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CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING | COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING | SPRING 2021<br />

benchmark<br />

& beaker<br />

Alumni Power Bay Area<br />

Construction Company<br />

Power Engineering works amidst some<br />

of California’s most iconic sites<br />

— see Page 8


enchmark<br />

& beaker<br />

INSIDE<br />

03 FROM THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR<br />

04 CE/ENVE CLUB UPDATE<br />

06 ALGAE RESEARCH STATION<br />

08 POWER ENGINEERING<br />

10 NEW PARTNERS SCHOLARS<br />

12 CLASSROOM RENOVATION<br />

14 NEW FACULTY<br />

15 STUDENT BOARD | SUMMIT<br />

▲ Civil engineering student<br />

Adam Monroe works on using<br />

nanoparticles to detect microbes<br />

in drinking water during his undergraduate<br />

research project sponsored<br />

by the Industrial Partners<br />

Program (See Page 10).<br />

2 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING


From<br />

The Department<br />

chair<br />

Department chair Charles Chadwell<br />

shows work in progress in the Trophy<br />

Room, long used as the department’s<br />

showcase for its many club victories,<br />

as it converts to one of the most hightech<br />

rooms on campus with money<br />

provided by the Platinum Partners.<br />

(See article on Page 12).<br />

▲<br />

While we’re all excited about the prospect of inperson<br />

classes returning to campus in the fall,<br />

I’m also incredibly proud of what our faculty <strong>and</strong><br />

students achieved during this extremely challenging time.<br />

To cite just a couple of examples, recently, a team of<br />

students guided by Professor Hani Alzraiee won first<br />

place in the Virtual Design & Construction category at<br />

the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Student<br />

Competition, <strong>and</strong> Professor Stefan Talke’s important<br />

research on “nuisance flooding” was widely publicized,<br />

including stories in Popular Science, Wired <strong>and</strong> the BBC.<br />

Alzraiee <strong>and</strong> Talke are two of the six faculty members<br />

taking part in the exciting new Partners Scholars<br />

program, which pairs freshmen students with faculty<br />

research exploring relevant, real-world topics. The<br />

Partners Scholars is one of several initiatives funded by<br />

our successful Industry Partners Program (IPP), both of<br />

which you can read more about in this newsletter.<br />

This year, the department was once again named one<br />

of the top three of its kind by the U.S. News & World<br />

Report, <strong>and</strong> part of that success can be attributed to<br />

the incredible support we get from industry, alumni<br />

<strong>and</strong> friends. Like our IPP, which funds a wide array of<br />

initiatives, our donor-supported discretionary fund helps<br />

us address a variety of needs that surface —including<br />

unexpected ones. When the p<strong>and</strong>emic forced us to<br />

abruptly pivot to virtual classes, we were able to use<br />

our discretionary funds to purchase needed server<br />

systems. And once we do return, we will now have a new<br />

department van that will come in h<strong>and</strong>y for a multitude<br />

of projects.<br />

Of course, our rankings are also heavily influenced by our<br />

top-notch faculty, <strong>and</strong> this year, we’ve welcomed two new<br />

assistant professors, Shams Tanvir <strong>and</strong> Long Wang. Both<br />

have been actively involved in research, <strong>and</strong> they have<br />

already involved students in those endeavors. Both Tanvir<br />

<strong>and</strong> Wang participated in the Partners Scholars program.<br />

Club activity in our department serves many functions<br />

— providing social <strong>and</strong> industry connections <strong>and</strong> skills<br />

that further our signature Learn by Doing approach<br />

to learning — <strong>and</strong> as you’ll see here, our clubs have<br />

remained active even during the p<strong>and</strong>emic. But, of<br />

course, the rhythmic sound of students s<strong>and</strong>ing a<br />

concrete canoe will never sound so good when the<br />

activities we’ve come to love return to campus.<br />

It won’t be long. Until then, we wish you well. And, as<br />

always, we thank you for your support — be it with<br />

dollars, mentorship, jobs or a good word.<br />

Sincerely,<br />

Charles Chadwell, Ph.D., P.E.<br />

Department Chair<br />

SPRING 2021 | 3


enchmark & beaker<br />

clubs<br />

zooming<br />

ALONG<br />

▲ Members of Cal Poly’s Institute of Transportation Engineers<br />

met for their Western District Panel Session<br />

Forced to go the virtual route by the<br />

p<strong>and</strong>emic, clubs continue to inspire<br />

Despite a global p<strong>and</strong>emic forcing all Cal Poly<br />

club activities to be virtual, student clubs<br />

in the Civil <strong>and</strong> Environmental Engineering<br />

Department continued to provide important<br />

career connections <strong>and</strong> professional development<br />

opportunities.<br />

Toward the beginning of winter quarter, the Society<br />

of Civil Engineers (SCE) <strong>and</strong> Society of Environmental<br />

Engineers (SENVE) co-hosted the Civil <strong>and</strong> Environmental<br />

Engineering Winter Career Fair. The event, held via Zoom,<br />

lasted six days, with scheduled time blocks for students<br />

to speak with companies.<br />

Despite Zoom bombers crashing the event one day, the<br />

career fair was a success, said SCE President Nadime<br />

Younan.<br />

▲ Members of Cal Poly’s Society of Civil Engineers met in the fall<br />

for Welcome 2020.<br />

“The most important part of the career fair was always<br />

giving students the opportunity to network with potential<br />

employers, <strong>and</strong> we were still able to provide that service,”<br />

Younan said.<br />

SCE <strong>and</strong> SENVE also foster connections through virtual<br />

social, professional <strong>and</strong> community service activities.<br />

The clubs provide different opportunities that encourage<br />

involvement among members. SCE <strong>and</strong> SENVE host<br />

game nights where students compete against each other<br />

in games like Cards Against Humanities or Codenames.<br />

They also promote membership engagement through<br />

mentorship programs or meetings with industry<br />

speakers.<br />

“It has been difficult to keep making events that are as<br />

engaging as the in-person events we would normally<br />

have, but SENVE has addressed<br />

that difficulty by planning high<br />

quality events but with less<br />

frequency,” SENVE President<br />

Keon Feldsien said.<br />

Cal Poly’s Chi Epsilon, the civil<br />

engineering honors society,<br />

hosted the 33rd annual Pacific<br />

District Conference (PDC) this<br />

past quarter. The PDC is an<br />

annual leadership conference<br />

that aims to develop students’ professionalism, connect<br />

4 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING<br />

4 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING


Chi Epsilon with industry <strong>and</strong> develop bonds within the<br />

community.<br />

When in-person, the PDC allows students from different<br />

Pacific District chapters to socialize <strong>and</strong> participate in<br />

activities, workshops <strong>and</strong> competitions.<br />

Planning the first virtual PDC presented many unique<br />

challenges for the Chi Epsilon PDC committee.<br />

The PDC typically takes place over a long weekend, but<br />

this year, it was held virtually for six days. The conference<br />

included mock speed interviews, a virtual career fair,<br />

networking opportunities, student committee meetings,<br />

project <strong>and</strong> professional development presentations <strong>and</strong><br />

a closing ceremony. According to Vice President <strong>and</strong> PDC<br />

Chair Meagan Chan, the committee “wanted to make<br />

events that would provide the opportunity for attendees<br />

to network while<br />

also spurring the<br />

competition to win<br />

the PDC Cup.”<br />

student chapter of the professional organization, has also<br />

adapted to the virtual learning environment <strong>and</strong> taken<br />

advantage of its opportunities.<br />

Within a month, ITE hosted two fully virtual Student<br />

Leadership Summits (SLS) in winter quarter. The first,<br />

held in January, connected students within the Western<br />

District. The second SLS hosted 14 student chapters,<br />

which attracted over 270 students representing 90<br />

universities worldwide.<br />

According to ITE President Katherine Lee, organizing<br />

virtual conferences is easier in some respects over inperson<br />

ones. Lee said they ease responsibilities like travel<br />

restrictions <strong>and</strong> food <strong>and</strong> venue costs. ITE committee<br />

members also learned the capabilities of Zoom <strong>and</strong> found<br />

creative solutions for transitioning to virtual events.<br />

The PDC Cup is<br />

awarded to the<br />

chapter with<br />

the most points<br />

from conference<br />

events like chapter<br />

projects <strong>and</strong><br />

presentations,<br />

committee reports,<br />

industry quizzes<br />

<strong>and</strong> other fun<br />

activities.<br />

The conference<br />

surpassed<br />

expectations with<br />

200 participants<br />

from 14 other<br />

chapters within the Pacific District. The PDC committee<br />

chose “Unity” as the conference theme.<br />

▲ Members of the Cal Poly Chi Ipsilon, the civil engineering honor society, hosted the 33rd annual Pacific District Conference.<br />

