new the charles e. via, jr. department of civil and environmental … · 2016. 11. 17. ·...

the Charles E. Via, Jr.Department of Civil and

Environmental Engineering

2007 Via Report • No. 21

Marc Edwards named MacArthur Fellow for drinking water safety efforts.See page 4.

table of contents

Department Head’s Message ..............................................................................................................................page 1

“We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be” ........................................................................page 2

Research News

Edwards named MacArthur Fellow for drinking water safety efforts ................................................................page 4

A 51-year career in civil engineering ................................................................................................................page 6

Could your vinyl flooring contribute to indoor air pollution? ..............................................................................page 9

Assessing efficiency of road maintenance and improvement contracts leads to less risk, more innovation ...page 11

How does one insure all right of way issues are found before construction commences? ..............................page 12

CSTI works to improve your roads ...................................................................................................................page 15

Faculty Honors

New Faculty .....................................................................................................................................................page 18

Faculty Achievements ......................................................................................................................................page 19

Student News

Scholarship recipients ......................................................................................................................................page 20

Graduate scholarship and fellowship recipients ...............................................................................................page 21

Ph.D. degrees awarded ...................................................................................................................................page 22

Alumni News

CEE Alumni Board ...........................................................................................................................................page 23

Program Areas

CEE Faculty .....................................................................................................................................................page 24

Vecellio Construction Engineering and Management ......................................................................................page 25

Environmental and Water Resources Engineering ..........................................................................................page 28

Geotechnical Engineering ................................................................................................................................page 32

Structural Engineering and Materials ...............................................................................................................page 35

Transportation Infrastructure and Systems Engineering ..................................................................................page 39

Via Scholars ........................................................................................................................................................page 43

Via Alumni: Where are They Now? ......................................................................................................................page 59

Donors .................................................................................................................................................................page 66

10 17 25 32 39

VIA REPORT | 2007 | 1

note f rom the department head

William Knocke

It is once again that time of year when my objective is to prepare this message to alumni and friends of the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) that will introduce the 2007 edition of the Via Annual Report. One would think that after having writ-ten 13 prior versions of this message the task would be relatively easy at this point. However, the events of the past several months have made this like no prior year in our department’s history. As such, find-ing the right words to convey our collec-tive feelings to alumni and friends of the department is a substantial challenge that I hope that I am up to.

Normally my message serves as an introduction to the many aspects of the annual report that talk about the accom-plishments and ongoing major activities

in the CEE Department over the prior year. This year’s report again contains a wealth of information regarding the im-portant activities that our faculty, staff and students have been engaged in across our multiple mission areas. I do hope you will take time to read through the report and familiarize yourself with all that is oc-curring here in CEE.

In this message I want to focus on our department’s collective future in re-sponse to the tragedy that occurred on April 16. The CEE Department lost nine members of our family with the tragic deaths of Dr. G.V. Loganathan and eight of our students. Each of them had their own life story filled with hope for the fu-ture and with passion for their chosen career paths.

We were blessed as a department to have had each of them as a member of our family. In the days and weeks fol-lowing this tragic and senseless act of violence our faculty, staff and students responded with many acts of love and dedicated service to those injured and the families of those who were killed. We likewise were humbled by the outpour-ing of care and support that came to us literally from around the world. In the midst of so much pain and tragedy we still found ourselves surrounded by love and compassion from those who called, sent letters, came to share a hug, etc. We will be forever grateful for all of the help and kindness that was extended to us in our time of need.

As we approach the future we will move forward, but we will not forget. We

We will move forwardbut we will not forget

will seek to honor the memory and the passion for learning and discovery that characterized Dr. Loganathan and each of the eight young men who died that day. Their dreams will be molded into our col-lective vision for the future. The journey remains challenging as we go forward day by day, but we know that with our collective will and dedication coupled with the continued support of many alumni and friends we will prevail.

2 | VIA REPORT | 2007

This statement remains true. As you read this Via report and learn more about the accomplishments of our students, friends, and alumni, you will come to realize that “we are better than we think” because of the support CEE has. And be-cause of this support, CEE is that much closer to “what we want to be.”

As College of Engineering Dean Richard Benson said at the Commence-ment Ceremony on May 12, “All who died that day were incredibly talented and ac-complished. Many wondered aloud: How could it be that on an ordinary day, at an ordinary hour, in an ordinary building, so many extraordinary people would be gathered together? What were the odds?

“The answer to that question: the an-swer is 100 percent. The people in Nor-ris Hall and West Ambler Johnston Hall weren’t there by chance. They were there because they chose to work or study at Virginia Tech. And they were there because Virginia Tech was fortunate enough to choose them. On any day, at any hour, in any Virginia Tech building, you will find incredible people gathered together. This doesn’t happen by chance at a great university, most especially not at a Land Grant university. Virginia Tech is both a great university and a great Land Grant university.

“Sadly, 32 members of this Virginia Tech family, 14 of them engineers, have had their lives cut short. What deeds of unselfish service might they have contrib-uted in the years ahead? At the College Memorial Service on April 25th, Paul Torg-ersen, our former president and dean, called on us all to do a little more in our lives; to make up for the lost service of our fallen friends and to honor their mem-ories. I personally accept that challenge, and I ask every person in this coliseum – not just the graduates – to do the same.”

When CEE held its memorial on April 27 for the nine men in the department who died that day, some 500 CEE alumni returned to campus for the event. Former department head and current president of Georgia Tech, Wayne Clough, was among those who traveled to Blacksburg to pay their respects.

In his comments that day, Bill Knocke, department head, said, “It is indeed unfortunate that we collectively know them much better after their death than we ever knew them in life. These were all men whose lives contained many passions –– passions for sports teams, for music, and other creative forms of ex-pression, passions for family and friends, passions to teach and to learn, and above all, a strong passion for life.”

A brief bio of the incredibly talented, accomplished and passionate members of the CEE family members who died on April 16 follows:

Brian Roy BluhmBrian Roy Bluhm earned his bach-

elor’s and master’s degrees in CEE from Virginia Tech in 2004 and in 2007, respec-tively. The latter was awarded posthu-mously. He focused on water resources, and had accepted a position with the engineering firm Hatch Mott MacDonald in Hunt Valley, Md. He was a member of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Baptist Collegiate Ministries, among other organi-zations. He would want to be remembered for his love of God, family and friends, the Detroit Tigers, and Virginia Tech.

Matthew GwaltneyMatthew Gwaltney was a second

year master’s student who wanted to improve awareness and education about environmental issues. He had earned his

bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from the CEE department, with a con-centration in environmental and water resources engineering, in 2005. As a graduate student he taught CEE laborato-ry classes and was conducting research on storm water management. He was passionate about sports, and a master of sports trivia and statistics.

Jeremy Michael HerbstrittJeremy Michael Herbstritt held two

bachelor’s degrees: a BS in biochemistry and molecular biology and a BS in civil engineering, with honors, from Penn State. He was enrolled as a CEE gradu-ate student where he was a teaching assistant and recipient of the Sussman Scholarship for summer 2007. He worked for the Guided Path Dairy Farm in Belle-fonte and for the Centre County, Pa., Ex-tension office where he collected mosqui-toes to be tested for the West Nile virus. An avid runner, a memorial 5K will be run annually by his friends and family.

Jarrett Lee LaneJarrett Lee Lane was a CEE senior

who had been the valedictorian of his Narrows, Va., High School class. In high school he was the school’s top tennis player, and he earned all-district honors in football, basketball, and track. He was also a graduate of the Southwest Virginia Governor’s School. At Virginia Tech he played intramural sports, was a member of the Campus Crusade for Christ, and held the Stanley and Frances Cohen Scholarship. He had been accepted at the University of Florida’s Coastal Engi-neering Graduate Program.

G.V. LoganathanThe high regard and fondness that

students felt for Dr. G.V. Loganathan is a

In the university’s convocation ceremony on April 17, professor and poet Nikki Giovanni gave a speech that brought strength to the community and the knowl-edge that Virginia Tech will prevail following the April 16 massacre that left 33 students and faculty dead. The deaths included G.V. Loganathan, an esteemed professor of civil and environmental engineering (CEE) and eight CEE students.

In the middle of Giovanni’s speech was this statement:

“We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be.”



reflection of the fact Dr. Loganathan held them in high regard. Phrases such as “the best professor I ever had,” “the kind-est person I’ve ever met,” and “incredibly wise and gentle” are common among the tributes paid to Dr. Loganathan by un-dergraduate and graduate students. G.V joined the faculty of Virginia Tech in the spring of 1982 and embarked on a re-markable career as one of the university’s most accomplished educators and one of the nation’s most respected research-ers in the fields of hydrology and water resources systems.

Partahi M. “Mora” LumbantoruanMora Lumbantoruan, a native of

Indonesia, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering at Parahyangan Catholic University. He came to America in 2004 to earn his doctorate at Virginia Tech. He enjoyed football, grilling sate for the international street fair, taking road trips, and engaging in spiritual and intellectual discussions. He was a member of the Indonesian community on the Blacksburg campus.

As a true hero, he spent his final mo-ments sacrificing his life to save that of another.

Daniel Patrick O’NeilDaniel Patrick O’Neil earned a bach-

elor’s degree in civil engineering from Lafayette College, and was working on his master’s degree in environmental en-gineering. He loved music, theatre, and

politics and was active in drama produc-tions and variety shows. In high school he competed on the cross country and track teams. At Lafayette he was vice president of the Arts Society and a member of the Marquis Players acting group. He lived in the Arts Houses where he was an adviser and played guitar and piano. His friends plan to produce a CD of his music.

Juan Ramón Ortiz-OrtizJuan Ramon Ortiz-Ortiz graduated

from the Colegio Nuestra Senora de Belen in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, where he was a member of the basketball, baseball, and track teams, as well as the national honor society. In 2005, he completed his civil engineering degree at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico where he was the chapter president of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Juan and his wife, Liselle, both started

the master’s program in CEE in August2006. He was a research and teach-

ing assistant, and Professor Lo-ganathan was his mentor.

Waleed ShaalanWaleed Shaalan of Zagazig, Egypt,

was a doctoral candidate in CEE. Shaalan, 32, was married to Amira, and they had a one-year old son, Khaled, who lived in Egypt. At Virginia Tech he was a member of the Blacksburg Muslim com-munity. Among those mourning his death were his two roommates, Fahad Pasha and Irfan Waseem, who looked to him as an academic and spiritual mentor. He was following in the footsteps of his father in his pursuit of a CEE degree.

“These were all men whose lives contained many passions

–– passions for sports teams, for music, and other creative

forms of expression, passions for family and friends, passions

to teach and to learn, and above all, a strong passion for life.”



dwards named MacArthur Fellow for drinking water

safety efforts

Marc Edwards


E


Marc Edwards, the Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environ-mental Engineering at Virginia Tech, was named a MacArthur Fellow for 2007 by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Edwards receives a five-year grant of $500,000 from the foundation to use in any way he chooses.

The 24 new MacArthur Fellows were selected from among hundreds of nomi-nees for their creativity, originality, and potential to make important contributions in the future.

“As a group, this new class of Fel-lows takes one’s breath away,” said Dan-iel J. Socolow, director of the MacArthur Fellows Program. “As individuals, each is an original. To the person, they confirm that the creative individual is alive and well, at the cutting edge, and at work sin-gularly and powerfully to make our world a better place. They are people who will change and influence our times.”

Edwards was cited by the MacArthur Fellows program for “playing a vital role in ensuring the safety of drinking water and in exposing deteriorating water-delivery infrastructure in America’s largest cities. An expert in the chemistry and toxicity of

his own family’s money to force officials to release documents critical to his inves-tigation. Up to now, he said, he and his wife, Jui-ling, had written off the expense as an act of charity.

In 2004 Time magazine dubbed Edwards “The Plumbing Professor” and featured him as one of the nation’s lead-ing scientific innovators.

He is now expanding his research to other cities, defining better ways to test local water and predict the risk of chemi-cal contamination in urban infrastructure. “Through his exhaustive research efforts,” according to the MacArthur Fellows bi-ography, “Edwards is making critical con-tributions to the health of individuals and communities throughout the U.S. in an often-neglected area of domestic public safety.”

Earlier this year he received the Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award, the Commonwealth’s highest honor for faculty, from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Edwards came to Virginia Tech in 1997 from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where, in 1996, the National Sci-ence Foundation (NSF) selected him as one of only 20 young engineering faculty in the nation to receive a Presidential Faculty Fellowship. He completed his master’s degree and Ph.D. in environ-mental engineering at the University of Washington and earned his bachelor’s degree in bio-physics from the State Uni-versity of New York at Buffalo.

The inaugural class of MacArthur Fellows was named in 1981. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent grant-making institution. With an endowment over $6.4 billion, the Foundation makes grants totaling approximately $225 million each year. For more information, visit www.macfound.org.

By Liz Crumbley

research

Edwards and his graduate students discovered that the addition of chloramine disinfectant in tap water increased the incidence of lead leaching in residential and commercial aqueducts. Edwards recalled he had to spend tens of thousands of dollars of his own family’s money to force officials to release documents critical to his investigation.

urban water supplies in the U.S., he has made significant advancements in a num-ber of areas, including arsenic removal, coagulation of natural organic material, and the causes and control of copper and lead corrosion in new and aging distribu-tion systems.”

While investigating the Washington, D.C. area’s water supply in 2003, Ed-wards and his graduate students discov-ered that the addition of chloramine dis-infectant in tap water increased the inci-dence of lead leaching in residential and commercial aqueducts. This research linked several cases of lead poisoning, earlier thought to be caused by lead paint, to local tap water. The findings also revealed systemic weaknesses in the re-gional water testing program, prompting the Washington Area Water Authority to replace lead service lines throughout the district.

According to a story in the Richmond Times Dispatch about the announcement, Edwards said he plans to pay off some of the debt he incurred in 2003 when he uncovered the high levels of lead in the drinking water. Edwards recalled he had to spend tens of thousands of dollars of

In 2004 Time magazine dubbed Edwards “The Plumbing Professor” and featured him as one of the nation’s leading scientific innovators.


Mike Duncan’s first engineering job, as a Georgia Tech co-op student in 1956, was as a surveying rod man working for the Jacksonville District of the Corps of Engineers. “It was great,” Duncan says, “I got to travel all around Florida with the crew I was assigned to. We worked on water most of the time, and I got paid about $20 a day, counting salary and travel expenses. What more could a 19-year old ask for?

“I didn’t know much about engi-neering at that time, but I learned first-hand how to use a machete, and how to measure elevation and position in rivers and on beaches. I think there is no better place to start a civil en-gineering career than working in the field.”

Duncan returned to surveying with a private company in Tampa after he got his bachelor’s degree, but quit at noon one day when told to falsify his time sheet, and charge one client for time he’d spent working on another’s job.

“I had a wife, a one-year-old daughter, a mortgage, and $300 in the bank, Dun-can recalls. As fate would have it, a friend who stayed on as a graduate student at Georgia Tech called him a day later and said that Professor Vesi had a research assistantship in geotechnical engineering for him if he wanted to go back to school. Duncan says that at the time, “I didn’t like geotechnical engineering very much, but it would be better than being out of a job, and I accepted.”

Fifteen months later Duncan had a master’s degree and was headed to Vicks-burg, Mississippi to work at the Corps of Engineers Waterways Experimental Sta-tion. After eight months there, he went on to study for a Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley.

“Berkeley was an exciting place in 1962, both in the streets and in the class-room. The faculty – Harry Seed, Jim Mitchell and others – were world-class, and my fellow graduate students came from all over the world, with top academic

Mike Duncan works with a Berkeley lab class in 1969 – hand au-

guring to obtain undisturbed samples of San Francisco Bay mud.

From skiff boats and machetesto chalk boards and computers –

research

a 51-year careerin civil engineering


credentials, and many of them had a lot of engineering experience. I felt under-qual-ified to be there, and half expected to be shipped home any day,” Duncan recalls.

The Berkeley program was growing by leaps and bounds at that time. Dun-can was offered a chance to teach the required undergraduate geotechnical en-gineering course during his last two se-mesters as a graduate student. That led to a faculty position at Berkeley after he finished his Ph.D.

“I didn’t plan to be a professor,” he says, “but just couldn’t turn down the chance to work with Harry Seed, Jim Mitchell, Clarence Chan, Carl Monismith, John Lysmer, Dick Goodman, and Tor Brekke. The program was booming, and we all had exciting research and con-sulting projects. Geotechnical engineer-ing was developing very fast. Research money was easily available. We had lots of highly talented graduate students. I knew I had stumbled into a dream job,” he says.

The finite element method was new when Duncan began his research, and he thought it had potential for geotechnical engineering problems. With graduate stu-dent C-Y Chang, he developed what has come to be known as the “Duncan-Chang model” for approximating nonlinear stress-strain behavior of soil. In short order this model was used to analyze stresses and movements in soils by Duncan’s students Peter Dunlop, Wayne Clough, Fred Kul-hawy and many others since.

This and Duncan’s other research interests – soil strength, slope stability, seepage, and foundations – have led to publication of more than 300 reports and papers, most co-authored with his more than 40 Ph.D. students. In 2005 he wrote the John Wiley book “Soil Strength and Slope Stability” with former student Steve Wright, now a professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

In 1983, Duncan was invited by for-mer student Wayne Clough, then the head of the Civil Engineering Department

at Virginia Tech, to move to Blacksburg as the W. Thomas Rice Professor. The two worked together until 1995, when Clough left for the University of Washington. Elev-en months later Clough moved to Georgia Tech as President.

Duncan says, “I told him he was mov-ing from one place to another so fast that it was beginning to look like he couldn’t hold a job.”

To fill the vacancy left by Clough’s departure, the Virginia Tech geotechnical group was able to persuade Jim Mitch-ell, who had accepted early retirement at Berkeley, to move to Virginia Tech as the first Via Professor of Civil Engineering.

