More than anything, I believe the spring semester represents new beginnings.

With it, comes the new year, new classes, and — for our soon-to-be graduates — the beginning of their careers. I can already see the excitement and anticipation on the faces of the students I teach and grad students I advise. Their hard work and incredible efforts have fully taken root, and they are excited to see their opportunities bloom.

As for myself, and for the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering, we face a significant new beginning as well. After more than a decade serving as head of our school, Rao “G.S.” Govindaraju has taken a new position at Purdue University as the vice president for Institutes and Centers at Discovery Park District. We could not be happier for G.S. and know he will be a great success and take our university to even greater heights in the years to come.

The search for a new head is underway. As you can imagine, becoming the head of one of the premier civil and construction engineering schools in the world is something that is highly sought after and it will take time to find the perfect fit, but I am confident we will have a wealth of incredible candidates to choose from.

In the meantime, I have the privilege to serve as the interim head of the school. I am confident that during this time, our faculty, students, alumni, staff and partners will continue to strive toward making the next giant leap in both education and research — and I look forward to sharing their efforts and accomplishments.

Speaking of successes in both education and research, in this edition of CCE Impact, you will find just that. From taking our first steps toward creating a new concentration in bridge design to revolutionizing the future of roadways, our school continues to innovate how we impact the world through both education and research.

These, of course, are just a few examples of the outstanding work conducted at the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering, and I look forward to seeing — and sharing — their future successes with you.

Best regards,

Ayman Habib
Acting Head and Thomas A. Page Professor of Civil Engineering
Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering