartz Herbert L. Schwind Eric A. Seagren and Jennifer G. Becker Enio Sebastiani Garrett Sheehan Kristina Shidlauski Simon S. Shim David and Jan Sholem Lewis and Sherrill Simon Kwanrawee Sirikanchana Joel D. and Renee Smason Robert Smilowitz and Patricia M. Rosso David T. Soong Cholnatee Sophonsiri Joseph Spadoro Richard P. Sprague Gene R. and Jill S. Stevens Ashlynn S. Stillwell Leslie J. Struble James M. Sullivan Matthew Sun Zhuoqui Tao David A. Tayabji William E. Thacker Darin J. Trobaugh Peter K. Valade Timothy Van Der Aa Robert J. Van Valkenburg John C. Vogel Evangelos A. Voudrias John H. Walker Megan E. Wallace Yi Wang

Brian Welker Harry H. West Brian R. Whiston Amy Wildermuth Ekbordin Winijkul John R. Witter in memory of Ray Ackerman Karen and Randall Witter in memory of Ray Ackerman Bryant W. C. and Lenore S. Wong Brent Young Tao Zang Wendi Zhao Runrun Zhou Zhi Zhou Carol A. Zordani

Contact If you have already made your pledge and are able, please consider making another gift. There are still laboratories with critical equipment needs.

For information about making a gift or pledge, please contact: Steve Hall (217) 300-7830 stevhall@illinois.edu

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 21

DNA sensor quickly determines whether viruses are infectious

By Liz Ahlberg Touchstone A new sensor can detect not only whether a virus is present, but whether it’s infectious – an important distinction for containing viral spread.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and collaborators developed the sensor, which integrates specially designed DNA fragments and nanopore sensing, to target and detect infectious viruses in minutes without the need to pre-treat samples. They demonstrated the sensor’s power with two key viruses that cause infections worldwide: the human adenovirus and the virus that causes COVID-19.

Yi Lu, a professor emeritus of chemistry, and Benito Mariñas, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, co-led the work with University of Illinois Chicago professor Lijun Rong; professor Omar Azzaroni, of the National University of La Plata in Argentina; and María Eugenia Toimil-Molares, of the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Germany. They reported their findings in the journal Science Advances.

“The infectivity status is very important information that can tell us if patients are contagious or if an environmental disinfection method works,” said Ana Peinetti, the first author of the study, who performed the work while a postdoctoral researcher at Illinois. She now leads a research group at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. “Our sensor combines two key components: highly specific DNA molecules and highly sensitive nanopore technology. We developed these highly specific DNA molecules, named aptamers, that not only recognize viruses but also can differentiate the infectivity status of the virus.”

DNA aptamers bind selectively to infectious viruses. In addition to the nano-

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pore sensor, they could be integrated into other platforms such as color-changing dipsticks.

The “gold standard” of viral detection, PCR tests detect viral genetic material but cannot distinguish whether a sample is infectious or determine whether a person is contagious. This can make it more difficult to track and contain viral outbreaks, the researchers said.

“With the virus that causes COVID-19, it has been shown that the level of viral RNA has minimal correlation with the virus’s infectivity. In the early stage when a person is infected, the viral RNA is low and difficult to detect, but the person is highly contagious,” Lu said. “When a person is recovered and not infectious, the viral RNA level Benito Mariñas can be very high. Antigen tests follow a similar pattern, though even later than viral RNA. Therefore, viral RNA and antigen tests are both poor in informing whether a virus is infectious or not. It may result in delayed treatment or quarantine, or premature release of those who may still be contagious.”

Tests that detect infectious viruses, called plaque assays, exist but require special preparation and days of incubation to render results. The new sensing method can yield results in 30 minutes to two hours, the researchers report, and since it requires no pre-treatment of the sample, it can be used on viruses that will not grow in the lab.

Being able to distinguish infectious from noninfectious viruses and to detect small amounts from untreated samples that may contain other contaminants is important not only for rapid diagnosis

of patients who are in the early stage of infection or who are still contagious after treatment, but for environmental monitoring as well, Mariñas said.

“We chose human adenovirus to demonstrate our sensor because it is an emerging waterborne viral pathogen of concern in the United States and throughout the world,” Mariñas said. “The capability to detect infectious adenovirus in the presence of viruses rendered noninfectious by water disinfectants, and other potentially interfering background substances in wastewaters and contaminated natural waters, provides an unprecedented novel approach. We see potential for such technology to provide more robust protection of environmental and public health.”

The sensing technique could be applied to other viruses, the researchers say, by tweaking the DNA to target different pathogens.

The DNA aptamers used in the sensor can be readily produced with widely available DNA synthesizers, similarly to the RNA probes produced for PCR tests. Nanopore sensors are also commercially available, making the sensing technique readily scalable, said Lu, now a professor at the University of Texas, Austin.

The researchers are working to further improve the sensors’ sensitivity and selectivity, and are integrating their DNA aptamers with other detection methods, such as color-changing dipsticks or sensors to work with smartphones, to eliminate the need for special equipment. With the ability to distinguish noninfectious from infectious viruses, the researchers said they hope their technology could also aid in understanding mechanisms of

“Restoration of reef ecological function can yield cleaner water, more sustainable food supplies, and healthier and more resilient coastal cities.”

istockphoto.com/placebo365

Researchers work to rescue the reefs A new sensor can distinguish infectious viruses from noninfectious ones thanks to selective DNA fragments and sensitive nanopore technology. DNA aptamers bind selectively to infectious viruses. In addition to the nanopore sensor, they could be integrated into other platforms such as color-changing dipsticks.

Images courtesy of Ana Peinetti

infection.

“In addition, the aptamer technology could be further developed into multichannel platforms for detecting other emerging waterborne viral pathogens of public and environmental health concern, such as norovirus and enteroviruses, or for variants of the virus that causes COVID-19,” Mariñas said.

This work was supported by a RAPID grant from the National Science Foundation and a seed grant from the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment at Illinois and the Illinois-JITRI Institute. Peinetti was supported by the PEW Latin American Fellowship.

The paper “Direct detection of human adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2 with ability to inform infectivity using a DNA aptamer-nanopore sensor” is available online.

DOI:10.1126/sciadv.abh2848. i

By Alisa King-Klemperer, Carl R. Woese Insti- transform into juvenile coral and contute for Genomic Biology tinue to grow into adult corals. However, Coral reefs provide relatively little is known many benefits to soabout how coral reef surciety, including storm faces influence coral larvae protection to shorelines, attachment and growth. tourism and supporting Through a collaboration sport and commercial with expertise in materials fisheries. They are also engineering, fluid physics, crucial for biodiversity, microbiology and coral providing a home to 25 reproduction, studies will be done to promote coral percent of marine life while occupying less larval settlement for inthan 1 percent of the Rosa Espinosa-Marzal creased survival. ocean floor. However, “The bottleneck is havthe rapid decline of coral ing good settlement and reefs around the world has significantly then getting the juvenile corals to survive reduced those benefits. out in the wild,” said Wagoner Johnson.

A team consisting of civil and envi- “If we can develop materials that will help ronmental engineering professor Rosa larvae settle and grow better, and help Espinosa-Marzal, and mechanical sci- keep algae and bad biofilms off, then we ence and engineering professors Amy hope that that will provide the tools to Wagoner Johnson and Gabriel Juarez successfully regenerate reefs by assisted has been awarded a continuing Na- sexual reproduction.” tional Science Foundation Convergence To achieve their goal, researchers will Research grant to work on coral recruit- engineer and test suitable materials and ment and survival. measure the release of active molecules To reproduce, swimming coral lar- that encourage settlement. Wagoner vae — the size of a grain of rice — must Johnson and Espinosa-Marzal will design successfully find a substrate to attach to, settle and grow. From there, the larvae Continued on page 36

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 23

Engineers in Action student group builds a bridge in West Virginia A group of students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign joined students from Rutgers University for two weeks in West Virginia this summer, rebuilding a bridge severely damaged during a period of extensive flooding in 2016.