Duncan and Mitchell, both Univer-sity Distinguished Professors Emeritus now, stay active with their geotechnical colleagues Tom Brandon, George Filz,

Jimmy Martin, Matthew Mauldon, Marte Gutierrez and Joe Dove.

His interests in practical geotechnical problems have involved Duncan in con-sulting projects that include many of the world’s largest embankment dams, the first offshore platform in the North Sea, and the Panama Canal. With colleague Brandon, he investigated the failures of levees and floodwalls in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

“It is amazing how often a project I am consulting on coincides with the topic I am lecturing on in class,” Duncan says. “It’s great to be able to bring these expe-riences into the classroom. When I stop to think about how well my research, my teaching and my consulting have blended together, I can hardly believe how lucky I have been.”

research

Duncan drawing a flow net on the chalk board, something he says he has done “about ten thousand times,” and now he will officially retire.


Ying Xu, a doctoral candidate working with

John Little, professor of civil and environmental

engineering, inspects samples of vinyl flooring

to determine emission characteristics.



research

In the 1970s the sick building syn-drome phrase was coined when a signifi-cant number of people inside a structure reported various health problems rang-ing from constant headaches to nasal congestion to eye irritation. Most public health officials speculated these medical conditions resulted from poor building de-sign, inadequate ventilation or improper maintenance.

Today, environmental engineers are looking at other sources of indoor air pol-lution such as the building materials used in construction.

John Little, a 1996 National Science Foundation (NSF) Career Award recipi-ent for his work on indoor pollution and a professor of civil and environmental engineering (CEE) at Virginia Tech, has identified a method for predicting the rate that specific volatile organic com-pounds (VOCs) are released from one such material – the commonly used vinyl flooring. He is now using his investigation technique to determine if other types of building materials made from polymers are also releasing VOCs and, if so, at what rate.

The three contaminants Little identi-fied in vinyl flooring are pentadecane, tetradecane, and phenol. According to the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, potential health effects of long-

term, low-level exposure to phenol include increases in respiratory cancer, heart dis-ease, and effects on the immune system.

“Because we spend most of our time indoors, exposure to indoor air pollutants may be orders-of-magnitude greater than that experienced outdoors,” Little says. “Volatile emissions are a probable cause of acute health effects and discomfort among building occupants and are known to diminish worker productivity.”

Architects and builders are making our buildings more energy efficient by sealing them up tightly, but this practice exacerbates the problem of indoor air pollution, Little asserts.

After using his model to predict VOC emissions from vinyl flooring, he is now turning his attention to semivolatile or-ganic compounds (SVOCs) such as plas-ticizers, flame retardants, and biocides.

“These constituents are added to a variety of products to enhance perfor-mance and are often present at consid-erably higher concentrations than their more volatile counterparts. There are serious health concerns associated with SVOCs in general and with phthalate plasticizers in particular,” he adds. A plasticizer represents any of a variety of substances added to a plastic or other material to keep it soft and pliable.

Phthalates are found in numerous

everyday items such as toys, medical equipment, paints, inks, vinyl flooring, hairsprays, deodorants, nail polish, per-fumes, and shampoo.

Flame retardants are found in com-mon place office articles such as comput-ers, electronics, electrical equipment, cables, and foam furniture.

Research reported at the 9th Interna-tional Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate suggested that phthalates may have a wide range of adverse af-fects on reproduction and development, including decreased fertility, birth defects, hormone disruption, and reproductive malformations, particularly in the male reproductive tract.

When a phthalate or other SVOC sorbs onto other airborne particles, and is subsequently inhaled, the particle “may lodge deep in the lungs and exert a more severe health effect,” Little explains.

“It is critical to understand indoor emissions of SVOCs and their partition-ing between gaseous and particulate phases,” he adds.

Little believes his preliminary stud-ies, using the process he developed for determining the rate of volatile emissions from vinyl flooring, are showing signs of success at predicting the emission rate of SVOCs from polymeric materials.

By Lynn Nystrom

Could your vinyl flooringcontribute to indoor air pollution?

Gas samples are en-closed in these tubes,

loaded in a carousel that is heated, allow-

ing target compounds to be desorbed, and the engineers in the

laboratory can deter-mine their volatility.

10 | VIA REPORT | 200710 | VIA REPORT | 2007

Jesús M. de la Garza


research

The most recent survey of the na-tion’s highway infrastructure, conducted by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2005, indicated that the U.S. road system is in poor condition, a marked contrast from the 1988 survey by the National Council on Public Works Improvement. At that time, the nation’s roads were cited to be in better than fair condition.

In Virginia, the state’s Department of Transportation (VDOT) is working with a number of private companies in order to provide a timely and less costly solu-tion to its improvement and maintenance of the Commonwealth’s infrastructure needs. The passage of the 1995 Public-Private Transportation Act (PPTA) of Virginia authorized VDOT’s partnerships with private firms.

Within three months of the passage of PPTA, the private contracting firm of Virginia Maintenance Services (VMS) was awarded a contract to administer and maintain some 250 miles of Virginia’s interstate highways along I-81, I-77, I-95, and I-381. At that time, the contract pro-vided coverage for some 20 per cent of the state’s highways.

“A very important part of the con-tract between VDOT and VMS was its performance-based nature,” says Jesús M. de la Garza, the Vecellio Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech.

“A performance-based contract specifies the desired outcomes rather than the desired processes to reach those outcomes. A performance-based contract leaves the contractor free, in any sense, to choose and apply the construc-

tion methods he wishes to carry out,” de la Garza adds.

de la Garza, who specializes in construction engineering and highway infrastructure management and who is a member of the University’s Myers-Lawson School of Construction, says the nature of the performance-based contract leads to two significant results. First, it im-poses the risk of deficient design on the contractor, and second, it often makes the contractor seek innovative construc-tion methods.

“Thus, the term performance-based contracting is used interchangeably with innovative contracting,” de la Garza as-serts.

The CEE professor is assisting VDOT in its assessment of the perfor-mance-based contracts it issues. For the past seven years, de la Garza has led efforts to identify innovative ways to measure the effectiveness of the performance-based road maintenance contracts VDOT awards. The evaluation for effectiveness focuses primarily on the physical level of service of the interstate.

He has developed an effectiveness model to perform these evaluations, ex-tending back to the first PPTA pilot project with VMS. He is now in the process of developing a unique efficiency measure-ment model.

“Not knowing how efficient state DOTs are in being effective can lead to excessive and unrealistic maintenance budget expectations,” de la Garza says.

His work is conducted through Vir-ginia Tech’s Center for Highway Asset Management ProgramS (CHAMPS)

His new investigations are looking at both the driver’s as well as the mainte-nance provider’s views on the efficiency of the work. It is also taking into account safety and other societal goals, as well as uncontrollable considerations such as climate and location.

He believes the efficiency measure-ment model will be able to identify the relative efficiency of different VDOT dis-tricts in performing maintenance services, the reasons for the efficiency differences between districts, the effects of the envi-ronmental and operational factors on the road maintenance efficiency of districts, and the benchmarks and best practices that pertain to the inefficient districts.

Since the PPTA pilot program began in 1996, VDOT has now privatized 100 percent of the interstate maintenance activities, and CHAMPS is responsible for performing the baseline asset condition assessment and the annual asset evalu-ations to determine the extent to which maintenance contractors are achieving the performance-based targets.

Anderson and Associates, Inc., a Blacksburg, Va., based engineering firm, is providing data collection services to CHAMPS.

CHAMPS is also assisting VDOT in the development of its biennial needs-based overall maintenance budget by conducting a random assessment of as-sets located in all three highway systems –– interstate, primary, and secondary –– throughout the Commonwealth.

VDOT has awarded some $9.3 mil-lion to CHAMPS since these projects started, and in June 2007, the National Science Foundation announced a two-year $200,000 grant to help fund de la Garza’s efficiency framework.

In addition to his cadre of graduate students, six undergraduate students have worked with de la Garza on this project, and have since joined the School of Construction’s graduate program.

By Lynn Nystrom

Assessing efficiencyof road maintenance andimprovement contracts leads to less risk, more innovation


research

ow does one insure all right-of-way issues are

found before construction commences?

H Kathleen Hancock


research

An equally difficult situation for public agencies that wish to purchase property might result because of the various types of taxing agencies. Their numerous ways of conducting business may also cause right-of-way (ROW) issues that can cause project delays and increased costs in transportation construction projects.

For example, Maryland has a central-ized taxing authority and information for the entire state is available from a single source. Conversely, tax authority for Mas-sachusetts is local, “meaning that obtain-ing parcel information for the state would require establishing agreements with over 350 entities,” explains Kathleen Hancock of the Center for Geospatial Information Technology at Virginia Tech.

Hancock, who works at the Universi-ty’s National Capital Region office in Alex-andria, has recently completed a study on the integration of geospatial technologies into the ROW data management process, and her findings were the topic of an arti-cle published by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program.

Although computer-aided drafting and design (CADD) is often used to draft ROW plans, they are often manually recorded and filed on paper or mylar, and “vulner-able to damage or destruction,” Hancock cautions.

The associate professor of civil and environmental engineering would like to see electronic management of this infor-mation, thus providing “fast, convenient, and consistent access to all users, reduc-tion of the time and expense needed to ship documents, the elimination of repeti-tive entries, the minimization of data entry errors caused by multiple formats, and the saving of money for transportation agen-cies.”

To obtain this colossal data bank of information, Hancock surveyed partici-pants of a ROW directors’ meeting to de-termine states that were using some type of Geographic Information System (GIS). She received information from 24 states, 18 of which indicated they used GIS.

“Only a very few have an operational ROW information management system that incorporates geospatial technology for one or more business activities. Although many states have strategic plans that in-clude incorporating GIS capabilities into an enterprise ROW system, none currently have one in operation,” Hancock says. Consequently, she expanded her study to include consideration of innovative enter-prise information management systems, and ultimately selected six systems for her

case studies.With Hancock’s case studies, she

was able to provide ROW professionals with information about current systems that they might use or with data they can offer to decision makers to support the implementation of a system. She also provided a list of data elements required for a geospatially enabled enterprise-wide information management system.

Hancock argues that by using GIS or another information management sys-tem in conjunction with ROW processes, states will receive a number of benefits: reduced staffing and/or improved staff ef-ficiency; improved scheduling; improved access to information; improved customer service; improved documentation and reporting uniformity; increased manage-ment flexibility; reduced redundancy, and improved oversight activities.

As an example she cites Illinois where a single person is now able to oversee the ROW activities associated with a multimil-lion dollar airport project. “Without the use of the information management system, this would be impossible,” Hancock says.

Furthermore, the use of a single ap-plication within Maryland’s Office of Real Estate has allowed them to cut their re-search staff in half “because researchers have desktop access to parcel informa-tion without having to physically go to the courthouse, locate the appropriate par-cels, and manually extract the necessary information,” she adds. Similar results can be found in New Mexico and Pennsylva-nia.

“Virginia measures the benefits that it has realized from its information manage-ment system through improved schedule commitments, reduced staffing costs, and increased productivity,” Hancock asserts.

By Lynn Nystrom

When a potential public agency buyer conducts a title search in the state of Texas, as many as six different countries of origin may appear on the deed: the U.S., the Confederate States of America, the Republic of Texas, Mexico, France, and Spain. The result can be a quagmire.

14 | VIA REPORT | 200714 | VIA REPORT | 2007


The CSTI (http://www.vtti.vt.edu/csti.html#), formerly the Roadway Infrastruc-ture Group, is charged with improving pavement and infrastructure technologies and practices. The center is organized in two groups: infrastructure management and sensing, modeling and simulation. It focuses its research efforts in the areas of pavement design, analysis, rehabilitation and safety, infrastructure management, civil engineering materials, nondestructive testing, and life-cycle cost analysis.

“Transportation decision makers are faced with competing investment demands and must distribute limited resources so that the transportation systems are effectively and efficiently preserved and renewed to meet soci-ety’s expectations and needs,” Flintsch says. “Our center is striving to develop new and improved materials, evaluation technologies, analytical approaches, and engineering and decision support tools to facilitate the effective preservation and renewal of the transportation infrastruc-ture systems.”

Flintsch and CSTI associate director Linbing Wang are working on improving the design, evaluation, analysis, pres-ervation, and renewal of transportation infrastructure and systems. Flintsch’s focus is on pavement design and evalua-tion infrastructure asset management and pavement surface characteristics while

research

CSTI works to improve your roadsThe Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) spends $500 million

a year on maintenance of roads. “If we can save just one per cent of

that, that would result in significant savings for the agency, and more

importantly to the highway users,” says Gerardo F. Flintsch, director

of the Center for Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure (CSTI) at

the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and an associate pro-

fessor of civil and environmental engineering (CEE) at Virginia Tech.

Wang’s focus is pavement materials and advanced sensing and modeling technol-ogy applications.

Together, they have numerous projects in conjunction with multiple agencies: VDOT, Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Department of Defense and the Na-tional Science Foundation (NSF) and are leading the creation of a multi-agency program in cooperation with the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, VTRC and the University of Virginia.

The cooperative pavement engineer-ing and research consortium focuses on optimizing research for developing and implementing better pavement and mate-rial testing, assessment, design, analysis and management tools. An example of collaboration between government, aca-demia and industry, the consortium will focus on pavement materials research, performance, design, maintenance and management and it will provide an ex-cellent partnership to pursue national and international funding opportunities and leverage the resources available for pavement and infrastructure research in Virginia. The consortium has developed a five year research program and is funded at $300,000 per year.

By Susan Dickerson

(From left to right) Christopher Harris and Dong Wang, both civil engineering graduate students, are preparing hot-mix asphalt samples for laboratory testing.

s


Pavement Surface Properties Research Pooled-Fund Investigation at the Virginia Smart Road

The $1-million collaborative project will establish a research program focused on en-hancing roadway transportation system ser-vices by optimizing pavement surface tex-ture characteristics, including friction, splash and spray and tire-pavement noise. Other organizations participating are the FHWA, and Georgia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Mississippi and Virginia DOTs.

The program will evaluate laser-based equipment for measuring pavement surface properties and any other emerging technolo-gies that show promise for improving mea-surements as well as innovative pavement surfaces and pavement preservation treat-ments. The collaborative research program provides an accessible and efficient way for highway agencies and other organizations to conduct research on pavement surface texture and smoothness and helps them the participant verify the operation and accuracy of the equipment used for pavement evalua-tions and road construction quality control.

Development and Implementation of Digital Specimen and Digital Tester Tech-nique for Infrastructure Materials

The almost $600,000 project funded by NSF and the Partnership for Innovation will use X-ray computerized tomography (XCT) to reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) digi-tal representations of asphalt concrete mi-crostructure. The project works on further developing tomography to develop a digital specimen and to various simulations of the behavior of asphalt concrete on the digital specimens using modeling and computa-tional techniques.

“This testing is much cheaper than full-size field testing,” Wang says. Once the tomography methods are established, this project will implement the same testing tech-niques at other partnering organizations, find avenues for commercializing the method, develop a training course for undergradu-ate and graduate civil engineering students and conduct professional seminars on how to use the method. This innovation will help evaluate and design enhanced pavement materials that has the capability to resist rutting, fatigue cracking, low temperature cracking and moisture damage, and that will ultimately last longer.

Application of LADAR in the Analysis of Aggregate Characteristics

This $500,000 National Highway Coop-erative Research Project (NHCRP) is devel-oping and evaluating a 3D aggregate char-acterization system and analysis method using LADAR (laser detection and ranging) for aggregate characterizations, which are an important component in asphalt concrete, cement concrete, granular base, and treated base.

Compared to X-ray Computerized To-mography (XCT), LADAR method costs less and can be portable for field-testing more conveniently. This approach is expected to overcome some of the limitations of current 2D and semi-3D methods (i.e., the 2.5D).

The project’s objective is to develop and evaluate a LADAR system capable of precise and accurate measurement of the aggregate characteristics of shape, volume, angularity, surface texture, specific surface area, and volumetric gradation.

The anticipated results include a proto-type of portable LADAR system that allows for 3D characterization of aggregates, a draft AASHTO method on how to use the system and software to perform 3D aggregate char-acterizations, a list of requirements for the system that allow others to build similar sys-tems, and a database documenting all the relevant results that other researchers may share. Therefore the anticipated results can be directly adopted for applications and use-ful to future research.

The CSTI has several unique facilities of different scale to conduct its research and testing, which cover full-scale testing facili-ties to laboratories to determine microscopic structures of the materials.

The two-mile Virginia Smart Road at VTTI is a unique test facility for transportation research and evaluation that includes 12 flex-ible pavement test sections, a continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP), and a jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP). A variety of flexible and rigid pavement sur-faces are available for conducting pavement surface measurements, such as tire/pave-ment noise under controlled conditions. As the most unique feature, the smart road fa-cility can control the weather and investigate the influences of surface texture, structures and pavements, ice control, and vehicle dy-namics. The integration of testing equipment

into the road system provides a versatile en-vironment to develop computational models and validate them with full-scale live tests.

The Pavement Evaluation Laboratory provides access to a wide range of equip-ment for evaluating the functional and struc-tural condition of pavement. The group has a dynamic friction tester and a digital video system for asset management data collec-tion and has access to several other pave-ment evaluation devices, including a falling weight deflectometer (FWD), laser profiler, skid trailer, contriouns friction measuring de-vice (Griptester), British friction pendulum, high-speed laser texture-measuring device, and a circular track meter, thanks to a coop-eration agreement with VDOT.

CSTI utilizes the Macro Mechanical Asphalt Testing Laboratory at VTTI. The asphalt lab houses three close-loop servo hydraulic testing systems: two MTS test-ing frames and an Interlaken testing frame equipped with updated controlling software and latest testing fixtures. This lab has the capacity to conduct the full set of SuperPave binder and mixture tests for asphalt mixtures and asphalt binders and to develop new tests to evaluate the fracture properties and characterize the microstructures of materials in civil engineering.