“During this year of adversity, we believe that it is critical<br />

to reconnect <strong>and</strong> unite so that the Chi Epsilon chapters,<br />

members, <strong>and</strong> community will continue to thrive, grow,<br />

<strong>and</strong> succeed as we continue our professional journeys,”<br />

Chan said.<br />

“The virtual format of this [SLS] conference allowed our<br />

committee members to really think outside the box <strong>and</strong><br />

experiment various ways to make ‘traditional’ events...<br />

into something more interactive,” Lee said.<br />

ITE committee members worked together to overcome<br />

virtual restrictions.<br />

The Cal Poly chapter was the provisional winner of the<br />

33rd annual PDC <strong>and</strong> PDC Cup holder.<br />

The Cal Poly Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), a<br />

“The conference is not meant to be a one-man show<br />

<strong>and</strong> relying on each other makes organization less<br />

overwhelming,” Lee said. “With great communication <strong>and</strong><br />

teamwork, everything is achievable!” n<br />

SPRING 2021 | 5<br />

SPRING 2021 | 5


enchmark & beaker<br />

6 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING


Green DAYS<br />

Algae research adapts <strong>and</strong><br />

grows despite p<strong>and</strong>emic<br />

“Give us water <strong>and</strong> sunshine <strong>and</strong> we’ll<br />

find plenty of things to do.”<br />

— Tryg Lundquist<br />

Although the coronavirus p<strong>and</strong>emic<br />

has limited activities at the<br />

Sustainable Utilities Research <strong>and</strong><br />

Education Field Station for more than<br />

a year, environmental engineering professor<br />

Tryg Lundquist says research opportunities<br />

continue to flourish at the facility located<br />

on the edge of the City of San Luis Obispo<br />

wastewater treatment plant.<br />

Lundquist said about half of the usual 50<br />

students per quarter are currently doing<br />

research inside three on-campus algae labs<br />

<strong>and</strong> outside at the field station, which has<br />

the tiny green aquatic plants growing in 20<br />

biological treatment tanks each holding<br />

260 gallons of wastewater.<br />

“Our numbers are down but, fortunately, we<br />

have a lot of lab space <strong>and</strong> we are adapting,”<br />

he said. “We are wearing masks at all times<br />

— even outdoors — <strong>and</strong> face shields when<br />

they have to work close together. Plus,<br />

everybody’s got their own lab coat <strong>and</strong> their<br />

own safety glasses, so none of the PPE is<br />

shared. Even with COVID, the work <strong>and</strong> project<br />

development continues!”<br />

Lundquist said most of the current research<br />

projects are a continuation of ongoing studies<br />

involving nature-based water treatment<br />

practices <strong>and</strong> the development of algae<br />

biofuels. One current study, dubbed the<br />

“Phos Project,” examines how algae treats<br />

wastewater by removing excess phosphorus,<br />

an element that affects the oxygen levels in<br />

water.<br />

▲ Cal Poly students Allie Ahern (environmental engineering), above, <strong>and</strong> Kai Nakahara<br />

(marine science), left, work at the Sustainable Utilities Research <strong>and</strong> Education Field Station<br />

located at the City of San Luis Obispo wastewater treatment plant.<br />

Another project on the horizon is the creation of a public educational<br />

display for riders <strong>and</strong> walkers on the Bob Jones City to the Sea Bike<br />

Trail which borders the facility.<br />

“I would say there is about 150 feet of trail in front of the station <strong>and</strong><br />

we want to put up informational signs along the fence to let the public<br />

know that the City of San Luis Obispo <strong>and</strong> Cal Poly are participating in<br />

advancing water <strong>and</strong> energy research.”<br />

Lundquist added with a laugh: “We have a rare opportunity to have<br />

the general public get very close to all the action.” n<br />

SPRING 2021 | 7


enchmark & beaker: COVER<br />

On the<br />

waterfront<br />

Cal Poly graduates help Bay Area company design<br />

<strong>and</strong> build at some of the most iconic West Coast sites<br />

As soon as the divers at Power Engineering<br />

Construction Co. slip beneath the ocean surface,<br />

they begin multi-tasking, performing skilled<br />

construction while battling currents, monitoring<br />

oxygen levels <strong>and</strong> struggling to see in low-visibility<br />

conditions.<br />

“The ocean is not kind,” said Ken Lindberg (Civil, ’79),<br />

one of four co-owners of the company, which specializes<br />

in marine <strong>and</strong> civil projects. “It’s cold, <strong>and</strong> it’s a tough<br />

environment.”<br />

The Pacifica native knows about that first-h<strong>and</strong>, having<br />

been a diver for decades.<br />

“My dad put a tank on me when I was 11, <strong>and</strong> I probably<br />

weighed all of 70 pounds,” he said.<br />

Lindberg’s underwater experience was crucial to the<br />

success of Power, which he co-founded in 1986. Since<br />

then, the company has significantly invested in heavy<br />

equipment, which allows it to perform a wide variety of<br />

work, in <strong>and</strong> out of the water.<br />

“We don’t limit ourselves to a certain type of project,”<br />

said Brian Shalk, a project manager <strong>and</strong> 2010 Cal Poly<br />

alumnus. “We really feel like we can build anything. One<br />

day you can be working on a beach restoration project,<br />

<strong>and</strong> the next day you can be working on structural repairs<br />

for a pipeline 60 feet under water.”<br />

When the Alameda company was launched by Lindberg,<br />

Brian Stitt <strong>and</strong> Danny Reynolds, work typically came from<br />

clients with complex projects others wouldn’t consider.<br />

Many projects entailed work in surf zones, featuring rip<br />

tides <strong>and</strong> breaking waves.<br />

In company photos, Lindberg can be seen diving for<br />

some of those projects, using his water <strong>and</strong> engineering<br />

experience to the company’s advantage.<br />

8 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING


Power Engineering is working with the Water Emergency Transportation<br />

Authority to exp<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> improve facilities at the Downtown San Francisco<br />