The Illinois students – three from the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and three from the department of Mechanical Science and Engineering (MechSE) – are members of the Engineers in Action (EIA) Bridge Program registered student organization (RSO).

The EIA group typically travels to an international location every year to build a needed footbridge in a rural area, but this year a domestic location was selected because of the COVID-19 pandemic. West Virginia was a prime alternative because of the many bridges around the state washed out or severely damaged during the 2016 flooding. The team rebuilt one of these bridges, located in the small community of Lizemores.

“There were seven families that were impacted by the construction of the bridge,” said Lauren Horvath, a MechSE student who was Project Manager on the site and is the current RSO president. “Of the community members we talked with, a lot of them mentioned feeling unsafe crossing the bridge and feared one day it would collapse under them.”

It was more cost effective – and safer – to rebuild the bridge than attempt to renovate it, she said.

Ready, set, go The Lizemores project took just two weeks to build, but preparing for it was a year-long experience for the group. Each chapter is responsible for the costs of their annual bridge project and travel, so

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the students spend the “This went over the first semester of each logistics of the project, academic year raising all the parties involved, money for their sumsurveying, the design mer project. This adds and different loads and another layer of practiforces that are applied cal experience and skill to a vehicular bridge, that the students can and more,” Horvath achieve by participasaid. “It taught us how tion in the group. the bridge is built and Under Sun’s leaderhow to calculate things ship, for the first time like loads from cars the group was able to CEE at Illinois senior Helen Sun was pres- and pedestrians on the ident of the EIA Bridge Program at the fundraise the entire time of the project and the academic bridge.” cost of the project, year leading up to it.

Building a vehicular meaning none of the bridge was a first for students had to pay exthe student organizapenses out of their own pockets. This was tion. Jacob Dolas, a junior in CEE, served particularly notable since the fundraising as Design Manager for the West Virginia happened during the pandemic when project. Under normal circumstances in“the economy was not great and compa- volving a pedestrian bridge, Dolas – as nies were hesitant to support this type Design Manager – would be responsible of trip,” Sun said. Fundraising taught her for developing the initial bridge design, a lot about marketing, an area she found which would be checked by professional that she really enjoys. engineers before any work happens. This “It helped me kind of change my ca- year, the team followed an existing dereer [plans] a little bit,” she said. “I’m go- sign that the engineers at JZ Engineering ing to get a bachelor’s in civil engineer- developed immediately after the 2016 ing, but I’m also trying to go into market- floods. ing for construction technology. I really “They already essentially had a workenjoy practicing and developing the skills ing design ready,” Dolas said. “They made to strategically forge partnerships and a design five or six years ago, when the big convince people to try a new product or flooding event happened, that was really service.” cost effective and all they do is tweak it a In addition to fundraising, preparing little bit for the specific site that it’s going for the trip to West Virginia also involved to be sitting on.” taking a series of training courses to make The design was very simple: four steel sure they were ready for the project. I-beams spanning concrete abutments These included a safety course, first aid sitting on piles, topped with two-inchtraining and general EIA Education cours- by-six-inch wood boards turned on edge es the national organization developed, and nailed next to each other, Dolas exlike the West Virginia Vehicular Bridge plained. This made the bridge inexpenProgram Course. sive, easy and quick to build.

You only live once The students were unanimous in their opinion that the RSO is worth joining, whether for resume building, practical experience, social connections – or all three.

“Instead of just talking to people, I actually have things that I can put on my resume or remember if in the future I’m going to be designing a bridge,” said Dolas.

“EIA is fantastic because it actually gets you doing things – and you meet people,

too.”

“Last year was completely virtual for me so I struggled to make friends and meet people, but the people at EIA have been really welcoming and have given me fantastic advice,” said CEE student Emily Shao. “As an organization it has also taught me a lot—I learned more about civil engineering and construction in one project than I’ve learned in my entire time in the classroom.”

Sun encourages other students to get involved with the EIA Bridge student group, noting that after graduation, a career and family will limit opportunities for this type of experience. With a laugh, she pointed out that when you are a grandparent, you can tell your grandchildren about “this one time I went to Bolivia and built a footbridge.”

“YOLO,” Sun added, using shorthand for ‘you only live once.’ “College is about trying new things. And this is the most YOLO thing – the wildest experience – you could try out.”

In addition to the students who contributed to this article, Raj Patel (CEE) and Nate Williamson (MechSE) also made the trip to West Virginia. i

At left, Project Manager Lauren Horvath (front) takes a group selfie on the project site.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 25

Your Gifts in Action Your support ensures that CEE at Illinois remains a leader in civil and environmental engineering education and research.

THE YEAR IN REVIEW (FY 2021)

470

149

$100

$1,000

OTHER DONORS

42% OF GIFTS WERE $100 OR LESS

220 GIFTS WERE $1,000 OR MORE

609

73

111

$370,000

TOTAL DONORS TO THE NEW BUILDING (TO DATE)

DONORS TO CEE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS

CEE ALUMNI DONORS

UNDERGRADUATES WHO RECEIVED CEE OR CEE EVS SCHOLARSHIPS

TOTAL RAISED FOR CEE SCHOLARSHIPS IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR

Engineering Visionary Scholarships Gifts to the Engineering Visionary Scholarship (EVS) Initiative are pooled together and help us bring the best young engineers to Illinois by allowing for large, renewable and unrestricted scholarships to be awarded to deserving students.

Gifts to support the EVS program can be directed to specific departments. If you would like to add your support to the CEE EVS fund, visit cee.illinois.edu/ give or contact contact Steve Hall, Director of Advancement, at stevhall@ illinois.edu, (217) 300-7830 for more information.

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The following students were recipients of CEE Visionary Scholarships during the last academic year. Their names were unavailable for printing in the Summer 2021 magazine’s scholarship list: Edgar Alvarado Anna Bogdanski Andrew Bushnell Cindy Cai Michael Cano Julia Cima Daniel Farray Alejandro Fernandez Daniel Garcia-Rico Jo Gindorf Ryan Hammond

Sakher Haris Maksymilian Jasiak Ahmed Kahack Riley Kelch David Kim Jonathan Kolweier Ryan Lake Eric Leanos Matthew Lewandowski Eduardo Mancera Yazmin Martinez

Maxwell McAvoy Jared Mitchell Christopher Nguyen Janellie Roach Therese Sobol Jared Soucek Cameron Tonkery Cristian Tovar Tanner Viramontes Charles Zehnal

REU Spotlight Senior Cici Teng takes advantage of undergraduate research opportunity

Sarah Fuller Senior, Doris I. and James L. Willmer Endowed Scholarship in Civil and Environmental Engineering “This scholarship has greatly helped me during these challenging times and allows me to continue to put all my focus into my studies and extracurricular activities. I am very grateful for this scholarship because it motivates me to work hard on my studies and continue to encourage young women to become engineers.

“I chose Civil Engineering because it allows me to work on large projects that directly impact the public and local communities. I work best with others on team-type projects, and this career allows me to work in a team setting every day on a wide range of job site issues. I am very interested in examining construction processes and the ability to make construction projects more costand time-efficient.