In addition, a model mobile load simu-lator is also available at CSTI. This system in conjunction with the asphalt pavement analyzer at the VTRC allows simulative tests being conducted. The CSTI asphalt lab also provides state-of-the-art surface texture and road profile measurements.

The Microstructure Characterization Laboratory, also located at VTTI uses vari-ous “microscopes” to “see” and characterize the microstructure of civil engineering mate-rials. A Skyscan desktop X-ray tomography imaging system is available that applies tension, compression and torsion to a speci-men. This system has a high resolution of up to 38µm. The QICS laboratory also houses a High Speed Imaging System (up to 1 mil-lion frames per second), an Infrared imaging system, a high resolution laser scanner, and an atomic force microscope. Other micro-scopes including Scanning Electron Micro-scope, Nano Indentor and Compound Opti-cal Microscopes are accessible. These mi-croscopes can characterize the microstruc-tures of materials at different length scales ranging from nanometers to millimeters.

research

Center for Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure:Current Projects


Examples of CSTI’s recently completed projects to improve roads in the Common-wealth include:

Field Investigation of High Performance Pavements in Virginia Asset Manage-ment

This study evaluated 18 different pave-ment sections located in high-traffic highways in the Commonwealth of Virginia in order to find a premium pavement design with a life span of 40 years or more using current and past field experience. The selected pavement sections were thought to perform well. Eight flexible pavements, six composite pave-ments, two continuously reinforced concrete pavements, and two jointed plain concrete pavements were investigated. The analysis of the collected data suggests that premium pavement designs can be obtained.

The field investigations suggest that all the tested sites are performing satisfactorily and show very low structural distress. Lim-ited material-related problems were found in some sites, which induced non-load related distresses. It was also confirmed that the falling weight deflectometer, ground pen-

etrating radar, and digital imaging are very useful tools to assess the condition of exist-ing pavements.

Asset Management Data Collection for Supporting Business Decisions

The objective was to investigate how state DOTs are linking their data collection policies, standards, and practices to their as-set management decision-making process-es, especially for project selection.

Using collected information, the re-search team identified four states for in-depth case studies. The research team then met with these agencies to explore in detail the linkages between data collection and decision process and to document their practices. The case studies indicated that there is no one-size-fits-all approach for as-set management data collection. The most appropriate approach will depend on the agency’s needs and culture as well as the availability of economic, technological, and human resources. A gradual implementation of the data collection efforts appears to be the most appropriate approach. Most of the data collected is currently being allocated

for individual assets types separately that support decisions within their corresponding silos.

Soft Computing-Based Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of Transportation Infrastructure Investments

This project was targeted at exploring the use of soft computing systems for devel-oping life-cycle cost analysis tools to support transportation infrastructure asset manage-ment.

The specific objectives defined for the project are the following: (1) develop an overall framework for the incorporation of soft computing techniques in the life-cycle cost analysis of infrastructure assets; (2) formulate a prototype hybrid soft computing algorithm for life-cycle cost analysis; and (3) compare the algorithm against traditional life-cycle cost analysis tools using simple examples to assess its practical potential. This exploratory research project identified a general modular framework for an infra-structure management system considering its relationship with asset management and the different levels of decision-making.

(From left to right) Christopher Harris and

Dong Wang, both civil engineering graduate stu-dents, are measuring the

pavement surface texture at the Smart Road.


research


new facul ty

Since 2001 Sunil Sinha has held a joint appointment as an assistant professor in the departments of civil and environmental engineering and computer science and engi-neering at Penn State. He is also an adjunct professor of systems design engineering at

the University of Waterloo, Canada. He joined Virginia Tech in fall, 2007.

Sinha is the recipient of a National Science Foundation CA-REER Award for research in the area of sustainable water infra-structure management system. He received an NSF International Research and Education in Engineering (IREE) Award to visit Eu-rope and Australian research institutions for six months in the area of water infrastructure systems. He is currently supervising four Ph.D. students and seven master’s candidates.

He received his Ph.D. in civil and systems design engineering in 2000 from the University of Waterloo where he also earned a master’s degree in civil engineering in 1997. He received a bache-lor of engineering degree specializing in civil engineering from Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, Bihar, India in 1986.

From 1987 until 1996, he was a project engineer for the Indian government’s World Bank Cell at Patna, Bihar. He was responsible for investigative planning, scheduling, qualitative and quantitative monitoring of highway and bridge construction projects that are funded by the World Bank under the civil infrastructure program. He spent a year with Liqui-Force Services Ltd., and the City of Wa-terloo, Ontario as a research engineer after receiving his master’s degree.

Sinha’s current research activities address problems in the area of assessment technologies and decision-making methodolo-gies for the rehabilitation of large-scale civil infrastructure systems, especially municipal water and wastewater infrastructure systems.

He is currently working on seven funded research projects, totaling some $2.5 million.

He is in the process of developing a sustainable water infra-structure management system. His research includes the develop-ment of an integrated water and wastewater pipe management system with recent sensor technologies and non-destructive testing tools. This research has the potential to change the utilities’ ability to rate the condition and performance of its pipeline infrastructure system and to develop a rational repair, rehabilitation and replace-ment program.

He has authored more than 70 technical publications in refer-eed journals, conference proceedings, and reports.

He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Engineering Education, American Society of Testing Materials, Canadian Society of Civil Engineers, and the North American Society for Trenchless Technology.

Deborah Young earned her doctorate in industrial and systems engineering (ISE) from Virginia Tech in August of 2007. She also received her master’s degree in ISE from Virginia Tech, as well as a master’s in ecol-ogy from North Carolina State University. She

was awarded her bachelor’s degree in biology from Virginia Tech. She is a primary faculty member of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction and affiliated with the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Young is certified as an industrial hygienist, a safety profes-sional, and a hazardous materials manager. She is a member of Alpha Pi Mu, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, American Industrial Hygiene Association, Academy of Industrial Hygiene, American Society of Safety Engineers, National Safety Council, Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Associa-tion, and the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation.

Among her honors, she was a National Institute for Occupa-tional Safety and Health (NIOSH) fellowship recipient for 2006-07.

She led a pilot project in the Virginia Tech Center for Innova-tion in Construction, Safety and Health on the evaluation of dust control technologies for drywall finishing operations. She also received a NIOSH training grant from Johns Hopkins University to enhance her work on this topic, which served as the background material for her dissertation. Her research interests are in indoor environmental quality, volatile organic compounds and fungal con-taminants in the built environment, and respiratory disease among construction workers.

While a graduate student at Virginia Tech, Young also worked as the co-director of the Environmental, Health and Safety Servic-es office. She was responsible for occupational health compliance services for the university.

Young was also an adjunct instructor to the Grado Department of ISE. She developed new curriculum and taught coursework in industrial hygiene and occupational safety. She created laboratory and lecture instruction. Young also served on the faculty commit-tee to coordinate the NIOSH Training Grant Program. She served on graduate student thesis committees in the safety engineering degree option, and provided leadership to senior design teams. She served as a faculty co-advisor for student section of American Society of Safety Engineers.

At Virginia Tech, she has served on many of its professional committees. These included the University’s Biosafety Compliance Committee; Biotechnology Oversight Committee; Environmental and Laboratory Safety Committee, ex-officio member; Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Advisory Committee; University Plan-ning Task Force on Total Quality Management; and the Facilities Design Review Task Force.

Locally, she has been active in the Unitarian Universalist Fel-lowship as a youth adviser, and as a volunteer at the Humane Society, Tekoa Inc., (A residential treatment and educational facility in Floyd), and the Lyric Theatre. She was a mentor for the human factors society and the undergraduate students in the College of Science. She is also an avid cyclist and rock climber.


facul ty achievements

Greg BoardmanElected to rank of Fellow of the American Society of Civil

Engineers; received College of Engineering Award for Outreach Excellence

Tom BrandonDean’s Award for Excellence in Public Service

Mike DuncanDean’s Award for Excellence in Public Service; received the

Civilian Service Medal from the U.S. Department of the Army

Sam EasterlingElected to rank of Fellow of the American Society of Civil

Engineers; elected to West Virginia CEE Department Academy of Distinguished Alumni

George FilzReceived the Croes Medal from the American Society of Civil

Engineers; received the Wine Award for Excellence in Teaching from Virginia Tech; received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching

Gerardo FlintschElected as a Corresponding Member of the National Academy of

Engineering for Uruguay

Michael GarvinSelected as a College of Engineering Faculty Fellow

Linsey MarrSelected as a College of Engineering Faculty Fellow

Tom MurrayReceived the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American

Institute for Steel Construction; received the Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering from Iowa State University

John NovakReceived the Simon Freeze Lectureship Award from the

American Society of Civil Engineers

Hesham RakhaReceived a Dean’s Award for Research Excellence

Carin Roberts-WollmanReceived a College of Engineering Certificate of Teaching

Excellence

DUNCAN

EASTERLING FILZ

GARVIN MARR MURRAY

ROBERTS-WOLLMAN

BOARDMAN

NOVAK RAKHA

BRANDON

FLINTSCH


student news

CE Alumni Board Scholarship

Matthew WerderDaniel KeppelerElaine HuffmanZachary Stutts

Balzer & Associates Scholarship

Adam SummersJonathan SproulLindsey Hatcher

William A. Caruthers Scholarship

Christopher DianoraThomas Lueking

Class of ’58 Scholarship

Robert OlivetTrent CoxRoss MillikanElizabeth MoretonKyle White

Warren F. Cline Scholarship

Michael Werder

Stanley and Francis Cohen Scholarship

Tyler AustinKendall Blanding

John DeBell Scholarship

Joshua Jedlicka

Delta Airport Scholarship

Alexandra DavisErin Burdick

Dewberry Scholarship

Da Jung ChoAlex VanDykeJoseph Arrowsmith

L.J. Turner & W.S. Dewhirst Scholarship

Kelsie Ostergaard

Walter & Mary Ruth Duncan Scholarship

Tyler HaakJacob Hilton

Chelsey A. Godfrey Scholarship

Ashley Severin

Vickie Graham Scholarship

Stephen Holmes II

Harry S. & Patsy V. Williams Scholarship

John EdwardsAlex Vandyke

Hankins & Anderson Scholarship

Brian PetruzziIan Cozens

Kelso Baker Scholarship

Karla YoungChelsea GreenGary Riggins

Lingerfelt Family Foundation Scholarship

Sherri CookTracy GusukumaNathan Fox

Hersie B. & Ethel G. McCauley Scholarship

Stephanie ShupeJoshua PrattWilliam BucciantiniSamantha Kurtz

Andrew E. “Tripp” McDavid Memorial Scholarship

Leonard Abadam

Kenton & Liliana Meland Scholarship

Ashley Colbassani

Michael Baker Scholarship

Mindy Pancoast

Golf Tournament Scholarship

Da Jung Cho

Newport News Shipbuilding Scholarship

Chun Wong

Pruitt Scholarship

Andrew Baum

Stewart Scholarship

Nick KehoeSeth WilliamsonDavid Wagner IIFrancis PinckneyJohn BergmanKellen NeubergerMatthew KamstraAnthony ChristianAngel VelasquezCharles StantonJeremy BergJoseph ShuttRobert KalbachBryan HiggsCarrie HargravesJeffrey WaryClint SchuelerPatrick DiRomaJohn Draminski

SMC Concrete Scholarship

Christopher HouposBrian WellsJonathan Emenheiser

Virginia Concrete Scholarship

James NewboldPanos AndonyadisIan CozensLauren Gagen-CheeneyJoseph Arrowsmith

Vecellio Scholarship

Andrew LewisJason LiebIgnaci RocaStefanie Naden

Via Scholarship

Claire McKenziePeter KauffmannErin Rooney

Dick Walker Scholarship

Julie Everd

Williams Industries Scholarship

Brynn IshlerShane Cochran

Verne & Jewel Williamson Scholarship

Myles Killar

Scholarships


student news

Graduate scholarships and fellowshipsAdvanceVT Ph.D. Fellowship

Krista Rule

Alpha Lambda Delta Graduate Fellowship

Stephanie Koch

American Water Works Association (AWWA) Larson Aquatic Research Support (LARS) Scholarship

Christina C. Davis

American Water Works Association (AWWA) Thomas Camp Fellowship

Christina C. Davis

Bland / Delta Air Fellowship

Julio Roa Perez

Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) Scholarships

Sercan AkyildizNoah Yates

Cunningham Fellowships

J. Christopher CarrollMatthew Swenty

Davenport Fellowship

Alison St. Clair

Diversity Fellowships

Kacie CapleLashun King

Edna Bailey Sussman Fellowships

Sairta BanjadeJeff CoyneSamuel HardinDavid LiuRachel MethvinMichael MobileT.J. MurphyDominic SchulerSabine Sibler John Templeton

Fulbright Fellowships

Vathana PoevT. Andres SanchezDwight Thornhill

Korea Water Resources Corporation Fellowship

Chang-Hyun Jo

National Water Research Institute (NWRI) Fellowship

Christina C. Davis

National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellowship

Caroline NguyenEmily SarverAmanda Strickhouser

National Science Foundation (NSF) IGERT Fellowships

Tiffany AdamsLaura HannumMatt HullPinar Omur-Ozbek (Associateship)Caroline NguyenAndrew J. Whelton

Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) Scholar Fellowship

Krista Rule

Pratt Engineering Fellowships

Sudhir DahalZhe Liu

Raymond and Madeline Curry Fellowships

Ahmed Amer Stephanie SurgentLee Vanzler

U.S. Department of Agriculture National Needs Fellowship for Water Science (Third Year)

T.J. Murphy

U.S. Department of Education GAANN Fellowships

Paul GantzerWendell KhunjarMike McGuire Eduardo Mendez

U.S. EPA STAR Fellowships

Lee BryantChristina C. Davis

Vecellio Graduate Fellowship

Andrew CampbellChris Strock

Virginia Tech Engineering Dean’s Teaching Fellowships

J. Christopher Carroll Ahmet PintoAly Tawfik

Virginia Tech Waste Policy Institute (WPI) Graduate Fellowships

William BenniJose Manual CerratoChristina C. DavisKrista Rule

Virginia Water Resources Research Center Walker Research Fellow Award

Christina C. Davis

Walter P. Moore Graduate Research Fellowship in Structural Engineering

D. Brad Davis


student news

2006-07 CEE Ph.D. Degrees AwardedThe following doctoral degrees were

awarded to CEE students between July 2006 and June 2007:

Name: Qasem M. AbdelalDissertation Title: Methodology for Using a

Non-Linear Parameter Estimation Tech-nique for Reactive Multi-Component Solute Transport Modeling in Ground-Water Systems

Advisor: Mark A. Widdowson

Name: Senanu AshiaborDissertation Title: Modeling Intercity Mode

Choice and Airport Choice in the United States

Co-advisors: Antonio Trani and Hojong Baik

Name: Anthony R. BarrettDissertation Title: Dynamic Testing of In-

Situ Composite Floors and Evaluation of Vibration Serviceability Using the Finite Element Method

Advisor: Thomas M. Murray

Name: Douglas R. BishDissertation Title: Demand Management

in Evacuation: Models, Algorithms, and Applications

Co-advisors: Antoine G. Hobeika and Hanif D. Sherali (Industrial & Systems Engineering)

Name: Jeramy B. DeckerDissertation Title: Building, Updating and

Verifying Fracture Models in Real Time for Hard Rock Tunneling

Advisor: Matthew Mauldon

Name: Edgar David de León IzeppiDissertation Title: Non-Contact Methods

for Detecting Hot-mix Asphalt Nonunifor-mity

Advisor: Gerardo W. Flintsch

Name: Amr El SayedDissertation Title: Numerical Modeling for

the Solute Uptake from Groundwater by Plants-Plant Uptake Package

Advisor: Mark A. Widdowson

Name: Bryan J. KatzDissertation Title: Peripheral Transverse

Pavement Markings for Speed ControlAdvisor: Hesham A. Rakha

Name: Ning LiuDissertation Title: Soil and Site Character-

ization Using Electromagnetic WavesAdvisor: James K. Mitchell

Name: Zihong LiuDissertation Title: Testing and Analysis

of a Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Bridge Deck

Co-advisors: Tommy Cousins and John J. Lesko (Engineering Science and Me-chanics)

Name: Christopher D. MullerDissertation Title: Shear Forces, Floc

Structure and their Impact on Anaerobic Digestion and Biosolids Stability

Advisor: John T. Novak

Name: Jocelyn Fraga MullerDissertation Title: The Role of Multidrug

Efflux Pumps in the Stress Response of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Organic Contamination

Co-advisors: Nancy G. Love and Ann M. Stevens (Biological Sciences)

Name: Jon T. ObenbergerDissertation Title: Methodology to Assess

Traffic Signal Transition Strategies Em-ployed to Exit Preemption Control

Co-advisors: John Collura and Shinya Kikuchi

Name: Andrei RamniceanuDissertation Title: Investigation of Param-

eters Governing the Corrosion Protec-tion Efficacy of Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coatings

Advisor: Richard E. Weyers

Name: Heather RectanusDissertation Title: Sustainability of Re-

ductive Dechlorination at Chlorinated Solvent Contaminated Sites: Methods to Evaluate Biodegradable Natural Organic Carbon

Co-advisors: John T. Novak and Mark A. Widdowson

Name: John C. RyanDissertation Title: Analytical and Ex-

perimental Investigation of Improving Seismic Performance of Steel Moment Frames Using Synthetic Fiber Ropes

Co-advisors: Raymond H. Plaut and Thomas M. Murray

Name: Ronald L. ShopeDissertation Title: Response of Wide

Flange Steel Columns Subjected to Constant Axial Load and Lateral Blast Load

Advisor: Raymond H. Plaut

Name: Sean SullivanDissertation Title: Construction and Be-

havior of Precast Bridge Deck Panel Systems

Advisor: Carin Roberts-Wollmann

Name: Sotirios VardakosDissertation Title: Back-analysis Methods

for Optimal Tunnel DesignAdvisor: Marte Gutierrez

Name: Gregory S. Williamson Dissertation Title: Service Life Modeling of

Virginia Bridge DecksAdvisor: Richard E. Weyers

Name: Bing ZhangDissertation Title: Digital Test of Compos-

ite Material Using X-Ray Tomography and Finite Element Simulation

Advisor: Linbing Wang


alumni news

Michael A. AltoClark Construction Group, LLCBethesda, MD

David S. AndersonRoseland Development Corp.Midlothian, VA

Courtney A. BeamonDelta Airport Consultants, Inc.Richmond, VA

Michael N. BiscotteHSMM, Inc.Roanoke, VA

Gary P. BowmanBowman ConsultingChantilly, VA

Douglas W. BurksHankins and Anderson, Inc.Glen Allen, VA

H.D. Campbell, Jr.Campbell & Paris EngineersChantilly, VA

Derrick B. CaveKimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.Vero Beach, FL

Raymond G. Curry, Jr.SMC Concrete Construction, Inc.Annandale, VA

Lisa DeckerThe Whiting-Turner Construction Co.Baltimore, MD

Carolyn P. DimmickHDR Inc.Pittsburgh, PA

Richard M. DiSalvo, Jr.Draper Aden AssociatesBlacksburg, VA

T.A. (Tim) GrooverWiley and Wilson, Inc.Lynchburg, VA

Robert F. JansenKB Home Mid-Atlantic, Inc.Vienna, VA

Jimmie D. JenkinsPublic Works, Fairfax County, VAFairfax, VA

Anthony J. MoracoSAICChantilly, VA

Carl W. Pugh, Jr.New Millennium Building SystemsSalem, VA

Old and new members traveled to town for the 2007 Advisory Board meeting held in September.

In 1987, Wayne Clough, currently the President of Georgia Tech, founded the Via Department of Civil and Envi-ronmental Engineering’s (CEE) Advisory Board as one of his accomplishments as the CEE Department Head.

“The department had an enormous array of talent among its alumni. We had practicing engineers, entrepreneurs, CEOs of major companies, talented consultants, and impressive scholars. It was apparent to me that we needed to tap into those resources as they had so much expertise to provide,” Clough recalled.

“The most immediate problem was how to choose a small number from the 1000s of successful alumni. We also wanted to keep them engaged after they rotated off the Advisory Board,” he added.

Clough’s vision succeeded, and although his primary involvement today is with the Atlanta University’s alumni, he

continues to maintain strong ties to the CEE alumni at Virginia Tech.

After Clough became Virginia Tech’s Dean of Engineering in 1990, he was succeeded by David Kibler who contin-ued fostering strong relationships with the department’s alumni.

As the board matured, a primary goal became securing and retaining the CEE department’s status as a top 10 CE program in the country. In the past decade, the department has remained close to this number, and its global rec-ognition is flourishing.

The board also continually strives to: provide perspective on CE practice including global competitiveness; serve as a strong sounding board for new ideas; promote excellence through pro-fessional, society and engineering prac-tice; assist in fundraising; aid the faculty in marketing research and consulting services, and help with space needs, to name a few priorities.

CEE Alumni Board celebrates 20th year

CEE Alumni Board Members (Fall 2007)

Brian L. RamaleyNewport News WaterworksNewport News, VA

Glenn W. RehbergerCH2M HillNewport News, VA

Jack E. RinkerRinker Design AssociatesManassas, VA

Philip A. ShucetThe Dragas CompaniesVirginia Beach, VA


program areas

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty by Program AreaVecellio Construction Engineeringand Management Program• Jesus M. de la Garza, Vecellio Professor

• Michael J. Garvin, Assistant Professor

• Anthony D. Songer, Associate Professor

• Sunil K. Sinha, Associate Professor

• Michael C. Vorster, David Burrows Professor and Program Coordinator

• Deborah E. Young, Assistant Professor

Environmental and Water ResourcesEngineering Program• Gregory D. Boardman, Professor

• William Cox, Assistant Department Head and Professor

• Andrea M. Dietrich, Professor

• Panayiotis Diplas, Professor

• Randel Dymond, Associate Professor

• Marc A. Edwards, Charles Lunsford Professor

• Daniel L. Gallagher, Associate Professor

• Adil N. Godrej, Research Associate Professor (NV)

• Thomas J. Grizzard, Jr., Professor (NV)

• Robert Hoehn, Emeritus Professor

• David F. Kibler, Professor

• William Knocke, Department Head and W. Curtis English Professor

• John C. Little, Professor

• Nancy G. Love, Professor

• Linsey C. Marr, Assistant Professor

• John T. Novak, Nick Prillaman Professor

• Clifford W. Randall, Emeritus Professor

• Peter J. Vikesland, Associate Professor

• Mark Widdowson, Professor and Program Coordinator

Geotechnical Engineering Program• Thomas L. Brandon, Associate Professor

• Joseph E. Dove, Research Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator

• J. Michael Duncan, Emeritus Professor

• George M. Filz, Charles E. Via, Jr. Professor

• Marte S. Gutierrez, Professor

• James R. Martin, II, Professor

• Matthew Mauldon, Associate Professor

• James K. Mitchell, Emeritus Professor

Structural Engineeringand Materials Program• Finley A. Charney, Associate Professor

• Thomas E. Cousins, Professor

• W. Samuel Easterling, Assistant Department Head and Professor

• Donald A. Garst, Emeritus Professor

• Siegfried M. Holzer, Emeritus Professor

• Thomas M. Murray, Montague-Betts Professor

• Raymond H. Plaut, Daniel H. Pletta Professor

• Carin L. Roberts-Wollmann, Associate Professor

• Kamal B. Rojiani, Associate Professor

• Elisa D. Sotelino, Professor and Program Coordinator

• Richard E. Weyers, Charles E. Via, Jr. Professor

Transportation Infrastructureand Systems Engineering Program• Montasir Abbas, Assistant Professor

• Thomas A. Dingus, Newport News Shipbuilding/Tenneco Professor

• Gerardo W. Flintsch, Associate Professor

• Kathleen L. Hancock, Associate Professor (NV)

• Antoine G. Hobeika, Professor

• Shinya Kikuchi, Charles E. Via, Jr. Professor (NV)

• Pamela Murray-Tuite, Assistant Professor (NV)

• Hesham A. Rakha, Professor and Program Coordinator

• Dusan Teodorovic, Emeritus Professor (NV)

• Antonio A. Trani, Associate Professor

• Linbing Wang, Associate Professor

NV – Northern Virginia Program


vecel l io construct ion engineer ing and management program

Since the members of the Vecellio family endowed the Vecellio Construction Engineering and Management Program (VCEMP), it has become ever so more visi-ble and respected by academic peers across the U.S. and by the industry firms that hire its graduates. Since 2001, the endowment has enabled VCEMP to award 21 undergraduate scholarships and 14 graduate fellowships.

Furthermore, the endowment sponsors the annual Vecellio Distinguished Lecture every fall semester. Through this lecture, VCEMP has been able to invite seven nationally and internationally renown indi-viduals to visit and share their wisdom with faculty, students, staff, and members of the Blacksburg community. (See related story about the 2007 Vecellio Distinguished Lec-ture presented by Linda Figg on page 27.)

The accrued visibility and respect are directly attributed to the high-performance

displayed by the 35 Vecellio fellows/schol-ars and to the exceptionally high caliber of the distinguished speakers it brings to campus.

As for the faculty, the following para-graphs offer some insights into their recent activities.

Jesús M. de la Garza, the Vecellio Professor of CEE, has had a full load since returning from his stint at the National Sci-ence Foundation (NSF). He was invited to join an international panel to review the CEE Department at Helsinki University of Technology in Finland. He has become the associate editor of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Journal of Con-struction Engineering and Management, acknowledged as the most prominent schol-arly publication in the field.

de la Garza is also the co-chair of the Construction Industry Institute’s (CII)

Academic Committee, which is the primary forum for the academic community within CII to provide its wisdom and expertise to CII. Among its duties are designating sub-ject matter experts, providing input to the research process, identifying and grooming new academics to serve as effective CII researchers, integrating CII research and products into the undergraduate and gradu-ate curriculums and offering insights for new directions for CII.

de la Garza’s research in the area of highway infrastructure asset management has continued to grow with the establish-ment of the Center for Highway Asset Man-agement ProgramS (CHAMPS) recently funded by the Virginia Department of Trans-portation (VDOT) with an inaugural award valued at $4.7 million (see related research story on page 10.) This summer he received

Combined efforts lift construction program to new heights

See Construction, page 26

The Natchez Trace Parkway Arches in Tennessee combines functionality with distinction.



an additional $200,000 NSF award.In the area of teaching, de la Garza

has offered for the first time the graduate level course Construction Schedule Visu-alization, which introduced the students to the concept of 4D scheduling (CPM plus 3D). Graduate students used state-of-the-art software to develop 4D schedules. 4D technology has been in R&D over the last 20 years. VCEMP is proud to begin produc-ing graduates versed in this cutting edge technology. As a result of the tragic events of April 16, CII’s Board of Directors offered to teach CII Best Practices in the fall, which de la Garza has coordinated. This course has brought eminent subject matter experts from industry to teach modules on con-structability, safety, project preplanning, and technology interoperability.

Mike Garvin once again taught his graduate level course, facility delivery and financing strategies. He also introduced a new graduate course, decision-making in the built environment, which provided students an overview of normative deci-sion theory and its applications to problems within the construction industry. In addition, he taught over 130 undergraduates in the construction management course.

Garvin continues his NSF Career Award research efforts developing deci-sion support systems for portfolio-level infrastructure investment and procurement. An important component of this work is the development of case studies where innovative delivery strategies are utilized, such as public-private partnerships (PPP). Several of these cases are available from his research group’s web-site. Currently, the PPP market in the US is in tremendous flux, so the lessons learned from these cases could be quite important to stabilizing this domain. He has also recently partnered with Stanford’s Center for Research on Global Projects, led by Professor Ray Levitt, to develop a series of white papers about PPP’s. He also recently published results from an NSF-sponsored project to develop and assess the utility of real option models for infrastructure. A notable outcome of this work is a new and credible technique for determining the economic value of a gov-ernment-sponsored revenue guarantee in a privately financed infrastructure project.

Garvin was recognized as a faculty

fellow by the College of Engineering in May, 2007. This award provided him with $5,000 to further support his research and scholar-ship efforts.

Sunil Sinha is the newest member of the construction faculty. Sinha held a joint appointment as an assistant professor in the CEE and computer science and engi-neering departments at Penn State. He is also an adjunct professor of systems design engineering at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Sinha’s current research activities address problems in the area of assess-ment technologies and decision-making methodologies for the rehabilitation of large-scale civil infrastructure systems, especially municipal water and wastewater infrastruc-ture systems (see related story in the new faculty section).

Anthony D. Songer introduced a new graduate course on leadership and professional skills in the fall. Additionally,

he taught CEE 4804, professional and legal issues in construction, in the fall and spring, and the CEM graduate seminar in the spring. Also during the spring, Songer advised the graduate scholars seminar on poverty reduction. During the summer, Songer taught a service learning course en-titled project management in the global vil-lage. This course took place in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Students from six different Atlantic Coast Conference schools spent time in the Village of Hoa and built two “mercy” houses and worked on a small bridge to link local farmers to markets.

Songer continues work in the area of project delivery systems investigating the implications of collaborative systems among multi-organizational partners. Additionally, Songer is studying leadership in construc-tion. He is engaged in a CII project investi-gating project site leadership and its impact



construct ion ( f rom page 25)

The Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory in Maine is

the tallest public observatory bridge in the world.


on safety. Songer co-chaired the ASCE Construction Research Conference.

Michael C. Vorster, the David H. Bur-rows Professor of CEE, taught four courses this past year: estimating production and cost engineering, construction means and methods, estimating production and cost engineering, and construction performance improvement.

The means and methods class was presented in an entirely new format with students working in three groups throughout the semester to provide an opportunity for them to conduct experiments and perform field work using tools and technologies developed in the field operations analysis


laboratory. Students studied construction cycles and productivity by operating, video-taping and analyzing equipment simulators and by attaching GPS tracking devices to various items of mobile equipment. They were introduced to the fascination and chal-lenge of planning and sequencing complex field operations by developing their own solutions to case studies drawn from indus-try and comparing their solutions to those actually used by contractors in the field.

The construction performance improve-ment class also broke new ground by re-quiring that students learn about and study the benchmark performance improvement principles established in the Toyota pro-

duction system and applying these to the challenges presented by field construction. Instruction on this course was shared with Mike Casten, a nationally recognized expert in reactive analysis, operations engineer-ing and field operations improvement who presented three periods of intensive instruc-tion based on his ongoing involvement with leading construction companies.

Vorster continued with research activity through the VDOT-Virginia Tech Partnership for Project Scheduling which seeks to im-prove scheduling and schedule attainment on transportation projects in Virginia. His work focused on three areas: the mentor

Linda Figg, president and CEO of Figg Engineering Group, presented the 2007 Vecillio Distinguished Lecture on “Creating Bridges as Art.”

Her presentation was a review of how aesthetically pleasing, world-class bridges are created with precise en-gineering and timeless artistry. FIGG-designed bridges from around America were showcased with beautiful photog-raphy and film clips. These bridges have won 259 design awards including three presidential awards through the National Endowment for the Arts. They have been featured in books on the world’s most famous bridges and have become icons for communities.

There is a growing public demand for beautiful infrastructure to express a community’s quality of life and their future aspirations. The public desires structures that are in context with their environment, create landmarks and visu-ally add to the landscape.

Figg explained how functional engi-neering and creative design comes to-gether to develop bridges that tell a story and reflect a community’s vision. Each bridge is created through a comprehen-sive engineering process that values form and function equally, creating beau-ty and efficiency simultaneously. This design process inspires innovative solu-tions for engineering challenges, often

resulting in new methods and technology. Form and beauty are applied with the tech-nical solution to express the individuality of the people and places the FIGG-designed bridge will serve.

Figg shared how a special bridge de-sign charette process is used to gain insight from those who will own and use a bridge. The natural environments and human re-lationships are drawn upon to define the

bridge’s identity, encouraging communi-ties and owners to share their visions of how they want the world to see them. In-spiration comes from the heart and soul of the community. Each bridge combines functionality with distinction, and con-structibility with aesthetic appeal, to cre-ate a bridge that celebrates connections between people and provides an uplifting visual experience to those around it.

Some of the bridges discussed were the Veterans’ Glass City Skyway in Ohio (a pylon made of glass), the Penobscot Narrows Bridge & Observatory in Maine (the tallest public observatory on a bridge in the world), the Smart Road Bridge in Virginia (piers with Hokie Stone), the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway in Florida (building six lanes in six feet with curved shapes), the Natchez Trace Parkway Arches in Tennessee (first 582’ precast arch), the Blue Ridge Parkway Viaduct in North Carolina (built to protect the environment), the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida (longest precast span in America with several firsts), and many others.

The audience explored bridges that cross major waterways, travel around mountainsides, fly over traffic and thread delicately through the environmentally sensitive sites. From remote natural en-vironments to established cityscapes, the art of the bridge was enjoyed.

Linda Figg

Award-winning bridge designer combines form and function




environmental and water resources (ewr) engineer ing program

The environmental and water resources engineering program is a two-time recog-nized program in the 2008 surveys by U.S. News and World Report. The undergraduate environmental program ranks 14th while the graduate program ranks 11th in the country.

Over the past year, Greg Boardman was engaged in five research projects, several short courses, his regular university courses, and preparations for a large con-ference. The research projects are ongoing and related to aquaculture, oxygen transfer in wastewater systems, and the production of disinfection by-products. All have proved to be interesting, but the oxygen transfer experiments, in particular, have generated some challenging twists for the graduate student. The project consists of field experi-ments that were initiated in S.C., and have now been moved to a local treatment plant. Storms, bugs, odors and heat have been is-sues at both locations, but it was the visit of an alligator that had the student really won-dering about the project. Fortunately, things appear to be going more smoothly now, and the alligator stayed in S.C.

See Environmental, page 29

Jennie Ward Robinson, seated, executive director of the Institute of Public Health and Water Research, presented a $200,000 grant from the Institute of Public Health and Water Research to examine the problems of foul flavored water. Andrea Dietrich, Virginia Tech professor of civil and environmental engi-neering, back left, is the principal investigator (PI) on the project, and Brenda Davy, assistant professor of human nutrition, food, and exercise, is a co-PI.

Environmental program buildsupon previous advances and strengths


based training program where VDOT per-sonnel work in the partnership to develop their own skills and produce training materi-al for use throughout VDOT; the activity per-formance time database where field records are processed and input in a database of use in developing pre-advertisement sched-ules and reviewing post award contractor submittals; and the scheduling policy and guideline initiative where a series of policy and procedure documents to assist in pre-paring and reviewing project schedules have been produced.

Vorster continued with research in the area of construction equipment. He co-authored two papers dealing with the history and development of equipment published in the ASCE Journal of Construction Engineer-ing and Management. He continued to publish monthly in Construction Equipment, a leading industry journal in its field. Vorster presented the keynote address at the 2006 Chevron Construction Symposium in Tucson, Az.

Vorster worked with Dick Harshberger in university leadership development and with faculty in VCEMP to present the 19th Transportation Construction Management Institute at the Inn at Virginia Tech in Febru-ary. This two week long career development program was attended by over 500 leaders from the transportation construction com-munity in Virginia and it has contributed substantially to building relationships and improving performance in the industry.

Deborah E. Young is the newest faculty member joining the Myers-Lawson School of Construction whose home is the civil and environmental engineering depart-ment. Young received a master of science degree in ecology from North Carolina State, and a second master of science degree and doctorate in industrial and sys-tems engineering from Virginia Tech. She is a certified industrial hygienist, certified safety professional, and certified hazardous materials manager. Her doctoral study was

funded with a research grant and fellowship awards from the National Institute for Oc-cupational Safety and Health of the National Institutes of Health. In her doctoral research she conducted a systems analysis of the drywall finishing industry and designed interventions to reduce worker exposure to dust.

Her research interests include con-struction worker occupational health, indoor environmental quality, and control of fungal and volatile organic chemicals in the built environment. She is currently pursuing grant funding to use geographic informa-tion systems and parametric modeling to evaluate national fungal distribution trends, climatic conditions, and epidemiology of building-related health effects. She also hopes to build upon her doctoral work in her future research endeavors.

On a personal note, she enjoys cycling, mountain biking, running, SCUBA and rock climbing.



The aforementioned conference is the biennial research and education conference of the Association of Environmental Engi-neering and Science Professors (AEESP). EWR at Virginia Tech will host the confer-ence at the Inn at Virginia Tech in late July 2007. Boardman serves as chairman of the conference, expected to attract some 300 participants. He also serves as president of the Aquacultural Engineering Society. For his outreach efforts over the past few years, Boardman received the 2007 College Award for Outreach Excellence.

Bill Cox continued to focus on water supply planning and management issues in research and teaching. A newly initiated activity is the coordination of a pilot study of shared vision planning for the James River Basin. This research, funded by the Corps of Engineers’ Institute for Water Resources, is investigating the potential for planning that involves interaction among diverse stake-holders in building river basin models for analysis of alternative management strate-gies. This interest in water supply planning was also reflected in authorship of a paper for the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Journal of Water Resources Plan-ning and Management and co-authorship of a paper for the EWRI 2007 Environmental

and Water Resources Congress. Other ac-tivities in EWRI included membership on the technical executive committee and several other committees.

Cox continued to serve as CEE as-sistant department head, and associated administrative duties were a major em-phasis during the year. The department’s assessment program required substantial attention since an ABET inspection visit was scheduled for fall of 2007 until the decision was made by the College of Engineering to request a one-year postponement of the visit. Preparation of necessary documents and supporting materials was well underway prior to the announcement of the postpone-ment. Assistant department head responsi-bilities also included substantial involvement in CEE curriculum development efforts and undergraduate advising, especially for stu-dents with special difficulties in completion of degree requirements.

Andrea Dietrich spent part of March “writing in Paris” with French and American experts who are authoring a book on emerg-ing issues in drinking water. The camarade-rie, cuisine, sights and weather were great. Back in Blacksburg, it was an excellent year for her research group as it published 11 peer-reviewed journal articles, made 18 pre-

sentations and secured two new research grants. The team of graduate students Heather Johnson and David Clark, along with undergraduates Rory Polera and Owen Gallagher, improved relining of water mains with cement or polymers by understanding the impacts that these materials have on drinking water quality.

Other graduate research in distribution infrastructure include Andrew Whelton’s project which evaluates chlorine degradation of HPDE and Juneseok Lee’s project on wa-ter hammer and also an assessment of con-sumer attitudes towards plumbing materials, safety, and health. Chang-Hyun Jo is simul-taneously solving problems with drinking water contaminants and odorants through his investigation of advanced oxidation for his dissertation research. The “metals in water” research group includes graduate student Pinar Ömur-Özbek and undergradu-ate Corey Tucker who are uncovering the causes of metallic flavor and the impact it has on consumers, including chemotherapy patients who are plagued by this issue. José Cerrato, assisted by undergraduate Christo-pher Burrell, isolated bacteria that can redox cycle manganese and either cause or elimi-nate this metal in drinking water.

environmental ( f rom page 28)






Although many of these projects are “small steps” they all contribute to improv-ing drinking water infrastructure, safety, and palatability for society.

Randy Dymond has been very ac-tive in both teaching and research efforts in the areas of land development, floodplain mapping, urban stormwater, hazard mitiga-tion, and geospatial information technology. Dymond teaches classes in land develop-ment design, water resources, GIS, and computer applications. This past year, he also coordinated volunteer professional engineers in teaching an advanced land development design course as part of a new curricular effort called the Land Develop-ment Design Initiative (LDDI). LDDI is a new effort to involve practitioners in promoting the career of land development design to CEE undergraduates and to expand the learning opportunities for our students in this area. More information is available at www.vtlanddevelopment.com.

As the co-director of the Center for Geospatial Information Technology (CGIT), Dymond continues to focus on numerous research projects such as floodplain map-ping, urban stormwater systems, hazard mitigation planning, and infrastructure op-erations. Dymond had one paper published in the ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineer-ing, and a second paper published in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association. Two papers were presented at the annual American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and two different papers were presented at the annual Virginia GIS Conference. Eleven proposals were funded within the last year in which Dymond was a PI or co-PI. Teaching and unique activities such as LDDI and CGIT keep Dymond on the go.

Marc Edwards’ research group had a very productive 2007. (See article, page 4.) The group continues to emphasize research on home plumbing problems, applied aquat-ic chemistry and water treatment. Simoni Triantifyllidou (M.S.) wrote four research pa-pers on her work related to lead poisoning of children from drinking water. Her M.S. thesis was selected for a first place national award by the Association of Environmental Engi-neering and Science Professors (AEESP) and the American Water Works Association. Christy Davis won the prestigious LARS

Aquatic Research Fellowship from AWWA. Former group member (and Via scholar) Laurie McNeill won the Robins outstanding teaching award from Utah State University where she is a tenured faculty member.

Eight members of the group including Yan Zhang, Christy David, Rebecca Lattyak, Jeff Parks, Jeff Coyne, Amanda Strickhous-er and Simoni traveled to Toronto, Canada and made five presentations on premise plumbing problems, coagulation, legionella, copper pitting corrosion, and lead in water. Yan Zhang and Jeff Parks research propos-als were selected for funding by AWWA Research Foundation and EPA, and Carolyn Nguyen re-joined the group in pursuit of her Ph.D. after a few years in consulting.

In the past year, Adil Godrej’s students have continued to update and improve the Occoquan Watershed and Reservoir Model. A master’s student developed a document to perform the identification of lake zones. This work was done for the Virginia Depart-ment of Environmental Quality and a draft version is being used by its regional offices in the April-October 2007 period to help the staff, most of whom are not lake experts, perform lake zonation. Virginia’s new lake standards for water quality will require lake zonation to be performed on each lake be-cause the standards only apply to one zone (lacustrine, the lake-like zone) of lakes.

Godrej works with Tom Grizzard on most research projects at the Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory (OMWL), located in Manassas, Va. Their projects are typically sponsored by local, regional and state agencies, such as the Virginia Depart-ment of Environmental Quality, the Metro-politan Washington Council of Governments, the Fairfax County Health Department, the City of Manassas, the Northern Virginia Re-gional Commission, Prince William County, and the Loudoun County Sanitation Author-ity. Godrej serves on the Metropolitan Wash-ington Council of Governments’ Regional Monitoring Subcommittee, the EPA Chesa-peake Bay Program Analytic Methods and Quality Assurance Workgroup, and Prince William County’s Chesapeake Bay Preser-vation Area Review Board, among others.

In the past year, Grizzard completed over 25 years of service to the CEE depart-ment as the director for graduate programs in the National Capital Region (NCR). Griz-

zard has been succeeded by Professor Shinya Kikuchi. Grizzard has continued his position as the NCR coordinator for the EWR program area. He has also continued in his position as director of the OMWL, which he has held for 33 years.

He also completed six years of service to the Commonwealth as a gubernatorial appointee to the Board for Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operators. In that capac-ity, Grizzard participated in two revisions of the certification regulations, as well as a number of regulatory actions that affect the operations of the environmental infrastruc-ture in the Commonwealth.

Along with other Virginia Tech col-leagues, Grizzard has continued his re-search into a wide range of issues affecting the management of water quality in urbaniz-ing watersheds. In concert with Adil Godrej, Grizzard has been responsible for over $2 million in sponsored activity in fiscal year 2007.

For the fourth year, Grizzard has also continued as a member of an advisory panel to the Public Utility Board (PUB) of the Re-public of Singapore. The panel meets semi-annually, and advises the Singaporean gov-ernment on a wide range of issues related to the management of the island nation’s vital water resources.

This past year David Kibler conducted research on improved stormwater manage-ment facilities and improved design methods for retrofitting large regional detention struc-tures as enhanced water quality facilities. He continues to work on problems of urban-izing watersheds in terms of flood hazard increase, drought severity and in-stream habitat impacts. A currently funded project with the Virginia Transportation Research Council is intended to develop new analysis tools for the selection and design of storm-water management facilities for controlling pollutant releases in a highway setting.

Kibler is collaborating with Tamim Younas, Randel Dymond, and Kevin Young on a new USEPA grant directed at the evaluation of stormwater impacts in Virginia and an improved tool for the selection and placement of stormwater control facilities in residential watersheds. Kibler has been an invited speaker at stormwater design workshops sponsored by the ASCE Nor-



folk Branch and by the Lehigh, Pa., Valley Planning Commission. This past year he presented papers with Kevin Young (former Via Scholar and now research associate) at the Virginia’s Environment Conference and the Virginia Engineers Conference on BMP design. He continues as an instructor in the Penn State University short course on computational methods in urban drain-age design and stormwater management, a short course that has run each summer since 1984. Kibler also continues as faculty advisor to the Virginia Tech ASCE student chapter. He is one of two faculty advisors to the Virginia Tech chapter of the American Water Resources Association.

Linsey Marr’s research in air quality engineering focuses on improved quantifica-tion of air pollutant emissions, characteriza-tion of airborne nanoparticles, and prediction of the fate and transport of air pollutants.

Three of her master’s students recently completed and successfully defended their theses. Behnoush Yeganeh Talab character-ized nanoparticle exposure in manufacturing facilities and developed methods for testing nanoparticles’ fate in the environment. Ful-bright Scholar Dwight Thornhill measured carcinogenic particles in Mexico City and calculated emissions of various pollutants from motor vehicles there. The goal of Via Scholar Jeff Sparks’ research was to recom-mend feeding and waste treatment practices to minimize ammonia emissions from dairy cow operations.

Continuing master’s students Gaurav Bansal and John Linford both contributed to a modeling project that is assisting the Shenandoah Valley with reducing its air pollution. Ph.D. student Tim Moore and un-dergraduate assistant David Doughty spent the summer measuring air pollutant emis-sions in the Flux Lab for the Atmospheric Measurement of Emissions (FLAME) in Worthington, Kentucky and the Shenan-doah Valley. New graduate students Andrea Dunker and Ilija Miskovic are setting up experiments to study the emissions of en-docrine disrupting chemicals from building materials and the reactions of air pollutants with nanoparticles.

Over the past year, various group mem-bers presented results at MILAGRO meet-ings in Boulder and Mexico City; the Ameri-can Society of Agricultural and Biological

Engineers conference in Minneapolis; and the American Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors confer-ence in Blacksburg.

John Novak and his students con-tinued their research in wastewater, biore-mediation and solid waste management. Three papers were presented at the annual Water Environment Federation meeting in Dallas, Tex., by his students, Chris Wilson and Nitin Verma. Novak and Chris Muller presented papers at the Residuals and Bio-solids Management Conference in Denver, Col. Heather Rectanus presented a paper at the 9th International In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Symposium in Baltimore. Novak presented two papers at the Interna-tional Sludge Conference in Antalya, Turkey in March. He also presented a paper at the International Water Associate Conference in Beijing, China in September and his post-doc, Yuan Fang, presented two papers at the same conference.

Research continued with project sup-ported by the Washington Suburban Sani-tary Commission, Siemens Corporation, D.C. Water & Sewer Authority, CH2M-HILL and Waste Management, Inc. In addition, joint projects with Mark Widdowson on groundwater remediation for SERDP contin-ued. Ten papers were published in research journals and 13 papers were included in conference proceeding. Novak served as the advisor for 14 graduate students this past year.

Novak continued his service on the Board of Directors of the Water Environment Federation and is the editor of the Journal of Residuals Science and Technology. He also serves as an associate editor for the journal, Water Environment Research.

Peter Vikesland’s research group continues to develop a national and inter-national reputation in the area of environ-mental nanotechnology. Within this general area, the group has ongoing projects ex-amining the potential use of nanotechnol-ogy enabled sensors for the protection of drinking water quality, the use of iron oxide nanoparticles for environmental remedia-tion, and, in collaboration with Linsey Marr and her research group, the fate of carbo-naceous nanomaterials in the environment. The group currently consists of four Ph.D. students, Xiaojun Chang, E. Matthew Fiss,

Robert Rebodos, and Krista Rule, and M.S. student John Templeton. Laura Duncan, a former M.S. Via student, graduated in the spring of 2007. Duncan’s M.S. thesis was entitled “Characterization of C

60 Nanopar-

ticles in Aqueous Systems.” In June of 2007, Vikesland gave a plat-

form presentation at the International Water Association (IWA) Leading Edge Technolo-gies conference held in Singapore. Vike-sland’s presentation highlighted the work his group has been doing to develop a simple, yet robust method to detect the pathogenic organism cryptosporidium in treated drinking waters.

In addition to this presentation, Vike-sland and his students gave presentations at the fall 2006 and spring 2007 meetings of the American Chemical Society, the 2006 AIChE annual conference, and the 2007 annual conference of the American Water Works Association.

Mark Widdowson and his colleagues recently completed a four-year research project on the sustainability of monitored natural attenuation funded by the Depart-ment of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program. The culmination of this work was selected by the U.S. Geological Survey for special publica-tion in USGS Circular 1303. Widdowson’s research expanded into the area of fate and transport of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in contaminated river and harbor sediments. This work is funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Three of Widdowson’s Ph.D. students received their degrees during 2006-07: Heather Rectanus, Qasem Abdelal, and Amr El-Sayed. He and his students presented papers at the Ninth International In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Symposium and the conference on Managing Ground Water Systems. Widdowson presented an invited talk on the Natural Attenuation Software (NAS) at the Federal Remediation Technolo-gies Roundtable meeting in May 2007. He presented short courses on groundwater remediation to EPA, the National Ground Water Association and professional organi-zations in Connecticut and Massachusetts. In addition, Widdowson continued as coor-dinator of the EWR engineering graduate program.



geotechnical engineer ing program


Faculty, staff and students within the Geotechnical Engineering Program contin-ued to excel in teaching and research, and have applied their technical expertise in solving pressing national and international issues. Brief descriptions of each faculty member’s activities are presented below.

This year marked an important mile-stone with the retirement of Mike Duncan. He came to Virginia Tech 1984 and led the building of a program known for its excel-lence in teaching and research, and for its contributions to geotechnical engineering practice. He will continue to be very active in the program and in the Center for Geo-technical Practice and Research (CGPR).

We are pleased that Professor Russell Green will join the program in August 2008. He is presently an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Michigan and is a former Ph.D. Via fellowship recipient from Virginia Tech.

Tom Brandon has been involved in

conducting research for the Becker Con-struction Company, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Department of Agri-culture, the U.S. Air Force, and the National Science Foundation (NSF). His involvement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ post-Katrina effort has been ongoing from the previous year. He currently is a member of the four-person Mississippi Valley Divi-sion Geotechnical Quality Assurance Team, which provides oversight for the drilling, sampling, and laboratory and field testing for projects in the New Orleans area. He also is a member of the team in charge of conducting a load test on the London Ave-nue Canal, which is slated to occur this fall.

Joe Dove completed a NSF funded project with Ph.D. student Jianfeng Wang and Marte Gutierrez that developed a meth-odology to predict the strength of interfaces between sands and construction materials. Four journal papers have been published on this work. With support from the National

Urban Forestry Advisory Council, Dove continued his interdisciplinary work in sus-tainable development with Professors Su-san Day of the department of forestry and Roger Harris of the department of horticul-ture on the use of “structural soil” to reduce stormwater runoff from paved areas. Four papers were either published or in review and specifications are being developed.

An NSF supported collaboration with master’s student Brain Badillo of computer science, Via Ph.D. Fellow Jeramy Decker, undergraduate Justin Sommerville of geo-sciences, master’s Via student Ed Ware, and Matthew Mauldon developed software that allows remote characterization of rock masses using terrestrial LiDAR scans. Dove and Ware are developing a method to permit rapid, remote characterization of soil and rock properties. A novel method to improve the engineering behavior of soil is being developed in collaboration with

See Geotechnical, page 33

The Merrill Creek Reservoir, Harmony, N.J., is impounded by a 290-foot-high earth and rockfill dam and three earth

dikes. Geotechnical engineers designed these earth structures using informa-

tion from field investigations, laboratory tests, and engineering analyses.

Geotechnical engineeringprogram excels in applications

of teaching and research



geotechnical ( f rom page 32)Patricia Dove, professor of geosciences, and her Ph.D. student Adam Wallace, and undergraduate Steve Donaldson of chemi-cal engineering.

Dove began his two-year assignment as the geotechnical group coordinator this year following the term of Gutierrez. He also serves the department as an undergraduate academic advisor for over 90 majors and is a member of the curriculum committee.

Mike Duncan and Ph.D. student John Rice continued their study of the long-term performance of seepage barriers in dams, and published two papers on their work, in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Geotechnical Special Publication No. 161, and in the proceedings of the U.S. Society on Dams conference in San Antonio. With Ph.D. student Matthew Sleep, he revised the Corps of Engineers’ Engineering Man-ual on Design and Construction of Levees. They also wrote CGPR reports on design and installation of filters in dams, and seep-age monitoring techniques and practices.

Duncan and master’s student Andrew Bursey wrote four CGPR reports on expan-sive soils, settlement of valley fills, soil and rock modulus correlations, and managing construction noise and vibrations. Working with Tom Brandon, visiting scholar Wenx-ing Jian, and students Genevieve Smith and Jessa Corton, he finished work on a two-year study of the strength properties of gravels with standard gradations 57 and 21B. With Brandon and former Ph.D. student Chris Meehan, he finished work on tests to measure residual strength of clay, and with Brandon and former Ph.D. student Youngjin Park, he completed a study of fil-ters for dams containing cracks.