Ferry Terminal.<br />

▲<br />

“Not everyone wants to get beat up by the water,” he said.<br />

“But robots can’t do everything down there.”<br />

In the early years, the company amassed a growing list of<br />

impressive projects, including a seismic upgrade to San<br />

Francisco’s Pier 1, the construction of four cofferdams at<br />

the Veterans Bridge in Sacramento <strong>and</strong> various repairs to<br />

Pacifica’s seawalls, bridges <strong>and</strong> piers after it was damaged<br />

by El Nino storms in 1998.<br />

After joining the Pile Driver’s Union in 1997, the company<br />

aggressively pursued larger projects <strong>and</strong> began investing<br />

in its own future. The biggest investment was the construction<br />

of two huge barges in 2012 <strong>and</strong> 2018 — the 90-ton<br />

derrick barge, DB Alameda, <strong>and</strong> the 250-ton crane barge,<br />

DB Pacific, the biggest of its kind in the West. The massive<br />

tools, which are delivered to sites via tugboats, greatly<br />

exp<strong>and</strong>ed the scale of projects the company could tackle.<br />

“We can drive whatever we need,” Lindberg said. “We<br />

always had to subcontract that portion of the work.”<br />

The floating cranes are custom-made for the company’s<br />

line of work, Shalk said, including pile driving <strong>and</strong> heavy<br />

lifting.<br />

“Having this special equipment gives us the access <strong>and</strong><br />

opportunity to pursue projects that others cannot,” he said.<br />

Today, the company’s 75 employees (three of the four<br />

current co-owners are Cal Poly graduates) include both<br />

engineers <strong>and</strong> construction workers, allowing them to<br />

both design <strong>and</strong> build.<br />

“What’s unique about Power is that we do a lot of the<br />

work ourselves,” said Lauren Rodriguez, a 2020 Cal Poly<br />

graduate, who began working as a project engineer last<br />

August.<br />

Many of the company’s projects have taken place in the<br />

shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, a marine engineering<br />

coup completed 84 years ago.<br />

“It’s mind-blowing how they built that,” Rodriguez said. “I<br />

think about it all the time.”<br />

A resident of the city’s Russian Hill neighborhood, she has<br />

plenty of opportunities to see the city’s famous bridges,<br />

visiting Power projects in the city. Recently, she spoke<br />

from one of those job sites – the Ferry Building, where the<br />

company was performing under-deck repairs.<br />

▲ Ken Lindberg (civil engineering, ’79) co-founded Power Engineering Construction<br />

Co. Three of the company’s four co-owners are Cal Poly graduates.<br />

“I never thought I’d be a city person,” said Rodriguez,<br />

a Palm Springs native, who l<strong>and</strong>ed the job through the<br />

Heavy Civil Career Fair at Cal Poly. “It’s so interesting to be<br />

in such an iconic place.”<br />

While safety <strong>and</strong> cost effectiveness are always major<br />

considerations, working on projects in an internationally<br />

known tourist destination has added responsibilities.<br />

“Not only does it have to function well, but it also has to<br />

look good,” Lindberg said.<br />

Anyone traveling the Bay Bridge into the city will see the<br />

ferry terminal, located next to the historic Ferry Building<br />

on the Embarcadero. Power used its two barges <strong>and</strong> a<br />

slew of other equipment for a highly visible terminal<br />

expansion.<br />

In addition to aesthetics, the company also has to<br />

consider protecting nearby structures, like the Ferry<br />

Building, which was completed in 1898.<br />

“If a historic building is adjacent to a project, we may<br />

install seismic <strong>and</strong> settlement instrumentation to monitor<br />

the building during disruptive construction activities,”<br />

Shalk said. “This gives peace of mind to us, our clients,<br />

<strong>and</strong> any onlookers.”<br />

With projects involving divers, massive equipment <strong>and</strong><br />

iconic locations, the company’s work provides plenty of<br />

highlight reel action. And it’s no surprise that employees<br />

like Lindberg, Rodriguez <strong>and</strong> Shalk all enjoy water sports.<br />