“I am involved in the Society of Women Engineers, which has been one of my most rewarding experiences while on campus. During the spring semester of 2021, I worked with a group of girls to plan Little Sister’s weekend, an event that allows incoming women engineers to connect with current students and learn about what it means to be a Grainger Engineer.”

When Cici Teng was a high school stu- about. dent deciding between a college in Cali“Climate crifornia and a college in Illinois, UIUC’s rep- sis is what got utation as a top research school tipped me into envithe scale. With advice from her father, ronmental enwho convinced her that a strong research gineering,” she program meant the school would have said. “I realized a lot of resources and “really, really cool” the classes I’d professors, Teng gave up thoughts of taken were more water quality focused, spending her undergraduate years near a or just not really what I wanted to do, until beach and instead moved to the heart of I saw her research and I was really interthe Midwest. ested.”

Now a senior in CEE at Illinois, Teng It was intimidating as a freshman and knows that having research experience sophomore to reach out to professors to under her belt will help her in graduate ask about research opportunities, Teng school. This year, she is working with as- said, but being persistent paid off. Now, sistant professor Hannah Horowitz as part she has a close relationship with Horowof CEE’s Research Experience for Under- itz and considers her a mentor. Learning graduates (REU) program. Their project what research actually entails has also is focused on better understanding the been an invaluable lesson, noting that sources of sea salt particles in the atmo- before this project she did not fully unsphere in polar regions – particularly derstand what research meant – how a those released from cracks in frozen sea- project gets started, the passion and time water. researchers can spend on a single topic, Sea salt particles influence climate, but or any of the associated details. particles released from sea ice cracks – “Now I feel really encouraged to be also called sea ice leads – are not currently able to look into new things that are comrepresented in models used to predict cli- pletely outside of my knowledge base, mate change. Using satellite data collect- and then being able to figure out steps to ed from polar regions, Teng is analyzing answer questions that I’m really interestthe frequency and timing of sea ice leads ed in that no one else has the answers to,” in the Antarctic.

Teng said. “That’s the coolest part of our “From her analysis we hope to learn research for me.” in what regions and months are sea ice leads most prevalent, and whether this is changing over time,” Horowitz said. “Then we can use the information from the satellite data in a computer model of the atmosphere to estimate the emissions of salt particles from the sea ice leads.”

Teng said it is really interesting to apply her coding and research Assistant professor Hannah Horowitz, left, meets skills on a project that she cares with Teng every week to review their project.

Your support helps make the REU Program possible. Contact Steve Hall at (217) 300-7830, stevhall@illinois.edu, for more information or visit cee.illinois.edu/give to make a gift.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 27

Graduate Fellowships and Awards Abbott Laboratories Fellowship Aijia Zhou Alfredo and Myrtle Mae Ang Fellowship Minjiang Zhu American Fly Ash Fellowship Ruolin Zhang Ben Chie Yen Memorial Fellowship Aramide Moronfoye CEE Interdisciplinary Fellowship Adam Sibal Elaine To CN Fellowship in Railroad Engineering Brevel Holder Jaeik Lee Daniel Mueller Brett Myskowski Geordie Roscoe Jiaxi Zhao Geotech Fellowship Ekaterina Barteneva

Ivan Racheff Fellowship Renjing Jiang Yurui Li Xiaokai Yang Qianlu Zheng Jacob Karol Fellowship Yingqi Jia John O. Fooks and William D. Fooks Fellowship Yoonjoo Seo John W. Page Fellowship Yifan Cheng Mashiat Hossain Ruolin Zhang Kuehn Engineering Scholarship Luke Edwards Mohammad Nour Fakhreddine Matthew Grendzinski John Hickman Manuel Maria Reyna

IACPA Fellowship Jesus Castro

Loreta and Silvio Corsetti Memorial Fellowship Lucia Moya

Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association Award Lama Abufares Qingqing Cao

M. T. Geoffrey Yeh Graduate Research Fellowship in Civil Engineering Manuel Maria Reyna Yoonjoo Seo

Maidment Fellowship in Hydrosystems Engineering Aramide Moronfoye Kasra Motlaghzadeh Mete A. Sozen Fellowship Marie Bond Nick Pokrajac Graduate Fellowship Kaylee Tucker Peter K. Dai Graduate Fellowship John Hanley Ravindar K. and Kavita Kinra Fellowship Qurat ul ain Fatima Syed Faizan Husain Chirayu Kothari Rahul Kundu Karthik Pattaje P.S. Ganesh Pavizhakattumadom Subhro Saha Harsh Shah Anav Vora RC Pavement Council Fellowship Jordan Oeullet Sargent & Lundy Fellowship Yifan Cheng Shannon & Wilson Inc. Stanley D. Wilson Award Haode Wang Shedd-Vawter Memorial Scholarship Wendi Zhao

LUCIA MOYA

Loreta and Silvio Corsetti Memorial Fellowship “I am extremely grateful to be a recipient of the Loreta and Silvio Corsetti Memorial Fellowship.

This generous fellowship allows me to focus 100% on my studies, research, and extracurricular activities during the first year of my MS in Geotechnical Engineering.

As such, I am sure it will play a substantial role throughout my professional development. “

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Terracon Foundation Fellowship Daniela Gurruchaga Renjel Tilford A. Olson Scholarship Marie Bond Yifan Cheng Walter E. Deuchler Environmental Engineering Fellowship Erin Emme Walter Hanson Graduate Award Jordan Judge William E. O’Neill Award Ahmed Adel Hassan Winfred D. Gerber Memorial Fellowship Kaylee Tucker

About Fellowships GEORDIE ROSCOE

CN Fellowship in Railroad Engineering “Receiving the CN Fellowship allowed me to concentrate solely on writing my master’s thesis by removing any financial worries while also not imposing any extra research deadlines. I was therefore able to improve the quality of my thesis writing, aiding readers in understanding my research and providing me with more confidence in my writing abilities as I began my doctoral studies. Thank you to CN for donating to start the fellowship! I hope that it will continue to benefit students far into the future.”

$454,000

Graduate fellowships are an important resource for the students who receive them and also for the department: named fellowships expand the Ph.D. capacity of the department which improves our graduate rankings; they afford the student flexibility to pursue their own areas of research rather than working within the confines of a specific research grant; and they afford prestige to the student which can help the department recruit and reward top students.

The cost to fully fund a graduate student for one year of study is approximately $30,000. An endowment of $750,000 is required to provide sufficient income to award a fellowship in that amount each year. Most fellowships currently awarded by CEE are partial fellowships.

If you would like to learn more about how to establish a fellowship, please contact Steve Hall, Director of Advancement, at (217) 300-7830 or stevhall@illinois.edu.

AWARDED IN FELLOWSHIPS SINCE JANUARY 2020

KARTHIK PATTAJE

Ravindar K. and Kavita Kinra Fellowship “I am extremely grateful to have received the Kinra fellowship and thank Dr. and Mrs. Bahl for their generosity. The fellowship has enabled me to continue working towards my doctoral degree and conduct research on concrete 3D printing along with pursuing other academic activities.”

The Ravindar K. and Kavita Kinra Fellows. Front row, left to right: Rahul Kundu, Harsh Shah, Chirayu Kothari, Qurat ul ain Fatima. Back row, left to right: Anav Vora, Syed Faizan Husain, P.S. Ganesh Subramanian, Subhro Saha. Also: Karthik Pattaje, pictured in the photo at left.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 29

Faculty Focus

Youssef Hashash W

hen CEE geotechnical engineering professor Youssef Hashash was a child growing up in Beirut, Lebanon, his father worked as a hydrogeologist.

Because the country’s civil war raged for much of his childhood, Hashash was sometimes forced to, as he puts it, “study from home.” This meant job shadowing his father and getting an early introduction to civil engineering.