During the past year, Duncan won two awards for study of the failure of floodwalls in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. The first was the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal from the Department of the Army, for service as the co-leader of the Interagency Performance Evaluation Team investigating the conditions responsible for the failures. For work he and Brandon did on investigating the failures, they earned the Dean’s Award for Service from the Vir-ginia Tech College of Engineering.

In June 2007, Duncan presented the keynote lecture at the First North American Conference on Landslides in Vail, Colorado,

on the subject “Landslides in the Panama Canal.”

George Filz continues his work with John Little, Jim Mitchell, and others across the university in a large NSF-funded study of interfaces in nature, including interfaces between soil particles, and to develop new approaches for integrating education and research for doctoral students. In a separate NSF-funded study, Filz is col-laborating with Ray Plaut to investigate column-supported embankments. Filz also continues his research with Brandon and Mitchell on subgrade stabilization methods. The U.S. Air Force supports his research on rapid stabilization of soft clay subgrades for airfield pavements. The JH Becker Company supports his research on the per-manence of lime stabilization to reduce the expansion potential of clays from northern Virginia. Working with Duncan on a new project sponsored by the Virginia Transpor-tation Research Council, he will investigate integral bridge abutment interactions with MSE wall backfill. Altogether, this funding permits Filz to work with many outstanding students and post-docs, including: Tiffany Adams, Jamie Colby, Liselle Vega Cortes, Jessa Corton, Mike Greenfield, Laura Han-num, Crysta Highfield, Mike McGuire, Mike Navin, Susan Rafalko, and Lee Vanzler. Filz and his students made presentations of their research results in Denver, New Or-leans, Washington, Athens, and Prague.

Filz continues to serve the university and the profession. In 2007, Filz received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teach-ing and the W.E. Wine Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is co-director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Geotechnical Practice and Research (CGPR), member of VDOT’s Geotechnical Research Advisory Commit-tee, member of the ASCE Geo-Institute Soil Improvement Committee, and chairman of the CEE Curriculum Committee. Filz also continues to provide consulting engineer-ing services for projects involving the deep mixing method and other geotechnical construction. He is assisting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with design of levee repairs and improvements in Louisiana.

Marte Gutierrez was on research leave and was a visiting professor at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC) in Paris, France, during spring

2007. While at ENPC, he conducted re-search on unsaturated soil behavior and on constitutive modeling of chalk and other porous rocks under high pressures and temperatures. In addition to conducting research, Gutierrez envisions that his visit will lead to closer long-term collaboration including exchange of students between ENPC and Virginia Tech.

He continued to work on several new and ongoing research projects together with faculty and students across the university. One new project, in collaboration with Lin-bing Wang and Elisa Sotelino, was funded by NSF, and concerns the multiscale mod-eling of infrastructure materials. Another new project with support from the Army Re-search Office and also in collaboration with Wang will acquire a gas gun for exploring high strain rate loading of materials.

In November 2006, he returned to the site of a major rockslide in the Philippines, which took more than 1500 lives, to con-tinue his field study on the causes and the consequences of the slide. Another project with a strong field work component is on bank erosion along the Lower Roanoke River downstream of the Roanoke Rapids Dam. This project is in collaboration with Panos Diplas and is supported by Dominion Electric. Two continuing major projects, both funded by NSF, are concerned with the ap-plication of information technology in geo-logical engineering problems and in under-ground space development. With Dove, he successfully completed a research project sponsored by NSF on the micromechanics of soil and construction material interfaces and it resulted in several journal publica-tions. Gutierrez made research presenta-tions in Yamaguchi, Japan; Denver, Col., and Paris, France. He continues to serve as editorial board member of the ASCE Jour-nal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering and as a member of ASCE and ASME technical committees.

While the last academic year was high-lighted by achievements with the successful completion and graduation of several grad-uate students including Sotirios Vardakos, Panagiota Asprouda, and Jianfeng Wang, it was also marked by a heartbreaking and horrific incident. Among the 33 persons who died during the tragic event of April



16, 2007, two were graduate students who were being co-advised by Gutierrez and Diplas. One student was Jeremy Herbstritt who was doing his research on river bank erosion along the Lower Roanoke River. Another was Partahi Mamora “Mora” Lum-banturoan who was preparing for his Ph.D. qualifying exams. Both students will be sorely missed and will always be remem-bered.

Jimmy Martin spent a significant portion of the year working with the World Institute for Disaster Risk Management at Virginia Tech (DRM@VT), an Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) center that Martin directs. DRM is a network for applied research, imple-mentation, and dissemination in the field of disaster risk management. The organization is an initiative of the Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and Vir-ginia Tech in conjunction with the ProVen-tion Consortium of the World Bank. Martin worked closely with Virginia Tech President Charles Steger to establish the Virginia Tech center in 2004. DRM@VT is the pri-mary catalyst, platform, and forum that ties together risk management-related activi-ties at Virginia Tech. The center provides leadership through innovation, research, outreach and education. This year, Martin traveled to Switzerland and developed a number of new international collaborations. He met with the newly appointed Swiss Secretary of Education and established col-laborative agreements between DRM@VT and Universita della Svizzera Italiana (USI) and Scoula Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI). Martin also established new working relationships with the International Disaster Reduction Con-ference (IDRC), which is a United Nations-sponsored disaster organization. DRM@VT will likely host a regional IDRC conference.

Martin secured funded proposals from NSF and other federal agencies for earthquake engineering research. His NSF work involved soil and site improvement for mitigation of earthquake-related dam-ages, and he traveled to Switzerland and Greece to present findings from this work. This work led to a number of refereed pub-lications. DRM@VT also developed major proposals to other funding agencies and organizations, several of which represented

new funding sources. Among these were a $6.5 million congressional FY08 funding proposal for Department of Defense fund-ing submitted through Representative Rick Boucher’s and Senator John Warner’s of-fices. Of particular importance, DRM@VT also developed a $5 million proposal for the Department of Homeland Security entitled “The Public-Private Partnership (P3): An Executive Leadership Development Pro-gram.” The proposal will provide disaster-related executive leadership training to 4,800 top-level U.S. business executives who manage critical facilities and key re-sources needed for disaster response and recovery — roughly 85 per cent of these assets are controlled by private companies (telephone, power, shipping, etc.). The training will integrate government response efforts with private capabilities to facilitate the development of sustainable networks of public and private leaders in support of re-gional preparedness and risk management related to major all-hazards incidents.

Martin also participated in a number of professional engineering shortcourses and seminars with ASCE (national), the CGPR, and other regional ASCE societies, such as the Delaware Valley Geo-institute. He served on a number of important consulting

projects including serving as lead seismic consultant on the $200 million Wachovia First Street Development in Charlotte, N.C., Catawba Dam in Morganton, N.C., U.S. Embassy in Ecuador, and retrofit of historic Grace Church in Charleston, S.C.

Matthew Mauldon teaches courses and conducts research in the areas of engineering geology and applied rock me-chanics, and serves on the editorial board of Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineer-ing. Last summer, together with graduate student Alex Rutledge, Mauldon taught a short course on geotechnical applications of geophysical methods, under the auspices of the Center for Geotechnical Practice and Research at Virginia Tech. He also spent several weeks in South Korea, and gave invited lectures at Hong-ik University and at Samsung Engineering & Construction’s Re-search and Development Center, while find-ing time to visit numerous sites of technical interest with a Korean colleague. Mauldon’s student (and Via Scholar) Jeramy Decker completed his Ph.D. research this year on predicting rock mass features during tun-neling, and has undertaken a new major challenge related to engineering a tunnel bypass of Devil’s Slide on the California


geotechnical ( f rom page 33)

This photo shows the completion of four drilled shaft foundation elements to support a bridge pier. The cofferdam provides a dry area for workers.



st ructural engineer ing and mater ia ls program

There were numerous highlights this past year for the Structural Engineering and Materials (SEM) Program. Tom Mur-ray received the Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering (PACE) Award, Col-lege of Engineering, Iowa State University. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award in special recognition for many years of exceptional service to AISC and to the Structural Design, Construction, and Aca-demic Committees of the American Institute of Steel Construction, Chicago, Illinois. Finley Charney was invited to participate as a voting member of two committees that are preparing the latest update of the ASCE 7-05 Standard: Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. Ray Plaut was appointed to be a member of the ASCE Engineering Mechanics Division’s Technical Committee on Stability. Carin Roberts-Wollmann led a group of 19 students on a trip to Switzerland where they visited inter-esting civil engineering works and structural engineering laboratories. Elisa Sotelino presented an invited keynote lecture at the European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences (ECCOMAS) Thematic Conference on Computational Methods in Structural Dynamics and Earth-quake Engineering COMPDYN 2007 in Crete, Greece.

Finley Charney continues to work in the area of applied structural analysis, with emphasis on nonlinear dynamic analysis, dynamic stability, and damping in struc-tures. He received several grants related to this work. These include awards from Taylor Devices (a damper manufacturer) to deter-

See Structural, page 36

Structural engineering program celebrates year of highlights



geotechnical ( f rom page 34)coastal highway.

Jim Mitchell continues to pursue an active academic and professional agenda during his retirement. His 75th Ph.D. stu-dent, Ning Liu, received his degree in May, having completed fundamental research on the application of electrical property mea-surements to site and soil property charac-terization.

He participated in research on the rapid stabilization of cohesive soils and serves as the chair of the advisory com-mittee for the interdisciplinary NSF IGERT at Virginia Tech on exploring interfaces in graduate education and research. He pre-sented 15 special invited lectures during 2006-2007 at universities and professional

meetings throughout the U.S. and China, including the C.W. Lovell Lecture at Purdue, the James M. Hoover Lecture at Iowa State, the EIGER Distinguished Lecture at Virginia Tech, the Lymon C. Reese Lecture at the University of Texas at Austin, and the Ken-neth L. Lee Lecture in Long Beach, Ca. He was awarded the Rensselaer Alumni As-sociation Fellows Award for 2006 from his undergraduate alma mater.

Mitchell’s professional service activities included chairing a National Academies’ study under the joint sponsorship of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regu-latory Commission, and NSF that led to the report, “Assessment of the Long-Term

Performance of Engineered Waste Contain-ment Systems.” He served as a member of the ASCE External Review Panel for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Inter-agency Performance Evaluation Task Force for evaluation of the performance of New Orleans flood protection system during Hurricane Katrina. His consulting activities include seismic remediation studies for four embankment dams and the Bay Area Rapid Transit system in California, and as a mem-ber, along with Mike Duncan, of the Blue Ribbon Panel for review of the Eastward Expansion of Craney Island and the Port of Virginia’s Proposed Craney Island Marine Terminal.


mine if viscous fluid dampers can be used to control dynamic stability in buildings, a grant from the National Institute of Build-ing Science to determine if building code procedures for seismic stability analysis are appropriate, and a grant from a metal build-ing manufacturer (with Professor Murray as co-PI) to analytically and experimentally as-sess the inelastic buckling strength of steel frames with web-tapered columns and raf-ters. A National Science Foundation (NSF) project on modeling inherent damping in structures is on the short list for receiving funding in 2007.

He is currently advising two Ph.D. stu-dents and several M.S. students. Two M.S. students, Pratik Shah and Stephanie Kruep, completed their degree requirements in the past year.

Charney continues to manage the Center for Extreme Load Effects on Struc-tures (CELES). In October of 2006 the 2nd CELES Lecture was held, with Peter Irwin, an internationally recognized wind engineer, speaking on wind tunnel tests of super-tall buildings. As part of the CELES industrial outreach program, Charney presented a lecture on damping at the headquarters of Irwin’s firm, RWDI, in Guelph, Canada.

Over the past year Charney has had several journal papers accepted for publi-cation. In addition, he presented a paper and participated in a panel discussion at the ASCE/SEI Structures Congress in Long Beach, Ca. He is co-chair of the 18th Analysis and Computation conference to be

held in Vancouver, B.C., in 2008. He also participated in continuing education courses in earthquake engineering for ASCE and for the U.S. Corps of Engineers.

Charney is active in several profes-sional organizations and committees. He was recently invited to participate as a voting member of two committees that are preparing the latest update of the ASCE 7-05 Standard: Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. He is also working with ASCE publications to develop a comprehensive guide to the use of the seismic load provisions that are incorpo-rated into the ASCE 7-05 standard.

Tommy Cousins continues to of-fer prestressed concrete and structural masonry design courses, and to focus his research efforts on challenges associated with bridge performance and longevity. He has concentrated his research efforts on the projects described below which are all related to the development and use of high performance materials in bridges.

Cousins is co-PI with Carin Roberts-Wollmann on a recently funded National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) project that involves a com-prehensive investigation of lightweight, high performance concrete for bridges. This project will last 36 months, involves extensive material and structural testing, and will develop changes to the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specification that take advantage of the material properties of lightweight, high performance concrete. The

Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC) is a sub-contractor on the project and as such will aid in development of mix designs, material property testing, and code development.

Through funding received from the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC) and the Virginia Cooperative Center for Bridge Engineering (for which he serves as the director), Cousins (along with co-PI Roberts-Wollmann and Via Scholars Chris Carroll and Bryon Loflin) are investigating the material and structural properties of a new, higher strength prestressing strand (grade 300). Use of the grade 300 strand will save VDOT money through reduced material and labor costs and provide more efficient use of prestressed girder cross sections.

During the summer and fall of 2006 three bridges in Virginia were built with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite decks. One of these decks was installed in a historically significant though truss bridge in Covington, Va., and the other two were built on Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay. These projects were funded by grants from the FHA and the VTRC. The Coving-ton through truss bridge has a reinforced concrete deck and a low posting. The light-weight FRP deck (which has 1/3 the weight of the reinforced concrete deck) will allow the posting to be increased so that emer-gency vehicles can use the bridge. The two

structural ( f rom page 35)




Tangier Island bridges are incorporating FRP composite bridge decks because of their light weight and durability. The island is remote with only boat or plane access so transportation costs for construction materials are high. Also, inspections and maintenance are challenging as well. The research is being conducted in collaboration with Elisa Sotelino and Jack Lesko of engi-neering science and mechanics.

Sam Easterling continues to work on various aspects of composite floor systems in steel-framed buildings and cold-formed steel building components. Easterling’s teaching focuses on steel design at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He remains actively involved in University gov-ernance, serving as a faculty senator from CEE and as a member of the University Athletics Committee, Commission on Fac-ulty Affairs and University Council. Likewise, he remains active with a variety of depart-mental tasks associated with his role as an assistant department head.

Easterling is serving his second year as chair of the Structural Stability Research Council. During 2007, he gave a number of continuing education lectures, on behalf of the American Institute of Steel Construc-tion, to engineering groups and companies around the country. The program focused on the 2005 AISC Specification for Struc-tural Steel Buildings and the 13th Edition of the Manual of Steel Construction. Addition-ally, Easterling remains active with the AISC Task Committees on Composite Construc-tion and Subcommittee for Modular Com-posite Construction, ASCE Committees on Composite Construction, Cold-formed Steel and LRFD and the American Iron and Steel Institute Sub-Committees on Education, Diaphragm Design and Seismic Design. In recognition of his service to the profes-sion, he was inducted into the West Virginia Academy of Civil of Engineers by the WVU Department of Civil and Environmental En-gineering.

Tom Murray continued his research on vibrations in buildings and bridges due to human activity, including an analytical/experimental study of long span deck floor systems. He also worked with Cousins on sandwich plate system bridge deck re-search and with Charney on the strength of tapered members used in metal building frames.

During the year, he received a Profes-sional Achievement Citation in Engineering (PACE) Award from the Iowa State Uni-versity College of Engineering, Iowa State University,

He also continued his involvement with the American Institute of Steel Construction, the American Iron and Steel Institute, the Research Council on Structural Connec-tions specification committees, as well as the AISC Manual and Textbook Committee.

Ray Plaut continued research on a grant from the NSF with George Filz, on the use of geosynthetic layers over columns in soft soil to strengthen embankments. Dur-ing the past year, John Ryan, a graduate student co-advised by Plaut and Tom Mur-ray, completed his Ph.D. on the potential use of ropes to mitigate responses of struc-tures to earthquakes.

Also, Ron Shope completed his Ph.D. on the effect of compressive loads on blast response of structures, Anne Himebaugh finished her master’s work on a finite ele-ment model of insulated railroad joints, and Matt Turner defended his experimental research project on the use of adhesives to reduce the chance of roof uplift failure dur-ing hurricanes.

Plaut has taken over supervision of Pranitha Gottipati, a Ph.D. student of ESM professor Kevin Granata who died in Norris Hall on April 16. This research will involve development of a computational model of the spine, focusing on the causes of low-back pain.

Plaut presented a paper on the failure of the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge at the 15th National Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics in Boulder, Colora-do. Plaut was appointed to be a member of the ASCE Engineering Mechanics Division’s Technical Committee on Stability.

Plaut continued as faculty advisor of the student Chi Epsilon chapter. Plaut has been a faculty member for 40 years (32 at Virginia Tech), and will retire in summer 2008 (if his replacement will be able to be-gin work in fall 2008).

Carin Roberts-Wollmann focuses her research on methods for improving bridge durability and performance, and reducing bridge construction time. This year she is collaborating with Cousins and Elisa Sotelino on several bridge research projects. With Cousins, she is investigat-

ing the behavior of girders constructed with self-consolidating lightweight concrete, and the issues associated with implementation of grade 300 prestressing strand in precast bridge girders. Cousins and Roberts-Woll-mann also have a contract with FHWA to implement precast concrete deck panels in a bridge in southwest Virginia. This project will include both laboratory studies and field tests of the bridge after construction. With Cousins and Sotelino, she has a project to optimize I-girder shapes for use with Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC). UHPC has compressive strengths of 23 to 50 ksi, and has the ability, through the ad-dition of small steel fibers, to carry tension across open cracks. The tensile capacity allows for the elimination of mild reinforce-ment in some applications.