Shalk was even certified to dive – a company perk.<br />

“Most of our engineers are pretty adventurous <strong>and</strong> want<br />

to live life to the fullest,” Rodriguez said. n<br />

SPRING 2021 | 9


enchmark & beaker<br />

Seeking<br />

New<br />

solutions<br />

Partners Scholars<br />

Program pairs freshmen<br />

with faculty on relevant<br />

research projects<br />

When an octopus was found in a flooded<br />

Miami parking garage four years ago,<br />

it was one of many ongoing signs that<br />

rising sea levels have impacted Sofia<br />

Barale’s home community in troubling — <strong>and</strong> at<br />

times bizarre — ways.<br />

So when Barale saw that one of the Partners<br />

Scholars projects specifically looked at how human<br />

developments might be contributing to South<br />

Florida flooding, the Key Biscayne native was eager to learn<br />

more.<br />

“It makes me feel informed <strong>and</strong> a bit scared, honestly,” she<br />

said. “Studying how sea level rise is affecting my community,<br />

why it may be happening <strong>and</strong> experiencing it myself is<br />

affecting how I think about where I live.”<br />

Similar to the College of Engineering’s Summer Undergraduate<br />

Research Program, the new Partners Scholars program pairs<br />

10 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING


Environmental engineering professor Amro El Badawy<br />

works with civil engineering student Adam Monroe on<br />

conducting undergraduate research using nanoparticles<br />

to detect microbes in drinking water.<br />

▲<br />

freshmen Civil <strong>and</strong> Environmental Engineering students<br />

with faculty research projects. This year, 13 students<br />

received a $500 stipend to work directly with faculty<br />

members that are addressing real-world issues.<br />

Funded by the Industrial Partnership Program, Partners<br />

Scholars lasts a quarter, though students can continue to<br />

work with the faculty once the ten weeks has concluded.<br />

“They get to interact with our faculty, <strong>and</strong> it gives them a<br />

taste of research <strong>and</strong> problem solving,” said Department<br />

Chair Charles Chadwell.<br />

Barale worked with Stefan Talke, who has spent years<br />

studying how human alterations — including dredging<br />

<strong>and</strong> the construction of jetties <strong>and</strong> piers — have<br />

contributed to tidal changes that sometimes cause<br />

“nuisance flooding.” Barale’s roles included digitizing old<br />

bathymetric maps of Miami Harbor.<br />

“The maps show that the approach to the harbor of<br />

Miami is completely different today than it was around<br />

1900,” said Talke, an associate professor, who has<br />

analyzed tidal changes dating back to the 1820s. “Back<br />

then, one took a circuitous route around the barrier<br />

isl<strong>and</strong>s, through shifting s<strong>and</strong>s. Today, there is a giant<br />

15-meter channel cut directly through the barrier isl<strong>and</strong>.”<br />

While both of Talke’s Partners projects involve tidal<br />

research, Amro El Badawy’s two projects also involve<br />

water — but in a different way. His research seeks to<br />

support ongoing efforts to diversify water resources <strong>and</strong><br />

to develop a cost-effective sensor that would detect<br />

pathogens in water.<br />

For these projects, students reviewed existing literature,<br />

developed spreadsheets to track information <strong>and</strong><br />

conducted lab work.<br />

“They learned technical skills — for example, operating<br />

laboratory equipment, using wet chemistry techniques<br />

to manufacture nanomaterials or reverse osmosis<br />

membranes, analyzing information from the literature<br />

— as well as non-technical skills, including critical<br />

thinking, collaboration <strong>and</strong> independence,” said El<br />

Badawy, an assistant professor. “They recognized that<br />

we do not always obtain the desirable results from a<br />

research experiment. However, we learn from the failed<br />

experiments to improve the outcomes of the next trials.”<br />

Partners Scholars Participants<br />

Thirteen students <strong>and</strong> six faculty members<br />

participated in the first Partners Scholars projects.<br />

They include:<br />

Students:<br />

Gurtaj Khera<br />

Anubhav Dawadi<br />

Adam Monroe<br />

Grant Robinson<br />

Sofia Barale<br />

Philip Le<br />

Thomas Burt<br />

Abbie Wong<br />

Steven Sturkie<br />

Tong Hui Goh<br />

Ryan Young Trainor<br />

William Francis Killmond<br />

Jessica Mcarthur<br />

Faculty:<br />

Amro El Badawy<br />

Stefan Talke<br />

Hani Alzraiee<br />

Shams Tanvir<br />

Long Wang<br />

Anurag P<strong>and</strong>e<br />

Both projects seek to exp<strong>and</strong> drinking water availability.<br />

“I was interested in this project with Dr. El Badawy<br />

because I felt the project had a high potential for impact<br />

on the world with the importance of finding clean water<br />

sources,” said Grant Robinson, a student who assisted El<br />

Badawy. “The Partners Scholars program interested me<br />

because it was an opportunity to do something beyond<br />

classes during my time at Cal Poly.”<br />

Like Robinson, Barale picked up technical skills, learning<br />

about new software programs <strong>and</strong> how to use them to<br />

analyze data.<br />

“In addition, I learned how to look at a situation in<br />

different ways <strong>and</strong> how there could be multiple factors<br />

that cause an event like rising sea levels to happen,” she<br />

said.<br />

While the experience gives students a nice resume boost,<br />

it also helps the faculty conduct important work. Talke’s<br />

students performed important information gathering that<br />

helps test hypotheses <strong>and</strong> learn more about nature <strong>and</strong><br />