“In my teen years, I spent quite a bit of time on drill rigs, doing field explorations for dam sites and roadways,” Hashash says. “In my high school years, I did actual work; I did geotechnical site investigations whereby I would measure water levels, log test pits, perform field density tests, logging of core soil and rock – so it kind of got into my DNA. From there on, I went into civil engineering.”

Today, Hashash has been on the civil engineering faculty at the University of Illinois for 23 years, having joined the department in 1998. A recognized leader in the geotechnical engineering community and an expert in earthquake engineering and tunneling, he holds two endowed titles as both the William J. and Elaine F. Hall Endowed Professor and the John Burkitt Webb Endowed Faculty Scholar.

The software he developed, DEEPSOIL, has become the industry standard for predicting how the ground will respond in an earthquake. He was lead author on a foundational paper published 20 years ago that is still the go-to reference in industry on its subject, “Seismic design and analysis of underground structures.”

He has advised 28 Ph.D. students, all of whom have benefited from Hashash’s close relationships with industry which offer access to study state-of-the-art projects in process across the nation.

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In 1985, Hashash left home to study engineering as an undergraduate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Away from home for the first time, he struggled to adjust to a new language and culture. But life in Cambridge, Mass., was a revelation after an upbringing shaped by war.

“The constraints that were second nature to me were no longer there. It was an opportunity for me to grow, expand my horizons, learn and sort of slowly dip my toes in. It was a transformative experience for me,” Hashash says. “I got an amazing education and exposure, and it continues to shape me today.”

Hashash was able to work on a number of research projects as an undergraduate. One was a study on the adoption of seatbelts in the New England area. At the time, seatbelts were not required by law.

“That was an interesting experience, because I had to go stand with a graduate student on roadway corners around Massachusetts, and we would be taking notes,” Hashash says. “Some people were curious and friendly, and other people had more colorful language to share with us! I learned about civic participation – that laws were not top-down but rather a consensus you build within a country.

And I also learned what a banana split ice cream was.”

At the end of a long, hot day logging seatbelt usage, the graduate student would take Hashash to an ice cream parlor, where he first experienced the treat that still makes his eyes light up.

“I used to love it – oh my gosh!” he says. “I can’t eat it anymore, but it was just amazing!”

He remained at MIT to earn his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees in civil

Hashash pictured in a helicopter after an earthquake reconnaissance mission in Nepal.

engineering, completing his doctorate in 1992.

“There weren’t many jobs. I sent out 20 or 30 applications and received two interviews and one job offer,” he says. “But that job offer – I couldn’t have asked for a better choice.”

Hired by Parsons Brinckerhoff as an engineer on the Superconducting Super Collider Project in Dallas, Hashash worked on the high-profile project until Congress cut the funding in 1994. Still, he built relationships and gained real-world experience on underground structures, he says.

After that, Hashash moved to San Francisco with Parsons Brinckerhoff, where he got his start in earthquake engineering, working on a number of seismic retrofit projects including the Big Dig in Boston.

“And then the opportunity came to move to Illinois,” Hashash says, when then-department head David Daniel and members of the geotechnical group invited him to join the faculty in 1998.

“People were advising me, ‘if you want to go into academia, this is the time to do it,’” Hashash says. “I wasn’t sure that this was really the right thing for me, but there were things I liked about the repu-

“My parents were in disbelief – utterly in disbelief – that in your adopted country, you can be an immigrant, and through merit you can actually get one of the highest recognitions you can get – and you get invited to the White House!”

tation of Illinois, for example the significant involvement of the faculty with real projects. I wanted the opportunity to step back and think about problems, but also I wanted the challenge of real-world problems instead of something theoretical or limited to a lab.”

At that time, the geotechnical engineering faculty at Illinois included Ed Cording, Gabe Fernandez, Pete Lenzini, Gholamreza Mesri and Tim Stark. Skip Hendron had just retired, and Hashash was assigned to the office Hendron had just vacated. The transition from industry was profound, he says.

“Oh my gosh, I was a nervous wreck in my first class!” Hashash laughs. “It was one of those things – you throw somebody in the swimming pool, and they sink or swim. I came in mid-year, so a lot of the programs that would have helped me transition in were not there. Currently we have far stronger programs for incoming faculty. Also I was expected to teach immediately. Now many of our faculty have a little bit of a grace period before they do that. At that time, start-up packages were tiny, so you were scrambling [for research funding] very, very early on, and it was stressful.”

Relief came in 2001 in the form of a prestigious national award, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), which Hashash won for “developing an integrated research and education project that addresses a novel interactive visualization development and learning environment for material constitutive relations, referred to as VizCoRe.” The award came with five years of funding, which almost doubled his budget, plus a tour of the White House for recipients and a guest. Youssef attended with his wife, So-young Kim. “My parents were in disbelief – utterly in disbelief – that in your adopted country, you can be an immigrant, and through merit you can actually get one

of the highest recognitions you can get – and you get invited to the White House!

They couldn’t believe it. They were absolutely in shock,” Hashash says. “I personally felt, ‘Wow, this is my adopted country, and I’m extremely proud for the opportunities that are given to any of us – which for immigrants in other countries is not always the case. This is a very, very unique place. It was amazing.”

Where Hashash has enjoyed making a mark is at the intersection of academia and engineering practice. He enjoys the discovery of research and seeing new knowledge applied in practice. Nowhere is that more immediate than in DEEPSOIL, a free software for predicting the ground’s response to earthquake motions that is continuously updated with the newest knowledge for immediate use in industry.

First developed more than 20 years

ago with colleagues at UIUC’s Mid-America Earthquake Center, DEEPSOIL corrected errors in the fundamental aspects of numerical formulations that compromised the precision of the standard modeling software of the time. It enabled better modeling of how new designs would fare in the event of an earthquake and captured the non-linearity of soil response due to more severe quakes – something the software of that time could not do.

“DEEPSOIL has become a platform for immediate dissemination of our research,” Hashash says. “I was fortunate through the years to have talented students to help me continuously update it. Sometimes we would put our findings into the software, and it was available for release even before the papers got published. It’s a service to the community and for increasing seismic safety. It really Continued on the next page

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 31

“I find it really enjoyable to see the work that we do being used. ... Sometimes within months of our development through our contacts with industry we start seeing applications of our methodologies.”

Continued from page 31 goes to the heart of our mission as civil engineers in terms of developing tools, procedures and methods, and educating students to enhance safety.”

Hashash enjoys wearing the many hats of his profession: academic, teacher, researcher, engineer.

“That is what made me come back from industry into academia,” he says.

“Working with students and seeing the students bringing in these new ideas, new methodologies to bear on old problems, is something I really enjoy. It gives you a sense of discovery, renewal. By connecting with our colleagues in industry, it also gives us a sense of relevance.

I find it really enjoyable to see the work that we do being used. We don’t have to wait 10, 20 years to see our work being employed. Sometimes within months of our development through our contacts with industry we start seeing applications of our methodologies. And vice versa – through our connections with our friends in industry, we sometimes find that they are ahead of us, and there is something to be learned from them because they are working with real-scale problems.”

The ability to study projects as they are accomplished has enhanced Hashash’s research as well as the education of his students. A recent project has him collaborating with the Los Angeles Metro expansion project to collect data on the construction of tunnels for new lines and underground stations. The project highlights one of Hashash’s areas of expertise – construction in heavily built, urbanized areas while limiting impact to surrounding structures. Using advanced tools including deep learning and artificial intelligence enables Hashash’s team to correlate the massive amount of data they collect – for example, from tunnel boring machines with numerous sensor streams.