A highlight of the year was leading a group of 19 students to Switzerland to visit interesting civil engineering works and structural engineering laboratories. Aided by co-leaders Cousins and Vickie Mouras, she took the students to the ELSA structural labs in Ispra, Italy and the structural lab of ETH in Zurich, Switzerland. They also visited one of the worksites of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, and took a bus tour to view famous bridges designed by Christian Menn and Robert Maillart. The tour was enjoyed by all, and a return trip will be planned for the summer of 2009.

Roberts-Wollmann continues to teach undergraduate and graduate classes in reinforced and prestressed concrete, and remains active advising the ASCE Concrete Canoe team and Concrete for Kids com-mittee. She was very pleased to receive a College Certificate of Teaching Excellence. She continues in her role as the secretary of the Prestressed Concrete Committee of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and continues to serve on other technical and board appointed committees of ACI, the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute and the Transportation Research Board.

Elisa Sotelino continued her research on finite element analysis and modeling of structures and on the development of new numerical algorithms for high performance computing. This past year, she has col-laborated in the development of several research proposals with faculty from the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, as

s t ructural ( f rom page 36)



well as with colleagues from other universi-ties. She is co-PI on a NSF research grant with Linbing Wang (TISE) and Marte Guti-errez (geotechnical program) on “Unified Approach for Multiscale Characterization, Modeling, and Simulation for Stone- Based Infrastructure Materials.” This grant is sup-porting two Ph.D. students co-supervised by the PIs.

She is also co-PI on a Federal Highway Administration grant with Roberts-Wollmann and Cousins on “Modification of Existing Prestressed Girder Cross Sections for the Optimal Use of Ultra-high Performance Concrete.” Sotelino continues to collaborate with Cousins and Jack Lesko of ESM on research related to the incorporation of FRP composite bridge decks on two Tangier Is-land bridges. During the past year, Sotelino has supervised three graduate students, one Ph.D. (Ann Jeffers) and two master’s candi-dates (Scott Cirmo and Devendra Mahajan), and co-supervised two other Ph.D. students (Ashley Warren and Sudhir Dahal). In ad-dition, she supervised two Ph.D. students from Purdue University (Marcelo Machado and Ammar Al-Sayegh), both of whom have recently graduated. During the fall semester, she taught the undergraduate course, Theo-ry of Structures I and in the spring semester, she taught the graduate course on Finite Element Analysis of Structures.

Sotelino continues to serve as the SEM program area coordinator. Besides serving as member of the geotechnical faculty search committee, her other service activities include being one of the CEE de-partment representatives in the university’s faculty senate, a member of the College of Engineering Diversity Committee, and the faculty senate representative in the Com-mission for Equal Opportunity and Diversity. She is also the chair of the Graduate Stu-dent and Post-Doctoral Seminars Commit-tee for the AdvanceVT program and was recently selected to participate as cohort in the AdvanceVT Leadership Development Program. Sotelino continues to be active in the profession and in particular within ASCE. She is an associate editor for the ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering and is past-chair of the ASCE committee on emerging computing technology.

Richard Weyers guided four graduate students through the completion of their degrees in 2007. Two, Laura Smolinski and

Winston Cheuk-Wai Yaw, were master’s students and two, Gregory Williamson and Andrei Ramniceanu, were doctoral stu-dents.

Smolinski’s research work demonstrat-ed the influence of time and configuration of bridge deck reinforcing steel, cover depth and bar scheduling, on the formation of the passive layer in concrete. The information will be used in assessing the efficiency of corrosion protection systems in chloride laden environments. She returned to con-tinue her service commitments in the U.S. Coast Guard and is stationed in Arizona as the project engineer on the construction of electronic monitoring towers.

Cheuk-Wai’s work consisted of up-grading a computer program for corrosion service life estimate and cost effective analyses. The program, delivered to VDOT, will be used to assess the remaining service life of bridge decks relative to scheduling bridge deck maintenance and rehabilita-tion methods. The life cycle cost analysis component of the program will identify the least life cycle cost and VDOT schedule costs for selected maintenance and reha-bilitation methods. The program is capable of assessing the influence of the severity of the various chloride corrosion exposure climates within the Commonwealth of Vir-ginia and the influence of as built conditions from the 1970s to current construction. In addition, the least life cycle costs for various chloride corrosion protection systems for new construction can also be determined. He has taken a job as a programmer for a firm in Los Angeles.

Williamson’s research completed the final phase of the chloride corrosion service life model for reinforced concrete structures. He developed the theoretical probability based model which Cheuk-Wai’s program-ming is based on. Most importantly he validated the model using actual field data that was collected in the summer of 2004 and the subsequent laboratory analyses of field surveys and samples was completed in early 2006. The probability chloride cor-rosion model uses Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the corrosion initiation time. Wil-liamson then developed an algorithm for the period from initiation to cracking and spal-ling of the cover concrete. Based on field deterioration rates, the model prediction time was within one per cent. He then used

the validated model to demonstrate the in-fluence of low permeable concrete and rein-forcing steel type, MMFX-2, galvanized, and stainless steel, on the service life of bridge decks in Virginia. The result showed that low permeable concrete using the current cover depth specifications will provide at least 100 years of maintenance free service life. Thus, a secondary corrosion protection as reinforcing steel type is to be selected on the basis of low first cost where such redun-dancy is required.

Williamson developed the cost effec-tive analysis procedure that is used in the program submitted to VDOT. Using VDOT bid data he developed cost charts for poly-mer concrete and Portland cement concrete overlays for the next 50 years. The charts identify the least cost solution of maintain-ing bridge decks and provides a schedule of costs to be incurred by VDOT. He has taken a job with Exxon-Mobile in its Northern Vir-ginia structures office.

Ramniceanu completed the last phase of the investigation of the corrosion protec-tion efficiency of epoxy coated reinforcing steel. He used advanced chemical analyses of bar samples extracted from 27 bridge decks throughout the six environmental regions within Virginia. Analysis consisted of differential scanning calorimetry to de-termine the degree of curing of the epoxy coating, thermo-gravimetric analysis to determine the moisture content of the coat-ing, energy dispersive x-ray micro-analysis to determine the corrosion products under the coating and the field-emission scanning electron microscopy to visually assess the condition of the steel surface and the coat-ing. Ramniceanu showed that the epoxy coating is not fully cured, has small and large voids throughout coating, moisture content of the coating is about one per cent and thus increases the conductivity of the coating, and corrosion takes place under the coating without the presence of chlo-ride. In addition, he showed that the epoxy debonds from the steel surface in moist concrete and the surface of the epoxy coat-ing is cracked and thus the cracking and voids in the coating provide a conductive pathway through the coating.

The cracking of the epoxy coating on the field samples was correlated to the loss of the epoxy coating adhesion to the steel


structural ( f rom page 37)



t ransportat ion infrastructure and systems engineer ing program

The Transportation Infrastructure and Systems Engineering Program (TISE) conducted several retreats and developed a strategic plan that established its vision, mission, and goals and will guide the pro-gram effort as it consolidates its position as one the top transportation programs in the nation and a global leader in the field. The group will continue to (1) provide high-est quality education in a wide range of transportation fields; (2) create an excellent environment for students to learn transpor-tation engineering and systems concept and to develop critical thinking; (3) advance knowledge about transportation infrastruc-ture and systems that sustains its global leadership in research and technology de-velopment; and (4) conduct outreach and service activities to disseminate knowledge

and implement practical positive transporta-tion changes.

The Virginia Tech Student Transpor-tation Alliance (VTSTA) has continued to be active and several students obtained awards and recognitions. The VTSTA or-ganized technical and social events, par-ticipated in conferences, and organized a technical visit to Washington D.C.

Antoine Hobeika has continued his work on use of video imaging to detect and warn drivers who violate the no-passing zone on two lane rural roads, and testing and refining the Federal Highway Admin-istration’s (FHWA) newly developed trans-portation planning software TRANSIMS. He taught classes on transportation planning and land use and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).

Linbing Wang and his colleagues have acquired four research grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), De-partment of Defense (DOD) and the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC). The NSF grant is for a “Unified Approach for Multiscale Characterization, Modeling, and Simulation for Stone-Based Infrastructure Materials,” and the researchers are Wang, Marte Gutierrez and Elisa Sotelino. The DOD grant is for “Modeling, Simulation, Visualization and Damage Characteriza-tion for Penetration into Concrete Target,” led by Wang. The VTRC grant is “Pocket Computer Applications for Aggregate Evalu-ations,” also led by Wang. Another DOD grant is “Acquisition of a Gas Gun for High Speed Phenomena,” and Wang is working

See Transportation, page 40

Transportation program plansto remain national and global leader

Virginia Tech’s Air Transportation Systems Laboratory conducts re-search to test the New Generation

Aviation System of the future.


surface, percent moisture in the coating, and the amount of chloride at the bar level. Thus, the results help explain earlier results of only five years of extended corrosion pro-tection provided by epoxy coated reinforc-ing steel. Furthermore, it provides additional evidence that supports our recommendation to VDOT to discontinue the use of epoxy coated reinforcing steel in concrete bridge

structural ( f rom page 38)components.

Ramniceanu has elected to continue at Virginia Tech as a post-doc and will lead the research effort for a new project supported by the Virginia Transportation Research Council on minimizing the cracking of con-crete bridge decks. The project is a joint effort between David Mokarem at VTRC and Weyers and Ramniceanu.

with Marte Gutierrez and Jack Lesko on this project.

Wang and his colleagues have suc-cessfully organized the International Work-shop, Microstructure and Micromechanics of Stone Based Infrastructure Materials sponsored by NSF, the Civil and Environ-mental Engineering (CEE) Department and the Transportation Institute of Virginia Tech, and Virginia Transportation Research Coun-cil (VTRC). Three papers were published in peer reviewed journals and three papers were published in the peer reviewed Geo-technical Special Publication (GSP). Wang and his colleagues have also co-organized the Minisymposium on the Mechanics of Flexible Pavements, and co-edited the GSP on “Emerging Methods in Simulation, Modeling, and Experimental Characteriza-tion of Asphalt Concrete,” Wang and Eyad Masad (editors), ASCE, 2007, in press. Dur-ing this period the International Research and Educational Experience Program of NSF supported him and one of his graduate students for a few months visit for research collaborations with the University of Cam-bridge of UK, and the Delft University of Technology of the Netherlands. Wang has taught one graduate class and two under-graduate classes. He has also attended and given presentations at several professional conferences, served on two NCHRP project panels, and one NSF project panel.

Antonio Trani of the Air Transporta-tion Systems Laboratory (ATSL) at Virginia Tech, has conducted research for the Na-tional Aeronautics and Space Administra-tion (NASA) and for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The work performed includes nationwide analyses of various air traffic alternatives with twice and thrice the number of flights in the system. These stud-ies are conducted to test the set of technol-


t ransportat ion ( f rom page 39)

ogies needed to support a New Generation Aviation System (NextGen) in the future. Trani, CEE associate professor, and his col-leagues Hojong Baik, Nick Hinze, Howard Swingle (ATSL staff) and graduate students Senanu Ashiabor, Yue Xu, Anand Sheshad-ri, Nola Shen, Jeff Henderson, and Dong Sohn perform large-scale studies using the Transportation Systems Analysis Model (TSAM) — a model developed for NASA.

Some of the salient points of this re-search effort are the estimation of flight delays resulting from added traffic into large metropolitan areas such as New York and Los Angeles. Figure 1 illustrates the flight trajectories of 3,200 arriving and departing New York’s five largest airports in one day. ATSL is currently doing a study for the FAA to study the effects of new communication technology used by air traffic controllers to reduce the congestion experienced when pilots and air traffic controllers communicate

in the system. The FAA is very interested in the analysis because an increase in the number of flights creates added workload for air traffic controllers. According to the analy-sis performed by Virginia Tech, unless sub-stantial gains in productivity are achieved with the deployment of new air traffic man-agement tools, the system will present chal-lenges by the year 2020 time frame.

Part of the studies for NASA involves the development of enhancements to the Transportation Systems Analysis Model (TSAM) developed for NASA three years ago. This past year, Trani and his group de-veloped an international passenger model to estimate the number of international pas-sengers flying from the U.S. to 10 regions of the world (including Canada and Mexico). This module allows TSAM to forecast inter-national passenger demand that is expect-ed to grow by six per cent per year in the next 25 years. Today, there are more than 60 million passengers traveling to the U.S. every year. With the development of ultra-long range aircraft such as the Boeing 777-200LR and the Airbus A340-500, airlines are serving many airport origin destination pairs impossible to fly just five years ago. Today, there are many international flights of more than 15 hours flown routinely.

Gerardo Flintsch, associate profes-sor and director of the Center for Sustain-able Transportation Infrastructure (CSTI) at

Figure 1. Flight trajectories of aircraft arriving and departing into the New York City area in one day are studied by the faculty in this program area.





VTTI, and his research group, integrated by Amara Loulizi, Edgar de Leon, Billy Hobbs, and students Chen Chen, Samer Katicha, Zheng Wu, Hao Wang, Orlando Nuñez, Oscar González, and Andrea Fonseca continued to contribute to the advancement of pavement engineering and transporta-tion asset management. This past year the group’s efforts focused on investigating pavement surface properties and establish-ing the Virginia Pavement Engineering and Research Program (PERP). A Pavement Surface Properties Consortium of federal and state agencies led by Virginia Tech is aiming to optimize pavement surface characteristics to provide maximum safety, comfort and durability while reducing noise and other negative traffic impacts. The PERP is a cooperative effort of the CSTI, the CEE department, the VTRC and the University of Virginia for developing and implementing better pavement and mate-rial testing, assessment, design, analysis and management tools. The PERP focuses strategically on high-impact research proj-ects on pavement materials, performance, design, maintenance and management and provides an excellent partnership to pursue national and international funding opportuni-ties and leverage the resources available for pavement and infrastructure research in the Commonwealth.

The group has produced five journal papers, 11 peer-reviewed conference pa-

pers, three research reports, and one hand-book chapter, delivered 16 presentations at national and international conferences, and hosted the third annual Inter-university Infrastructure Management (ASIM) sym-posium. In addition, several of the center’s students received awards and recognitions this year. Nuñez was selected to participate in the 2007 International Road Federation (IRF) Executive Leadership Program, Wang received one of the best paper awards at the second annual Inter-university Sympo-sium on Infrastructure Management (AISIM) in Newark, De., and de Leon was awarded the 2006 Transportation Applied Technology Student Paper Award at the 55th Virginia Transportation Conference (VTC).

Flintsch taught classes on civil engi-neering materials and pavement design and participated in 12 ASCE, TRB, and VDOT technical and professional committees (one as secretary and one as vice-chair). He integrated the steering committees for four large national and international confer-ences, reviewed papers for four journals and three conferences and delivered one of the keynote speeches at the Second Ibero-American Symposium on Pavement Engineering in Quito Ecuador in July 2006. He also co-instructed a workshop on perfor-mance-based highways maintenance con-tracting at the World Bank’s Transport Fo-rum and Learning Week 2007, and chaired the Fifth Infrastructure Management and

Education Workshop and the 2007 National Pavement Management Conference: Meet-ing the Needs of Today and the Challenges of Tomorrow in Norfolk, Va.

Pamela Murray-Tuite has expanded her work in evacuation, transportation re-silience, risk, and network analysis. She developed a methodology for optimally selecting protective measures against threats of terrorism with respect to multiple hazards. In conjunction with her students, Murray-Tuite developed a path prediction methodology for hazardous materials trans-ported by malicious entities and investigat-ed strategies for improving transportation network resilience to traffic incidents. Her work has been presented at conferences and published in journals and conference proceedings.

In the area of education, Murray-Tuite taught classes on transportation networks analysis and optimization techniques and decision making and developed a new course “Transportation Risk, Reliability, and Security.” She currently supervises one full and one part time Ph.D. student, and one full and two part time master’s students. She is also in the process of establishing a research internship for high school stu-dents.

Murray-Tuite has served as a reviewer for the Institute For Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) Winter Simulation Conference, and Trans-portation Research Record. She has been a session chair for the Winter Simulation Conference 2006.

Shinya Kikuchi, Via Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, works at the Falls Church campus and he is the director of CEE Department in National Capital Region (NCR), which has six faculty members and over 30 graduate students. The programs are environmental engineer-ing, geospatial engineering, and transporta-tion engineering. The NCR CEE program is expanding in the past two years, particularly in the subjects that deal with problems in the urban area. Since the fall of 2007 the NCR CEE faculty directly reports to the de-partment in Blacksburg. This structure has made the department more unified and re-sponsive to deal with various urban related problems.

Figure 2. Flight trajectories of aircraft arriving and departing into the Los Angeles city area in one day are shown.





Kikuchi has been active in teaching, research, and service. For research, he obtained a project from Federal Transit Administration about citizen participation in transit planning, and also NASA on opti-mization of air space. He has been elected to be the chair of TRB’s Artificial Intelligent and Advanced Computation Committee for the next three years. In this capacity, he develops a network of people in the growing area of AI application in transportation engi-neering. He was instrumental in organizing the first Helsinki Summer School of Urban Transportation in May 2007. It was held at Helsinki University of Technology in Espoo, Finland. Three Virginia Tech students were among the students from different parts of the world. The summer school was a 10 day concentrated course on various facets of urban transportation.

Thomas Dingus, Newport News Ship-building Professor and human factors and safety transportation researcher, continues to direct the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) which is comprised of eight transportation research centers. VTTI contin-ues to be one of the largest university-level research centers at Virginia Tech with over $16.5 million in expenditures in FY 2007.