long-term changes.<br />

“It takes some grit to stick with some of these tasks,<br />

which are clearly within the 99-percent perspiration part<br />

of the equation,” Talke said. “However, in the end we<br />

hope to have gained new insights into how flood risk<br />

in bays <strong>and</strong> estuaries is changing with sea-level rise.<br />

The more we know, the closer — hopefully — we are to<br />

solutions.” n<br />

SPRING 2021 | 11


“This opens up a whole new avenue<br />

of not just bringing in our industry<br />

partners, but also excellent instructional<br />

collaborators from around the globe in<br />

support of student success.”<br />

— Charles Chadwell<br />

Trophy Room<br />

Transformed<br />

Department’s long-time showcase<br />

to be both a high-tech classroom<br />

<strong>and</strong> an industry meeting room<br />

The Trophy Room, long used as the<br />

department’s showcase for its many<br />

club victories, is about to become one<br />

of the most high-tech rooms on campus.<br />

Funded with money from the Platinum<br />

Partners (see side story), the Partners<br />

Distance Learning Lab will serve both as<br />

a place for industry to virtually connect<br />

with students <strong>and</strong> a high-tech classroom,<br />

complete with digital whiteboards, a<br />

surround sound audio system <strong>and</strong> noisecancelling<br />

microphones.<br />

Alumni will remember the room as a<br />

l<strong>and</strong>ing spot for past concrete canoes<br />

<strong>and</strong> scores of trophies — hence the name<br />

Trophy Room. But even before COVID-19<br />

created a greater dem<strong>and</strong> for virtual<br />

interactions, Department Chair Charles<br />

Chadwell was working to transform the<br />

room into a place where industry members<br />

from major markets could connect with<br />

prospective employees.<br />

“The thought was that rather than the<br />

having the companies make the trek here<br />

to give a one-hour talk to a club or our<br />

students, it would be great to be able to<br />

beam them in using Zoom <strong>and</strong> have them<br />

be able to give a presentation to a group<br />

of students in an environment that’s very<br />

interactive,” Chadwell said.<br />

When campus was shut down due to<br />

county-wide sheltering orders in March of<br />

2020, another potential purpose came to<br />

mind.<br />

“Then it became, wow, this is actually the<br />

perfect room for a digital, remote learning<br />

environment,” Chadwell said.<br />

12 12 | | CIVIL AND AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING


With a facilitator <strong>and</strong> teacher’s aide<br />

in the classroom, remote lecturers<br />

would have access to multiple screens<br />

<strong>and</strong> touch-screen technology that will<br />

greatly enhance virtual teaching. The<br />

room itself has a capacity for roughly 80<br />

people.<br />

“This opens up a whole new avenue<br />

of not just bringing in our industry<br />

partners, but also excellent instructional<br />

collaborators from around the globe in<br />

support of student success,” Chadwell<br />

said.<br />

A similar room currently exists in the<br />

School of Education.<br />

Currently, the design phase has been<br />

completed for the $150,000 room, <strong>and</strong><br />

equipment is being delivered so the<br />

room can be ready this spring. n<br />

The department’s Trophy Room is being renovated<br />

<strong>and</strong> converted to a high-tech classroom <strong>and</strong> meeting<br />

room. At left, environmental engineering professor<br />

Tryg Lundlquist works under one of the new<br />

projectors in the classroom.<br />

▲<br />

Partnership Program Continues<br />

to Grow, Benefitting Students<br />

While the economy has experienced setbacks during<br />

the COVID-19 p<strong>and</strong>emic, the Industrial Partnership<br />

Program has continued to grow, benefitting student<br />

clubs <strong>and</strong> facilitating key industry connections.<br />

The program lost one partner during the p<strong>and</strong>emic but gained<br />

four. That reflects the appeal of both Cal Poly students <strong>and</strong> the<br />

market for jobs in the industry, said Department Chair Charles<br />

Chadwell.<br />

“The need for infrastructure <strong>and</strong> growth in California doesn’t<br />

stop just because of the p<strong>and</strong>emic,” he said. “The dem<strong>and</strong> on<br />