“We’re working with real data on multi-million, multi-billion dollar projects

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that make our work relevant, impactful and enjoyable,” Hashash says.

Hashash is quick to credit the topquality graduate students that Illinois attracts for much of the success of his research program. He praises their dynamism and the fresh perspective they bring, as well as the richness of their collaborations with one another. When they graduate and go on to work as civil engineers, he enjoys seeing their professional achievements.

“It is absolutely wonderful to see them being successful and making their mark on the profession,” Hashash says.

Recently Hashash was named to a team of forensic engineering experts who will conduct a technical investigation into the June 24, 2021, partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Fla., for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He will co-lead the geotechnical engineering-focused project with Sissy Nikolaou, leader of the Earthquake Engineering Group in the Materials and Structural Systems Division in the Engineering Laboratory at NIST. The investigation of the tragic collapse to illuminate what went wrong and how to prevent it in the future is Hashash’s most recent involvement in a long history of service on post-disaster reconnaissance teams documenting the built infrastructure’s response to earthquakes, floods and explosions. Such service speaks to his philosophy of being engaged and employing the best tools of the time to advance the geotechnical engineering profession – a viewpoint he hopes to impart to his students.

“In five, 10, 50 years, the tools will be different, the technology will be different, hence they will develop new approaches and new procedures to solve the problems that we tried to solve,” Hashash says. “I hope the next generations will be brave. Don’t be too beholden to the existing tools, the existing solutions.” i

Hashash and CEE alumni named to Surfside collapse investigative team CEE professor Youssef Hashash has been named to a team of forensic engineering experts who will conduct a technical investigation into the June 24, 2021, partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Fla., the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced Aug. 25, 2021. Also serving on the NIST team will be CEE at Illinois alumni James R. Harris (MS 75, PhD 80) and Jack P. Moehle (BS 78, MS 78, PhD 80).

The team’s goal will be to determine the likely cause or causes of the collapse and make recommendations that will improve building codes and standards in the future. Under the National Construction Safety Team Act of 2002, NIST has primary authority to investigate the site of building disasters in the U.S. The technical investigation will be organized around a number of focused projects.

Hashash will co-lead the Geotechnical Engineering project with Sissy Nikolaou, leader of the Earthquake Engineering Group in the Materials and Structural Systems Division in the Engineering Laboratory at NIST. Hashash has an extensive background in the field of geotechnical, earthquake and tunnel engineering. His expertise includes underground structures, deep excavations, numerical modeling, earthquake engineering and static and dynamic soil-structure interaction analysis, visu-

DEPARTMENT NEWS DEPARTMENT NEWS

2020, 2021 Distinguished Faculty Award honorees recognized virtually The Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association recognized its Distinguished Faculty awardees from 2020 and 2021 in a virtual ceremony on Nov. 10, 2021.

istockphoto.com/ felixmizioznikov

Vernon L. Snoeyink

The Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Fla., collapsed in June 2021.

alization and application of information technology, deep learning and artificial intelligence in geotechnical engineering. He has co-led or was a member of post-disaster reconnaissance teams documenting built infrastructure response to earthquakes, floods and explosions.

Alumnus Harris will co-lead the Building and Code History project. Harris has worked as a structural engineering consultant in Denver, Colo., and served as a research structural engineer at NIST (then the National Bureau of Standards) from 1975 to 1981.

Alumnus Moehle will co-lead the Structural Engineering project. Moehle is a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He is active professionally both as a consulting engineer and as a contributor to development of structural engineering standards and guidelines.

The investigation is expected to last several years. i

For his research on drinking water quality control centered on the removal of organic and inorganic contaminants from water using adsorption systems, especially granular and powdered activated carbon systems that are coupled with membrane systems; for investigating the mechanisms of formation and means to control water quality problems that develop in drinking water distribution systems as a result of reactions of iron, aluminum and other inorganic substances; and for being recognized at the University of Illinois for excellence in teaching at the Department, College of Engineering and Campus levels.

Vernon L. Snoeyink served on the department faculty from 1969 until 2005.

From 1985-1999 he served as Coordinator of the Environmental Engineering and Science Program.

Winners from 2020, who were pictured in the last issue of the magazine, are Alfredo H.-S. Ang, German Gurfinkel and Mete Sozen (posthumously). Winners from 2021 are listed below.

To view the video, scan the code or visit youtube. com/ceeatillinois.

Jon C. Liebman For his development of river basin water quality modeling and expanded interests to the application of network optimization to design of water distribution and wastewater collection systems, location of solid waste collection facilities, and routing of solid waste collection vehicles; for his development of one of the first undergraduate general computer programming courses in the United States; for his leadership as Head of the department from 1978 to 1984.

Jon C. Liebman was Head of the Department from 1978 to 1984. He retired in 1996, after 24 years on the department faculty.

Ven Te Chow (awarded Posthumously) For being a renowned educator, researcher and water resources engineer whose accomplishments significantly influenced the understanding and importance of water resources throughout the entire world; for being an admired and highly respected colleague at UIUC, revered by his legion of students both here at the university and worldwide; often described as a giant in his field, as both a developer and a disseminator of knowledge; being a worldwide educator and public servant in hydrology and water resources. He was a true ambassador and leader for the then-emerging field of Hydrologic Science.

Chow joined the CEE faculty after earning his Ph.D. in the department in 1950. He died in 1981.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 33

CORPORATE PARTNERS PROGRAM PRINCIPAL PARTNERS

C. Armando Duarte

Rafael Tinoco

Professor and Department Head Ana P. Barros has been appointed to the Department of Energy (DOE) Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee, which advises the Director of the Office of Science, DOE, on the many complex scientific and technical issues that arise in the development and implementation of the biological and environmental research program.

Professor and Department Head Ana P. Barros has been elected to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Board of Trustees.

LEGACY PARTNERS

A paper by CEE alumnus John T. Trimmer (PhD 19) as lead author and CEE associate professor Jeremy Guest as corresponding author has been named the Top Paper in Environmental Policy for 2020 by the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Guest was Trimmer’s Ph.D. adviser. Additional authors include assistant professor R.D. Cusick, current Ph.D. student Hannah A. C. Lohman, and CEE alumna Diana M. Byrne.

Professor C. Armando Duarte’s PhD student Nathan Shauer was the winner of the 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers Engineering Mechanics Institute Computational Mechanics Committee Student Presentation Competition. He presented “Simulation of Wave Propagation in Fluid-filled Fractures within a CFEM Framework.” Shauer also won the Student Poster Competition in the Computational Fluid Mechanics Track at the U.S. National Congress on Computational Mechanics.

Professor Paolo Gardoni has been elected to The Engineering Mechanics Institute Board of Governors.

Professor Paolo Gardoni won the ASCE’s 2021 Alfredo Ang Award on Risk Analysis and Management of Civil Infrastructure for his contributions to risk, reliability and resilience analysis and his leadership in these fields.

Professor Paolo Gardoni has been appointed Visiting Professor in Structural Engineering and Societal Risk Mitigation at Loughborough University’s School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering.

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Eleftheria Kontou

Ramez Hajj

Associate Professor Jeremy Guest has been named the UIUC Lead for the Sustainability thrust of the IBM-Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute within The Grainger College of Engineering. The Institute will spur breakthroughs in emerging areas of technology to accelerate the discovery of solutions to complex global challenges.

Assistant professor Ramez Hajj was named an IllinoisIndiana Sea Grant faculty scholar. During his year as scholar, Hajj will develop a porous asphalt mixture capable of resisting freeze-thaw cycles.

