CE News & Spotlights

ASTM International recognized Professor Emeritus Vincent P. Drnevich with the 2015 Committee on Publications Award for the Outstanding Article on the Practice of Geotechnical Engineering.

Dr. Chad Jafvert, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University, was recently awarded the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Outstanding Publication Award for his influential 1992 paper "Reaction Scheme for the Chlorination of Ammoniacal Water." The award is a commendation for a "landmark environmental engineering and science paper that has withstood the test of time and significantly influenced the practice of environmental engineering and science."

Karen Casteloes, recent MSCE environmental graduate of the Lyles School of Civil Engineering, received 1st place Outstanding Masters Thesis Award from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP).

Tariq U. Saeed, a graduate student in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering was recently named a national Eno Fellow, Class of 2017, a select group of exceptionally promising graduate students who plan to pursue careers in transportation.

Kumares Sinha, Edgar B. and Hedwig M. Olson Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering, has been named a Faculty Fellow of the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study (HIAS) at Texas A&M University. HIAS attracts world-class talent to the University and is driven by nominations of National Academy and Nobel-prize caliber researchers that align with existing strengths and ambitions of the University. The Institute selects its Faculty Fellows from among top scholars in the nation who have distinguished themselves through outstanding professional accomplishments and recognition.

Samuel Labi, Professor of Civil Engineering, has been elected Vice President of the Transportation Research Forum, a prominent international organization that focuses on transport policy.

CE undergrads Nathan Shellhamer, Wyatt Huber, Rachel Stewart, and Marcelino Cruz were recognized by the ASCE Indiana section as outstanding senior members of the Purdue ASCE chapter. The students were nominated by their faculty advisor based on their contributions to the chapter over the past year.

Purdue's Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Student Chapter has completed another successful year. They recently won the award for the Best Student Chapter Report in the Great Lakes District and are currently in the running for the ITE International level award for the Best Student Chapter.

Chad Jafvert, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering, has been named a Purdue University Teaching Academy Fellow, one of 12 faculty inductees for 2017.

Associate Professors Philippe Bourdeau and Steven Johnson have announced their retirements, effective this summer break. Together, Bourdeau and Johnson have dedicated more than 40 years of their professional careers at Purdue University as both teachers and researchers.

CE graduate student Seyed (Ali) Ghahari will attend the Making Academic Change Happen Workshop 2017 on the campus of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technlogy, supported by the National Science Foundation as an Emerging Educator.

Congratulations to CE grad student Davis Chacon-Hurtado on being awarded the Outstanding Service Scholarship. This scholarship is presented to engineering graduate students who have provided outstanding service to the graduate student community, the School, the College, and/or the University.

Warda Ashraf, a PhD Candidate working with Professor Jan Olek in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering, has been named as recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award. This award by the Purdue College of Engineering recognizes an outstanding PhD candidate who has demonstrated excellence in research through peer-reviewed publications, awards for research, leadership, academic achievements and participation in professional societies.

Prof. Patricia J. Culligan of Columbia University gave the 15th Leonards Lecture, titled "Climate Change: Impacts and Challenges for Geotechnical Engineers," on Friday, April 21st. The PGS Workshop, "Climate Change and Geotechnical Engineering," was held in conjunction with the lecture.

Congratulations to the Purdue University student chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers for being named the ITE Great Lakes District Student Chapter of the Year.

Dr. Shirley Dyke, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering, was presented with the 2017 CE Outstanding Mentor of Engineering Graduate Students Award at a reception on April 10th hosted by the Civil Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Council.

The annual Awards of Excellence for engineering faculty were presented at the Faculty Recognition Banquet on April 7, 2017. Mark Bowman, Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of Bowen Laboratory, received the Undergraduate Advising Award. Konstantina "Nadia" Gkritza, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and Agricultural and Biological Engineering, received the Leadership Award.

A series of seminars will be held at Purdue's Lyles School of Civil Engineering in 2017 on the art of teaching engineering. The speakers are renowned teachers and mentors whose effectiveness as teachers has been proven by the success of their students. Three speakers have already presented, and more will be announced later this year.