engineers is still there. And partners realize the strength of our<br />

Day One Ready engineers.”<br />

The Partners Program, Chadwell added, supports that Day One<br />

readiness through systemic lab upgrades.<br />

Chadwell revitalized the<br />

partnership program when<br />

he became chair. Partner<br />

companies that join choose<br />

between one of four<br />

commitment levels (bronze,<br />

silver, gold <strong>and</strong> platinum), with<br />

support ranging from $250 a<br />

year to $5,000. For partners,<br />

membership builds their br<strong>and</strong><br />

on campus <strong>and</strong> opens recruitment avenues.<br />

“Partners realize<br />

the strength of our<br />

Day One Ready<br />

engineers.”<br />

— Charles Chadwell<br />

For students, the IPP funds a host of items, including<br />

competitions; conferences; projects; Certificate of Excellence<br />

student awards; startup funding for an Environmental fee-forservice<br />

learning lab; <strong>and</strong> the annual Partners dinner (returning<br />

soon), where partners connect with college <strong>and</strong> department<br />

scholarship award recipients.<br />

The IPP has recently provided funding for the Partners Scholars<br />

program (see story, Page 10), the Partners Distance Learning<br />

Lab, graduation gifts <strong>and</strong> Professor Tryg Lundquist’s research<br />

using algae to treat wastewater (see story, Page 6), which has<br />

involved several students.<br />

The program, which raised $24,000 in the 2017-18 academic<br />

year, had raised $140,000 by February of this year. There are<br />

currently 49 partners, <strong>and</strong> 23 of those are in the platinum<br />

