I think I speak for just about everyone at the Lyles School of Civil Engineering when I say we have put more into preparation for the Fall 2020 semester than any previous semester in my recollection of nearly 30 years as a teacher.

After months of global uncertainty and cloistered living, we are desirous that the fall semester will bring a sense of stability to tens of thousands of Boilermakers. That said, we completely understand anyone's reluctance to return to campus and we have been working continuously to ensure the educational experience for those who wish to attend classes remotely is no less impactful. At its core, civil engineering has been a practice that moves with the changing times.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic altered our perspectives and approaches to daily life in a dramatic, and perhaps permanent fashion. This event has also influenced our way of thinking and approach to education moving forward. For years, we have known that a high-quality online education option was not just advisable — it was necessary.

This commitment also extends to our new and continued research. While our faculty, staff and student researchers had to make major adjustments over the months, their impactful research continued.

In this edition of IMPACT, you will learn about how our researchers are making cutting-edge advancements in monitoring bridges, research on tiny houses, rethinking how we can implement 3-D materials for renewable energy and, of course, how we can combat and better understand the effects of COVID-19.

This is an incredibly exciting time on campus and I am thrilled to see what this school year will bring in both educational advancement and groundbreaking research. As always, I encourage everyone to reach out to me anytime — either via email or when you are on campus. My doors — both physical and virtual — are always open. 

All the best,

Rao S. Govindaraju
Bowen Engineering Head of Civil Engineering and
The Christopher B. and Susan S. Burke Professor of Civil Engineering