Assistant professor Eleftheria Kontou’s PhD student Shanshan Liu was awarded a Midwest Big Data Hub Learning Innovation Fellowship. She and collaborators will develop a data analytics module for a learning case study on sustainable transportation systems.

Professor Arif Masud has been elected President-elect of the Society of Engineering Science. He will serve as Vice President for one year before his term as President begins in January 2023. Masud was also elected Vice President of the Engineering Mechanics Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Professor Erol Tutumluer presided over four days of plenary keynotes, special invited lectures and breakout sessions as a Conference Chair at the 4th International Conference on Transportation Geotechnics.

Chien-Yung Tseng, a PhD student of assistant professor Rafael Tinoco, was awarded the “Best Young Professional Award” at the 9th International Symposium on Environmental Hydraulics, hosted by the Seoul National University and the Korea Water Resources Association.

Zhi Zhao, a PhD student of assistant professor X. Shelly Zhang, was named winner of the 16th U.S. National Congress on Computational Mechanics student poster competition, in the Materials, Manufacturing and Optimization track. Zhi’s poster was titled: “Design of graded porous bone-like structures via a multi-material topology optimization approach.”

DEPARTMENT NEWS

Journal spotlight

A High-Riser: The Journal of Building Engineering Back in 2015, professor and CEE alumnus Jim LaFave (BS 86, MS 87) helped establish the Journal of Building Engineering (JoBE), as one of the three founding co-editors-in-chief. JoBE is an interdisciplinary journal from Elsevier that covers all aspects of engineering, science and technology pertaining to the whole life cycle of buildings – from the design phase on through to construction, operation, performance, maintenance and even deterioration.

Over the course of the last half-dozen years, JoBE has really come into its own and grown to be one of the top international journals in the fields of civil engineering, architectural engineering and construction and building technology.

The first year of the journal comprised just a few hundred submissions handled

by the three co-editors-in-chief, LaFave said, whereas they now work with a team of eight associate editors to manage more than 5,000 annual submissions (fewer than 20 percent of which are accepted for publication). Topical coverage of the journal is broad in scope, including research papers and practical technical notes about the structural engineering, construction materials, facades, fire safety, HVAC systems, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, sustainable design and rehabilitation of buildings.

A journal’s impact factor reflects the number of times an average paper is cited during the preceding two years. According to the latest journal metrics, JoBE has an impact factor of 5.318, which places it in the top 10 percent of the nearly 140 civil engineering journals considered by

James LaFave

Clarivate Analytics in their annual Journal Citation Reports. As another measure of its success, JoBE’s Scopus CiteScore of 5.5 is in the top 5 percent of architectural engineering journals, and the top 15 percent of all building and construction journals.

Beyond just the numbers, LaFave said, the journal is clearly having a significant global impact and fast becoming the place to go for cutting edge research related to buildings.

Zhang invited to edit influential journal Assistant professor and CEE alumna X. Shelly Zhang (BS 12, MS 14) has been invited to become a review editor of the journal Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization (SMO), considered the flagship journal in her research field.

“SMO journal is at the converging frontier of design, engineering, simulation, additive manufacturing, AI and digital-twins,” Zhang said. “I was very honored and excited to receive this editorship invitation.”

Typically only tenured professors are invited to serve as review editors for SMO, but the journal made an exception in Zhang’s case. The editors cited the fact that Zhang has already built a very

strong reputation through her research, demonstrated a strong commitment to serving the research community, and has been “among the most active and qualified reviewers” for SMO. The SMO journal exX. Shelly Zhang plores a wide range of topics dealing with optimization involving at least one major engineering discipline such as solid, fluid, thermal, electric, electromagnetics and more. As of 2020, the impact factor of SMO is 4.542, meaning it is in the top 10 percent of journals in terms of the num-

ber of times its papers are cited.

Zhang’s research interests are in theoretical and algorithmic development of topology optimization to handle multi-objective and multi-constraints; robust design optimization under uncertainty through stochastic programming; bridging topology optimization and additive manufacturing; topology optimization informed civil structures innovations; and multi-scale lattice design for resilient and lightweight metamaterials and structures.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 35

DEPARTMENT NEWS

Air Force equipment grant will support porous media research

“In addition to the fundamental knowledge generated in this istockphoto.com/John Anderson Photo

collaborative project, this is a project with a huge environmental impact.”

Coral reefs

Continued from page 23

and develop materials to encourage larval settlement while Juarez will investigate the influence of fluid forces on larval settlement.

“Larvae can sense their local environment and they actually display a preference for certain substrate features. In the ocean, the fluid motion is at least 10 times larger than the larval swimming speed, which makes it extremely difficult for larvae to sense and respond to their environment in real-time,” said Juarez. “It’s like trying to land an aircraft on a moving runway.”

Since the coral species studied release sperm and egg only once or twice a year, the researchers have a limited window to test substrate samples on coral larvae and measure their response to the release of active chemicals. Once data is collected and analyzed, the research team will study the materials more in-depth, modify the composition of the materials and plan for the next season of experiments.

The ultimate goal is to encourage natural coral restoration and sustainability through limited artificial intervention.

Besides having important, long-term so-

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cietal and economic impacts, the research will also help establish a new discipline geared toward engineers, paving the way for the future generation of scientists.

“Restoration of reef ecological function can yield cleaner water, more sustainable food supplies, and healthier and more resilient coastal cities. Hence, in addition to the fundamental knowledge generated in this collaborative project, this is a project with a huge environmental impact,” said Espinosa-Marzal. “This project is at my heart because we, as a team, can do something useful for our society. There’s a lot to do, and it’s all very exciting.”

The researchers also include current postdoc Joaquin Yus Dominguez, former postdoctoral researcher Mark Levenstein (now at Centre CEA ParisSaclay), Linda Wegley Kelly (University of California-San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography), Forest Rohwer (San Diego State University), and Kristen Marhaver (CARMABI Research Station, Curacao). i

Assistant professor Tugce Baser has been awarded a $482,000 equipment grant to support her research into porous media subjected to combined external fields such as temperature, stress and electricity. The grant is one of 150 awards to university researchers totaling $50 million under the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP).

The highly competitive annual DURIP award process is administered through Tugce Baser a merit competition jointly by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Army Research Office, and Office of Naval Research. The Department seeks specific proposals from university investigators conducting foundational science and engineering research relevant to national defense.

Baser’s grant will allow the purchase of a dynamic triaxial device and a high resolution, high-speed thermal camera and support one student research assistant.

“DURIP awards help maintain the cutting-edge capabilities of our universities and provide research infrastructure to enable the most creative scientific minds in the country to extend the boundaries of science and technology,” said Bindu Nair, Director, Basic Research Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. “The awards will facilitate scientific advances that will drive unparalleled military capabilities for our country and help train our future STEM workforce.” i

DEPARTMENT NEWS Watch free lectures on infrastructure resilience The CIRCLE Distinguished Lecture Series is online. Experts on infrastructure resilience are presented by CIRCLE (Center for Infrastructure Resilience in Cities as Livable Environments), one of three research themes supported by the joint Dynamic Research Enterprise for Multidisciplinary Engineering Sciences, established between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Zhejiang University.

Scan the code or visit https://circle.cee.illinois.edu/ previous-events/

Garg wins ACS Stephen Brunauer Award Nishant Garg, CEE assistant professor, has won the prestigious Stephen Brunauer Award from the Cements Division of the American Ceramic Society. The award was presented to Garg and his former Ph.D. adviser, Jørgen Skibsted, a professor at Aarhus University, Denmark, for their 2019 article, “Dissolution kinetics of calcined kaolinite and montmorillonite in alkaline conditions: evidence for reactive Al (V) sites,” published in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society (ACS).

