It's not uncommon for civil engineers today, often pushing the boundaries of their own expertise, to look to nature for a better design. Two among Purdue's ranks include John Haddock and Pablo Zavattieri.

Cover Story - "Engineering Efficiency: Researchers in architectural engineering look for sustainability in design."

Makarand Hastak, Professor of Civil Engineering and Head of Construction Engineering & Management, was among 50 fellows selected nationwide this year by the American Council on Education.

Prof. Antonio Bobet has been elected as the new president of the American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA) by its Board of Directors for the period 2013-2015. The appointment will start in June 2013 after the Association's annual Symposium.

Congratulations to Prof. Fred Mannering on being named a recipient of the 2013 Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award.

Prof. Larry Nies has been teaching students about the importance of sustainability for more than a decade. Though the significance of enduring, productive systems is typically discussed in an engineering context in his classes, sustainability and productivity also characterize the instructional technology Nies has incorporated into coursework in recent semesters, notably his use of instructor- and student-produced online video.

Congratulations to Prof. Karava for receiving the 2013 New Investigator Award from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

Ben Taylor, Mike Pearce, Matt Stocker, Ron Moore and Barnard Mondal put their model tower to the test against 35 other teams in Seattle.

Assistant Professor Pablo Zavattieri was recently awarded a CAREER grant, the National Science Foundation's most prestigious honor for young researchers.

Purdue University research is enabling Indiana to improve bridges in the state with a new "internally cured" high-performance concrete.

Dan Salazar (BSCE '07, MSCE '09), structural engineer at CH2M Hill, was recently profiled in Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology magazine.

The School of Civil Engineering dedicated a new green roof laboratory on Oct. 12 as part of the University's Homecoming and the school's 125th anniversary celebration.