category. n<br />

SPRING<br />

SPRING<br />

2021<br />

2021<br />

| 13<br />

13


enchmark & beaker<br />

New Faculty<br />

Shams Tanvir <strong>and</strong> Long Wang add research<br />

skills while encouraging student participation<br />

Encouraging students to<br />

assist them in research, the<br />

department’s newest faculty<br />

members have backgrounds<br />

in the area of sustainable mobility<br />

<strong>and</strong> the intersection of structural<br />

engineering, material science <strong>and</strong><br />

data analytics.<br />

Shams Tanvir joined the<br />

Transportation Engineering team,<br />

while Long Wang joined the<br />

Structural Engineering team, both as<br />

assistant professors.<br />

Tanvir’s research, which focuses<br />

on sustainable mobility, explores<br />

the carbon footprint of emerging<br />

transportation technology.<br />

“As the number one polluter in the<br />

U.S., transportation plays a very vital<br />

role in climate change,” he said.<br />

Long Wang<br />

His research explores possible<br />

mitigating factors, including selfdriving<br />

technology, electric cars,<br />

<strong>and</strong> shared mobility options — such<br />

as Uber <strong>and</strong> Lyft — as possible<br />

efforts to decrease pollution. His<br />

interests encouraged him to come<br />

to California, because the state is a<br />

leader in sustainable mobility <strong>and</strong><br />

technology.<br />

Tanvir earned his bachelor’s <strong>and</strong><br />

master’s degrees in civil engineering<br />

from Bangladesh University of<br />

Engineering <strong>and</strong> Technology <strong>and</strong><br />

his Ph.D. in civil engineering, with<br />

a focus on transportation systems<br />

engineering, from North Carolina<br />

State University. He finished his<br />

postdoc fellowship at the University<br />

of California Riverside’s Center<br />

for Environmental Research <strong>and</strong><br />

Technology.<br />

Wang is interested in developing<br />

multifunctional smart materials, such<br />

as nanomaterials <strong>and</strong> polymers, that<br />

can be integrated with structural<br />

systems for simultaneously bearing<br />

loads, actuating <strong>and</strong> monitoring<br />

structural performance.<br />

Like Tanvir, he offers students<br />

valuable experience as research<br />

assistants.<br />

“My research will help create a<br />

more collaborative environment<br />

for faculty <strong>and</strong> students across<br />

different backgrounds <strong>and</strong> will<br />

create more visibility for the Civil<br />

Shams Tanvir<br />

<strong>and</strong> Environmental Engineering<br />

Department,” he said.<br />

He earned his bachelor’s degree<br />

in port, waterway <strong>and</strong> coastal<br />

engineering from Dalian University<br />

of Technology in China, his master’s<br />

in civil engineering <strong>and</strong> mechanical<br />

<strong>and</strong> aerospace engineering at the<br />

University of California Davis <strong>and</strong><br />

his doctorate at the University of<br />

California San Diego, where he<br />

also completed his postdoctoral<br />

fellowship. n<br />

14 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING<br />

SPRING 2021 | 14


CE/ENVE student advisory board<br />

engages students for 3rd year<br />

The CE/ENVE Student Advisory<br />

Board hopes to get students<br />

engaged with department<br />

opportunities soon after they become<br />

Cal Poly students while promoting<br />

events like Engineering Week, Open<br />

House <strong>and</strong> Academic Day.<br />

Now in its third year, the board,<br />

a consortium of various club<br />

representatives, also shares<br />

student concerns <strong>and</strong> needs while<br />

collaborating with the department on<br />

events <strong>and</strong> initiatives.<br />

“Our board meets regularly all-year<br />

with the department to discuss<br />

various department businesses <strong>and</strong><br />

bring up concerns of the students<br />

to create solutions,” said Meagan<br />

Chan, who heads the board. “Over<br />

the year, we have discussed topics like<br />

department fundraising <strong>and</strong> providing<br />

more resources for students.”<br />

The current board is comprised of 15<br />

representatives from the following<br />

groups: CalGeo, CE Transfer Students,<br />

Chi Epsilon (XE), Concrete Canoe,<br />

Engineers Without Borders (EWB),<br />

Engineers for a Sustainable World<br />

(ESW), ENVE Transfer Students,<br />

GeoWall, Graduate Students, Institute<br />

of Transportation Engineers (ITE),<br />

RainWorks, Steel Bridge, Society of<br />

Civil Engineers (SCE), <strong>and</strong> Society of<br />

Environmental Engineers (SENVE).<br />

Recently, Chan said, the collaboration<br />

between the board <strong>and</strong> department<br />

has experimented with methods to<br />

help students feel more engaged <strong>and</strong><br />

represented within the department.<br />

That has included promoting early<br />

exposure to opportunities within the<br />

department.<br />

Meagan Chan<br />

“During the 2020 – 2021 academic<br />

year, the board had successfully<br />

organized, hosted, <strong>and</strong> represented<br />

the department at various events,<br />

such as Academic Day, Open House,<br />

<strong>and</strong> the quarterly Open Discussion<br />

Forums,” she said. “Additionally,<br />

we hosted a series of events for<br />

Engineer’s Week.” n<br />

future of Engineering discussed at first summit<br />

The future of civil <strong>and</strong><br />

environmental engineering,<br />

graduate school <strong>and</strong> virtual<br />

networking were some of the topics<br />

covered in the department’s first<br />

Emerging Leaders in Engineering<br />

Summit, held in October.<br />

The virtual event, which included<br />

speakers, plenary talks <strong>and</strong> panel<br />

discussions, was offered free for<br />

students <strong>and</strong> alumni. Meanwhile,<br />

Zoom recordings from the summit<br />

can currently be viewed online.<br />

The keynote speaker was Jim<br />

O’Brien, a West Point graduate,<br />

who teaches at George Mason<br />

University <strong>and</strong> works at the ASCE<br />

Foundation, which support students<br />

in engineering.<br />

O’Brien discussed strategies for<br />

leadership in engineering. Addressing<br />

the challenges in the world, O’Brien’s<br />

topics included the value of diversity,<br />

succeeding through failure <strong>and</strong><br />

change.<br />

“We have to get ourselves into a<br />

position where we’re ready to change<br />

as change is happening,” he said.<br />

With panelists from industry <strong>and</strong><br />

moderators that included faculty<br />

<strong>and</strong> students, sessions touched<br />

upon those topics <strong>and</strong> more,<br />

including non-traditional engineers,<br />

engineering ethics <strong>and</strong> graduate<br />

school.<br />

The summit was sponsored by the<br />

Industrial Partnership Program. n<br />

“We have to get<br />

ourselves into a<br />

position where we’re<br />

ready to change as<br />

change is happening.”<br />

— Jim O’Brien, keynote speaker<br />

15 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING<br />

SPRING 2021 | 15


California Polytechnic State University<br />

1 Gr<strong>and</strong> Ave.<br />

San Luis Obispo, CA 93407<br />

Platinum Donors<br />

Gold Silver Bronze<br />

h Blois Construction h Wallace Group<br />

h Arcadis<br />

h DeSilva Gates<br />

h BNB Builders<br />

h Avila Traffic Safety<br />

Construction<br />

h Diablo Engineering<br />

h Carollo<br />

h Huitt-Zolars<br />

h Fehr <strong>and</strong> Peers<br />

h Churchill Cost<br />

h Mott McDonald h Gannett Flemming<br />

h Condor Earth<br />

h Murphy Structural<br />

Engineering<br />

h Kittleson & Associate h Diversified Project<br />

Services International<br />

h Stratus Engineering<br />

h DKS Associates<br />

h Truebeck Construction<br />

h ENGEO<br />

h FTF Engineering<br />

h HNTB<br />

h<br />

h<br />

h<br />

h<br />

h<br />

h<br />

h<br />

h<br />

h<br />

Montgomery & Assoc.<br />

MSD Professional<br />

Engineering Inc.<br />

NMG Geotechnical<br />

Parisi Transportation<br />

Consulting<br />

Pet Doors<br />

RJA-GPS<br />

Van S<strong>and</strong>e Engineering<br />

W.E. O’Neil<br />

W-Tran<br />

SPRING 2021 | 16

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