“Understanding factors influencing dissolution of calcined clays is important in our quest to develop the next generation of sustainable cements,” Garg said.

The announcement was made at the 11th Advances in Cement-Based Materials Conference held virtually in June 2021.

The award is given every year to the authors of the best-refereed paper published by ACS in the previous calendar year.

The award Nishant Garg honors Stephen Brunauer (19031986), a surface scientist and chemist, who is best known for his BET (Brunauer, Emmett and Teller) paper on “Adsorption of Gases in Multi-Molecular Layers,” published in 1938. The BET method is one of the most widely used methods for measuring the specific surface area of porous and powdered materials. i

New center will advance research on climate change impacts in the Midwest A new Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) will advance scientific research and education in response to climate change impacts in the Midwest.

The center is the result of an agreement among the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and eight partner organizations including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

The Midwest CASC consortium will be hosted at the University of Minnesota and will include UIUC, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the College of Menominee Nation, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Michigan State University, Indiana University and The Nature Conservan-

cy. Member organizations were selected to the newest of nine regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers after an open competition and extensive review by scientific experts.

The U of I team, funded at $518,000 over five years, is led by Jeremy S. Guest, CEE associate professor and Associate Director for Research at the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment, and Jeffrey Brawn, Levenick Endowed Chair of Sustainability and Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences.

“We are excited to be part of the new CASC consortium for the Midwest, which will create exciting research opportunities for researchers across campus,” Guest said. “It will advance our capacity to study the interactions among natural and built

environments in the Midwest, and establish new Jeremy Guest partnerships to advance climate science and adaptation.”

Together, the Midwest CASC consortium organizations will work closely with USGS and other federal, state and tribal entities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio to support management and protection of land, water and natural resources with actionable climate science, innovation and decision support tools.

The Midwest CASC will focus on pursuing adaptation — from understanding key vulnerabilities to climate change, to designing adaptation actions in ecologically and culturally appropriate ways. i

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 37

ALUMNI NEWS

CEE Alumni Association celebrates 2020 and 2021 alumni award winners in virtual ceremony; in-person event set for March 2022 Ordinarily, the CEE Alumni Association’s (CEEAA) annual awards are presented at a dinner in Chicago in March, but for the past two years, the pandemic has derailed those plans. In November, the CEEAA celebrated the 2020 and 2021 winners of the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Young Alumni Achievement Awards, pictured here, with a virtual celebration.

With luck, in March 2022 we will celebrate the 2022 winners in person at the Chicago dinner, as well as acknowledging any 2020 or 2021 winners who attend.

For information about alumni events as it evolves, visit cee.illinois.edu/alumni/events.

For more information about these awardees as well as the past winners, or to nominate someone, please visit cee.illinois.edu/alumni/awards.

2021 Distinguished Alumni Award

Halil Ceylon

MS 95, PhD 02 Professor of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University

For demonstrated leadership, significant noteworthy research achievements, education, mentoring and training of next generation engineers, and outstanding contributions to the advancement of the field of transportation engineering.

Balakrishnan Narayanan

MS 90 President, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Carollo Engineers

For outstanding technical accomplishments in the field of biological wastewater treatment; for inspirational leadership as CEO of the largest consulting engineering firm in the United States focusing solely on water; for commitment to diversifying the engineering workforce through a focus on integrity, humility, caring, service, vision and empowerment.

2021 Young Alumni Achievement Award Kyle Ensley

MS 09 Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Coast Guard

For extraordinary mission enabling service to the Coast Guard, its missions and our nation through leadership within the Civil Engineering and Facility Engineering communities; and for delivering field level engineering design, maintenance, environmental compliance and emergency management support for over a decade to enable the Coast Guard’s growing national security, stewardship, and safety missions in the central and western Pacific.

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Anahid Behrouzi

MS 13, PhD 16 Assistant Professor, Department of Architectural Engineering, California Polytechnic State University

For investment in her students at Cal Poly, Tufts, UIUC and NC State; and for significant contributions through leadership in professional organizations and research dissemination as well as development of young academics/ practitioners that improves the quality of both engineering education and seismic design practice in the United States and beyond.

ALUMNI NEWS

Scan the code or visit youtube. com/ceeatillinois to watch the awards presentation.

The CEE Alumni Association awards recognize professional accomplishments or unique contributions to society of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Civil and Environmental Engineering graduates. Nominees demonstrate eligibility by having distinguished themselves through outstanding leadership in the planning and direction of engineering work; having administered major engineering projects; contributing to knowledge in their field of expertise; fostering the development of young engineers; contributing to society at large and showing commitment to their profession by contributing to civil engineering activities and organizations.

2020 Distinguished Alumni Award Young Alumni Achievement Award

Nancy G. Love

Paul D. Kovacs

BS 84 Chief Engineering Officer, Illinois Tollway (Retired)

BS 85, MS 86 Professor, University of Michigan

For outstanding commitment to the advancement and increased awareness of safety during maintenance and construction activities on the Illinois Tollway system; for extensive dedication to the implementation of sustainability for construction contracts; and for superior technical and administrative leadership as the Chief Engineering Officer of the Illinois Tollway during the execution of numerous major Illinois Tollway projects, including the systemwide conversion to Open Road Tolling, Rebuilding and Widening the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) and the new Illinois Route 390 Tollway.

For outstanding leadership and pio-

Xiang Liu

neering contributions in assessing and advancing human and environmental health through water systems using chemical, biological and systems analysis approaches; and for emerging work at the interface of water quality and children’s livelihoods across the globe.

William J. Nugent

MS 77 President and CEO, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc.

For leading Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. to excellence by focusing on the firm’s long-term success in its mission to deliver better solutions to the world’s construction problems, fostering success leading to growth throughout the United States and internationally, building a culture of unprecedented trust and freedom, and setting a high personal standard of technical excellence, client service and contributions to the profession.

MS 11, PhD 13 Assistant Professor, Rutgers University

For establishing a diverse, externally funded academic program in Railway Transportation Engineering, developing a curriculum in rail engineering, attracting quality graduate students and being a prolific author of high-quality papers published in peer-reviewed journals; and for being one of the top-rated professors at Rutgers School of Engineering and Principal Investigator on several high-profile US DOT-sponsored research projects on railroad engineering.

Kevin L. Shafer

BS 83 Executive Director, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

For being a local, national and international leader in the development and implementation of Green Infrastructure tools as the chief executive at of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District; for leading the initiative to reduce the energy footprint of District operations; and for providing engineering excellence in public service through innovation, creativity and collaboration in the protection of public health and the environment.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 39

ALUMNI NEWS

ILL! Angeli Jayme

Fangqiong Ling

If you answered “INI!” you could be Board of Directors material!

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association (CEEAA) Board of Directors: i

i

Promotes alumni engagement through CEE alumni events like beer tastings, golf outings and the Chicago dinner Helps prepare students for the profession

i

Recognizes accomplished alumni and faculty members through its annual awards program

i

Offers the department an important connection to industry and its alumni base.

Members of the Board of Directors serve two-year terms and attend two meetings a year — one in the fall, usually on campus, and one in the spring, generally in Chicago.

If you have Illini spirit to spare, visit the CEE website at cee.illinois.edu and click on the alumni tab to learn more about applying for the CEEAA Board of Directors.

Deadline: Feb. 15, 2022 40 40 cee.illinois.edu cee.illinois.edu

Mark Hirschi

2020s

Angeli Jayme (MS 12, PhD 20), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign postdoctoral research associate, attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Rising Stars Workshop Oct. 28-29. Jayme is professor Imad Al-Qadi’s former doctoral student.

Aditya Kumar (MS 16, PhD 20) has accepted an offer to join the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech as an Assistant Professor.

2010s

Mark Hirschi (BS 09, MS 10) S.E. was named a 2021 Rising Star in Structural Engineering by Civil and Structural Engineer magazine. He was credited for demonstrating “a flexibility, creativity and attention to detail that have allowed him to flourish.”

Fangqiong Ling (MS 11, PhD 16) has been named as one of Popular Science’s Brilliant 10: an annual roster of early-career scientists and engineers developing ingenious approaches to problems across a range of disciplines for her work with wastewater-based epidemiology and the use of “smart sewers.”

Jared G. Thoele (BS 10, MS 11) P.E., S.E., a structural engineer at Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s Springfield, Ill., headquarters, recently celebrated 10 years of service with the firm. Thoele, who joined the company in 2011, provides structural engineering, construction observation and bridge inspections for roadway and railroad projects.

Reshmina William (BS 14, MS 15, PhD19) has been awarded a Science & Technology Policy Fellowship with a placement at the Federal Judicial Center by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

2000s

Andrew A. Nicol (BS 01), P.E., S.E., a project manager, recently celebrated 20 years of service at Hanson Professional Services Inc. Chicago regional office. Nicol provides project management and structural services for the planning, design and construction of roadway and railroad bridges. He represents Hanson as an industry partner at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Rail Transportation and Engineering Center.

Amber A. Petkevicius (BS 01), P.E., a senior transportation engineer, recently celebrated 20 years of service at Hanson Professional Services Inc. Chicago regional office. Petkevicius specializes in the design and construction of highways, tollways, local roads, interchanges and complex infrastructure projects.

1990s

Issam N. Najm (MS 87, PhD 90) is the recipient of the 2021 American Water Works Association A.P. Black Award.

1980s

Paula C. Pienton (BS 85) was highlighted in a special feature on “Women in Railway Engineering”

by Railway Track and Structures, the principal magazine for railway civil engineering practitioners.

She is the Chief Engineer, Bridge & Structures for the Canadian National Railway, and current President of the UIUC CEE Alumni Association.

IN MEMORIAM

1960s

John S. Endicott (MS 62, PhD 66) died September 26, 2021. He was 89. Born in Calgary, Endicott was raised in Dallas and Houston, Texas. He served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany. He spent most of his career at Chicago Bridge and Iron in Oak Brook, Ill. John R. Weggel (MS 66, PhD 68) died June 7, 2021. He was 79. He was an assistant professor in CEE at UIUC from 1968-1971, before joining the Army Corps of Engineers for 12 years. He served on the faculty of Drexel University from 1983-2008.

1950s

Max J. Striedl (BS 58) died Oct. 26, 2020.

He was 84. He worked for many years at Lorig Construction in Des Plaines, Ill.

Richard Shipley Richard Shipley, 87, of Tolono died August 14, 2021. Shipley worked for 34 years on the department staff.

Shipley was born April 9, 1934, in Villa Grove to Earl and Arlene Cook Shipley. He married Ilene Wright on April 17, 1953, in Urbana; she survives.

Also surviving are two daughters, a son and many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

Shipley was a member of Meadowbrook Community Church, Champaign.

He was a Tolono Police Officer and was on the Tolono Fire Department. He enjoyed bowling, golfing, hunting and fishing.

To submit an obituary for publication, please email Celeste Bock, celeste@illinois.edu

Alberto Nieto (1938-2021) Albert S. Nieto, 83, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois, died Aug. 30, 2021, at his home in Champaign.

Born in Tacna, Peru, he left South America to continue his education. Nieto earned his Ph.D. in geology at the University of Illinois after receiving a master’s degree at Washington University in St. Louis.

When he completed his doctorate, Nieto was retained to teach in both the civil engineering and geology departments.

Nieto taught at the University of Illinois for 30 years. A geotechnical laboratory in the newly constructed Civil and Environmental Engineering Building in Urbana is named in Nieto’s honor.

“Alberto was an outstanding professor of engineering geology,” wrote former student David Bird. “His course changed my entire perspective on geotechnical investigations and allowed me to develop insights that other engineers did not have because they had not been exposed to Alberto’s knowledge. It remains the most valuable course I took at the U of I in my master’s program.”

After his retirement in 2000, Nieto took up painting, drawing and sketching. He attended a variety of art classes at Parkland College.

He will be remembered most as someone who shared his love and sense of humor liberally with family and friends.

He enjoyed cooking meals featuring the foods of Peru and was often the life of any party. He adored his grandchildren and lived to make them laugh and to make

Alberto Nieto

sure they knew how much they were loved.

He was preceded in death by his father, Carlos; his mother, Emilia; and his ex-wife, Lynn. He is survived by wife Nancy Benson Nieto; sons Carlos and Marco; sisters Nanita and Melita in Lima, Peru; grandchildren Sofia, Nina, Mario, Enzo and Nico; three nieces; and one nephew.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that gifts be made to support glioblastoma research at the Lou Malnati Brain Tumor Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, or to support the new geotechnical laboratory named in honor of Nieto at the University of Illinois by visiting http://modernize.cee.illinois.edu. Please specify that you are directing your gift in Alberto Nieto’s memory.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 41

cee.illinois.edu/alumni/alumni-association/young-engineers-division Chairpersons

New leadership team for Young Engineers Division Lance M. Langer (BS 15) Project Engineer Aqua Illinois Inc. (Kankakee, Ill.)

Taylor C. O’Connor (BS 15) Engineer Farnsworth Group Inc. (Champaign, Ill.)

Communications

Jill McClary-Gutierrez (BS 13) Postdoctoral Research Associate University of Notre Dame (Milwaukee, Wis.)

The Young Engineers Division (YED) of the UIUC Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association Board of Directors is open to all CEE graduates under age 35. The objective of the YED is to establish an ongoing relationship between the Alumni Association, the CEE department and recent graduates.

The team focuses on providing opportunities for fun and networking, sharing insights and assistance for certification and professional development as well as higher educational pursuits, raising scholarship funds for current students, and

Mentoring

providing one-on-one mentorship between UIUC CEE alumni.

This past September, the YED welcomed in a new class of seven board members who will join three secondterm members to assist in furthering the reach and impact of the CEE Alumni Association. The members and their respective positions are pictured on this page.

For additional information on this group, please visit cee.illinois.edu/alumni/alumni-association/young-engineersdivision and keep an eye out for their monthly e-newsletters.

Professional Development

Networking

Alp Balcay (BS 20) Geotechnical Engineer Shannon and Wilson (Portland, OR) Adam Blumstein (BS 13) Project Stormwater Engineer Arcadis (Philadelphia, Penn.)

Christine Daul (BS 15) Manager HKA Global LLC (Chicago, IL)

Claire Cassidy Samojedny (BS 21) Assistant Civil Engineer Burns & McDonnell (Chicago, IL) 42

cee.illinois.edu

Abbas S. Kachwalla (MS 14) Program Manager AECOM (Chicago, IL)

Scholarship

Ted Bluver (BS 12, MS 13) Associate Civil Engineer & Project Manager Greeley & Hansen (Chicago, IL)

Stacey Ceretti (BS 13, MS 19) Project Engineer Envista Forensics (Chicago, IL)

SQUIRREL CROSSING As construction finished up in summer 2021 on the Kavita and Lalit Bahl Smart Bridge and new CEE Building, a local resident checked out the new paving.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association—Fall 2021 43

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering The Grainger College of Engineering University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory MC-250 205 North Mathews Avenue Urbana, Illinois 61801

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID CHAMPAIGN, IL PERMIT NO. 453