VTTI continues to operate and manage the Smart Road research facility, a closed test-bed track built to state and federal high-ways specifications and designed specifi-cally for transportation research. This year represents the first time that VTTI conduct-ed research as the National Surface Trans-portation Safety Center for Excellence, which is tasked with using research to im-prove driver safety in both rural and urban communities. During this fiscal year, VTTI was awarded over 25 sponsored projects including an award for the development of the Center for Vehicle and Roadside Safety Product Development which specializes in assessing technologies developed at VTTI for their potential to be commercialized and applied to improve roadway and driving safety. In addition, VTTI is continuing work on several very exciting studies related to teen driving, intersection collision avoidance projects, several heavy vehicle research projects, and a simulator driver training study project.

Further, during FY 2007, VTTI was awarded $3 million for the Design of the

In-Vehicle Driving Behavior and Crash Risk Study. This project lays the foundation for the most significant program of highway safety research in the last 30 years and beyond. Successful completion of this re-search will produce a database of pre-crash, crash, driving behavior, driving performance, vehicle state, and kinematic data that will al-low substantial progress to be made in both the crash-causation and crash-countermea-sure domains. In addition, VTTI researchers conducting the 40-Teen Study continue to gather new information about the driving behaviors of teens. This study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, is an 18-month study to better understand the issues associated with newly licensed teen drivers who are at a much higher crash risk when compared to other drivers. VTTI continues to be recognized as a world leader for offer-ing a “one-stop shop” for transportation-re-lated research and testing both on Virginia’s Smart Road as well as in the growing field of naturalistic driving research.

Hesham Rakha and the Center for Sustainable Mobility research faculty (Kyoungho Ahn, Mazen Arafeh, Alejandra Medina-Flintsch, Ihab El-Shawarby, and Montasir Abbas), and students (Sangjun Park, Huanyu Yue, Hossam Hablas, Bryan Katz, Ali Tawfik, Dhruv Dua, Ahmed Amer, and Jason Kennedy) continued work on various projects within the Mid-Atlantic University Transportation Center, the ITS Implementation Center, an FHWA project on intersection collision avoidance systems, an FHWA project studying the effect of in-clement weather on traffic stream behavior, and a NHTSA project quantifying the safety impacts of a forward-collision warning sys-tem. In addition, Rakha together with Abbas and other research faculty at the VTTI are developing guidelines for VDOT for access management in the vicinity of freeway off- and on-ramps and are conducting a field evaluation for the FHWA of the Detection-Control System (D-CS). The research activities that Rakha is leading include developing and modeling vehicle energy and emission models to quantify the energy and environmental impacts of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) applications; developing and evaluating alternative adap-tive traffic signal control and transit signal priority algorithms in collaboration with the

Arlington County and the Virginia Depart-ment of Transportation (VDOT); character-izing driver behavior within a signalized ap-proach decision/dilemma zone; developing characterizing traffic stream behavior during inclement weather; developing techniques for the screening of high emitting vehicles; developing crash prediction models sensi-tive to access road lengths; and developing crash prediction models based on the time-to-collision of a vehicle.

In the area of education Rakha re-designed the traffic engineering (CEE4604) and traffic characteristics and flow course (CEE5604). In collaboration with his re-search staff and students, Rakha and his team published eight peer-reviewed journal publications, had five peer-reviewed jour-nal publications accepted for publication, published 17 peer-reviewed conference proceeding publications, and made 17 con-ference presentations. Rakha also served as a reviewer for the IEEE Transactions on ITS, the Journal of Transportation Engineer-ing, the Transportation Research Record, the Journal of ITS, and the Transportation Research: Part B. In addition, Rakha served as an editor for the 9th IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems in Toronto, Canada and is serving as an editor on the special issue of IEEE Transactions on ITS and special issue of the Journal of Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering on Traffic Com-putational Models. Finally, Rakha served as a member of the TRB committee on traffic flow theory.


Meet theVia Scholars

The following pages highlight some of the country’s most

exceptional students and alumni, the Via Scholars. The motiva-

tion and aspirations of this group reflect a profound curiosity

and desire to improve the quality of life around the world — from

helping municipalities manage growth, to the aesthetics of struc-

tures, the quality of water, and international development.

The Via scholarships are made possible through the gener-

osity of the late Mrs. Marion Bradley Via of Roanoke, Va., and

her family. In 1987, Mrs. Via contributed $5 million each to the

Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Civil

and Environmental Engineering. Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors

subsequently named the ECE department in honor of Mrs. Via’s

deceased father, Harry Lynde Bradley, and the CEE department

in honor of her late husband, Charles E. Via, Jr. Mrs. Via died in

1993.

Both departments use a portion of the endowment to award

scholarships to qualifying students. These scholarships are

among the most competitive in the country. The Via endowment

is now worth more than $15 million.


via scholars

Hometown: Richmond, Va.

Academic Level: Junior

Awards and Recognitions: Chi Epsilon Webmaster; ASCE Web page Director; Hillcrest Honors Community; Residence Life Campus-Wide Student of the Year.

Primary Area of Interest: Transportation & Infrastructure Systems

Outside Work Experience: Draper Aden Associates, Site Planning and Engineer-ing Team.

Career Goals: This past year, our nation was made painfully aware of the state of our decaying transportation infrastructure. I want to work towards remedying this situation, and hope to see that the even-tual solutions include integrated, efficient mass transit systems.

Hometown: Midlothian, Va.

Academic Level: Sophomore

Awards and Recognitions: Eleanor Dav-enport Leadership Scholarship; Pamplin Leader; Robert A. Belz Scholarship; Charles Sheffield Scholarship; High School Valedictorian.

Primary Area of Interest: Land Development

Outside Work Experience: Timmons Group – Economic Development

Career Goals: Having grown up in a rapidly expanding suburban community near Richmond, my goal is to be involved in the planning processes for areas like this in order to make the area more accom-modating and appealing to its residents.

Hometown: Covington, La.

Academic Level: Junior

Awards and Recognitions: Udall Scholar-ship; Chevron REACH Scholarship; Rob-ert C. Byrd Scholarship; Dean’s Scholar Scholarship; Alumni Presidential Scholar-ship.

Primary Area of Interest: Environmental & Water Resources

Outside Work Experience: Jacob’s Engi-neering, ARCADIS, Summer Coastal Wetlands Exploration Program.

Career Goals: I plan to work to rebuild southeastern Louisiana and protect the people, cultures, and environments of the area.

Undergraduates

Peter D. Kauffmann

Erin A. Rooney

Claire N. McKenzie


via scholars

Hometown: Danville, In.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Purdue University

Awards and Recognitions: Purdue Soci-ety of Professional Engineers and John Deere Outstanding Senior Engineer Award; Purdue Student Engineering Foundation Outstanding Senior Civil Engineer; American Concrete Institute Scholarship; National Asphalt Paving As-sociation Scholarship; CSEMS Scholars Undergraduate Research Program.


Outside Work Experience: Greeley and Hansen Environmental Engineers, May 2004 – April 2005, Environmental Engi-neer: Norfolk, Va.; Engineering Ministries International, May 2003 – August 2003, Civil Engineering Intern: Mussoorie, In-dia; Marathon Ashland Petroleum, August 2002 – January 2003, Retail Engineering Co-op: Indianapolis, In.; Marathon Ash-land Petroleum, January 2001 – August 2001, Terminal Engineering Co-op: Ash-land, Ky.; Marathon Ashland Petroleum, May 2000 – August 2000, Asphalt District Co-op: Findlay, Ohio.

Career Goals: My career goal is to work as a project manager in the water and wastewater treatment sector of environ-mental engineering. More specifically, I would like to work abroad on environ-mental engineering projects in developing nations.

Hometown: Oak Hill, W.Va.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Carn-egie Mellon University

Awards and Recognitions: Member of Chi Epsilon and Tau Beta Pi, Graduated with Honors; Recipient of the Alumni Asso-ciation Academic-Athletic Achievement Award given to the male senior athlete at Carnegie Mellon with the highest GPA; Second-Team All Conference (Football).

Primary Area of Interest: Structures

Outside Work Experience: West Virginia DOH, Lewisburg, W.Va., worked with state inspectors during the construction of a 500 foot steel bridge over the New River; GAI Consultants, Pittsburgh, Pa., designed transmission lines and trans-mission structures using computer aided design software and worked on the reha-bilitation of a small concrete dam in Fort Wayne, In.; Kimley-Horn and Associates, Virginia Beach, Va., involved in the struc-tural rehabilitation of a railroad underpass bridge in Norfolk, Va., and assisted in consulting efforts for the construction of a highway interchange.

Career Goals: After graduation, I plan to work towards earning my professional li-censure. Through past experience I have found that I enjoy working in consulting, and I want to work at a firm where I will be exposed to projects involving both bridge and building design.

Hometown: Bringhurst, In.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Michi-gan Technological University

Awards and Recognitions: Summa Cum Laude; CEE Outstanding Achievement Award at MTU; Valedictorian of High School class.


Outside Work Experience: FHWA, Califor-nia Division, one summer; California De-partment of Transportation, one summer; Resident Assistant, three years.

Career Goals: I would like to own a struc-tural engineering company.

Master’s Students

Andrew B.Hardyniec

Jason L.Beck

Adam G.Bowland


Hometown: Columbus Grove, Ohio

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Ohio Northern University

Awards and Recognitions: Alpha Lambda Delta Fellowship; American Society of Civil Engineers Fellowship; Ohio North-ern University Class Honors (Maintaining a 4.00).


Outside Work Experience: Summer Intern-ships: Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Columbus, Ohio; Corna/KoKosing Con-struction Company, Columbus, Ohio; Figg Engineering Group, Tallahassee, Fl.

Career Goals: I would like to pursue a ca-reer in the design of concrete bridges.

Hometown: Denton, N.C.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: N.C. State

Awards and Recognitions: Member of Chi Epsilon; the National Society of Colle-giate Scholars; Phi Kappa Phi; Graduated Summa Cum Laude from N.C. State.


Outside Work Experience: Internship with N.C. Department of Transportation.

Career Goals: I would like a structural engi-neering position in bridge design or struc-tural forensics.

Hometown: Columbia, S.C.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Univer-sity of South Carolina (Cum Laude)

Awards and Recognitions: Departmental Scholarship (two years); Department Outstanding Senior; Vice President, Chi Epsilon; Vice President, ASCE; Dean’s Honor list; President’s Honor list.


Outside Work Experience: Structures and Materials Lab Assistant, USC, Fall 2005- Spring 2006; Geotechnical Lab Assistant, USC, Fall 2004; Finish Carpenter and Painter for eight years with Carolina Hues, Inc., Cottage Reconstruction, LLC, and as sole proprietor of Redmond Car-pentry.

Career Goals: I look forward to working as a structural design consultant. I hope to contribute meaningfully to the body of engineering knowledge through ingenuity in practice, and perhaps one day through teaching and research.

via scholars

Master’s Students

Stephanie A.Koch

Bryan J.Loflin

NicholasRedmond


Hometown: West Lafayette, In.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Purdue University

Awards and Recognitions: National Merit Scholarship Winner for undergraduates; Member of Chi Epsilon and Tau Beta Pi.


Outside Work Experience: Summer 2005, Summer Undergraduate Research Fel-lowship at Purdue, worked with faculty and graduate student mentors doing re-search on the Assessment of Surfactants Biodegradability During Graywater Recy-cling for Advanced Life Support Applica-tions; 2005-2007, worked as an under-graduate researcher assisting in various projects and tasks in the laboratory.

Career Goals: I want to obtain my master’s and Ph.D., and then obtain a position as a professor.

Hometown: Manassas, Va.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Virginia Tech

Awards and Recognitions: National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow-ship.


Outside Work Experience: Research Assis-tant, Virginia Tech Civil & Environmental Engineering; Intern, Prince William Coun-ty Public Works.

Career Goals: I am undecided.

Hometown: Weare, N.H.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Nor-wich University, Northfield, Vt.; New Hampshire Technical Institute, Concord, N.H.

Awards and Recognitions: Graduated Nor-wich University, Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Summa Cum Laude; Norwich University David Crawford School of Engineering’s Walter D. Emerson Award, given to the senior in engineering who has shown the greatest interest and demonstrated the greatest effort toward professional-ism in engineering; Six semesters on the Norwich University Dean’s List; Elected member of the Vermont Beta chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the Engineering Honor Society.

Primary Area of Interest: Geotechnical

Outside Work Experience: JGI Eastern, Manchester, N.H., Geotechnical/Environ-mental Field Inspector Summer 2005; City of Concord, N.H., Engineering Ser-vices Department, Construction Inspec-tor, Summer 2004; Keach-Nordstrom Associates, Bedford, N.H., Construction Inspector, Summer 2003.

Career Goals: After earning my master’s degree I plan to get my Professional En-gineer’s License and gain a few years of practical experience in the geotechnical engineering industry. Ideally I would like to work in geotechnical design and spend a significant amount of time in the field.

via scholars

Master’s Students

Edward R.Ware III

Elizabeth A.Skvarenina

Amanda E.Strickhouser


Hometown: Khartoum, Sudan

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Univer-sity of Khartoum, Sudan

Location of Master’s Studies: Utah State University, Logan, Utah

Awards and Recognitions: Dean’s Lists.

Primary Area of Interest: Transportation & Infrastructure Systems

Outside Work Experience: Project Engineer, George Butler Associates, Inc. Kansas City, Ks.; Project Manager, Engineering Airwaves, Khartoum, Sudan.

Career Goals: I plan to pursue a career in academia besides doing consulting in the area of infrastructures and transport engineering

Hometown: Portland, Or.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Oregon State University

Location of Master’s Studies: Virginia Tech

Awards and Recognitions: EIGER Fellow-ship; ASCE J. James R. Croes Medal, 2006; Oregon State University Council of Early Career Engineers; ASCE Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award for Pro-fessional Achievement, 2004; Registered Professional Engineer, (Washington and Colorado).


Outside Work Experience: Project Geotech-nical Engineer, PanGEO, Inc, Seattle, Wa., 2001-2005; Geotechnical Engineer URS Corp., Denver, Co., 1997-2001.

Career Goals: I hope to teach and conduct research at the university level.

Hometown: Knoxville, Tn.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Univer-sity of Tennessee, Knoxville


Awards and Recognitions: Chi Epsilon; Tau Beta Pi; Golden Key; GAANN Fellowship; Sussman Scholarship; EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellow.


Outside Work Experience: Co-op with En-tergy Operations, Inc., New Orleans, La., 1997-1999; AmeriCorps Water Quality Team, Knoxville, Tn., 2001.

Career Goals: I plan to pursue a teaching career that allows me to work with the development of environmentally sustain-able engineering systems.

via scholars

Doctoral Students

Zaeinulabddin M.Adam

Tiffany E.Adams

Lee D.Bryant


Hometown: Easley, S.C.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Clem-son University

Location of Master’s Studies: Clemson Uni-versity

Awards and Recognitions: Precast/Pre-stressed Concrete Institute Daniel P. Jenny Research Fellowship; American Society of Civil Engineers S.C. Section Scholarship; W.M. Thames Jr. Engineer-ing Scholarship; General Electric Wom-en’s Networking Scholarship; Legislative Incentive for Future Excellence Scholar-ship; Chi Epsilon; Tau Beta Pi; Calhoun Honors College, Clemson University.


Outside Work Experience: Wind Engineer-ing and Structures Laboratory Research Assistant, Clemson, S.C.; Florence & Hutcheson, Inc. Internship, Columbia, S.C.

Career Goals: After completing my doctoral degree, I plan to enter academia and be-come a professor at a research universi-ty. I want to teach future engineers along their path to success by motivating and guiding them throughout their academic journey. Additionally, I want to become a leading researcher with the capability of combining my interests in both concrete materials and structures.

Hometown: Elizabethton, Tn.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Location of Master’s Studies: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Awards and Recognitions: College of Engi-neering Teaching Fellow; Phi Kappa Phi; Chi Epsilon; GT STRUDL User’s Group, Award of Excellence for Presentation; Engineer Intern Certification; Duggan Scholarship; Tennessee Road Builders Scholarship; Civil and Environmental En-gineering Alumni Scholarship; Selected to host of an episode of “Lost Worlds” entitled “U.S. Secret Bunkers” on the History Channel, working as a structural engineer to explore the construction of various Cold War nuclear bunkers across the country.


Outside Work Experience: Tennessee Val-ley Authority, Graduate Intern; W.A. Tay-lor Construction Co., Inc., Field Engineer/Intern; J.A. Street and Associates Gen-eral Contractor, Laborer.

Career Goals: I would like to teach and con-duct research at the university level while consulting on the side.

Hometown: Hamilton, Va.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Univer-sity of Delaware

Location of Master’s Studies: University of Delaware

Awards and Recognitions: E.C. Davis Scholar Award (UD Graduate School); Full Football Athletic Scholarship (UD Undergraduate); Dean’s List every en-rolled semester at UD; four Varsity Foot-ball Letters at UD; 2004 CoSida 1st Team and 2003 CoSida 2nd Team Football Academic All-American; 2003 Atlantic 10 Football Scholar Athlete of the Year; 2002 and 2004 UD Civil Engineering Scholar Athlete of the Year; Member of 2003 I-AA National Championship Football Team as well as 2003 and 2004 Atlantic 10 Cham-pions.


Outside Work Experience: University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials Internship, 2002-2003; Delaware Engi-neering and Design Corporation Intern-ship, 2004-2005.

Career Goals: I plan to most likely go into practice right out of college, possibly obtaining a research-oriented position. However, I would eventually like to pur-sue a career in academia.

via scholars

Doctoral Students

Benjamin T.Cross

Kacie D.Caple

J. ChristopherCarroll


Hometown: Raven, Va.



Awards/Recognitions: Member of AISC Committee on Manuals and Textbooks; Registered P.E. in Virginia and Tennes-see; Registered S.E. in Illinois.


Outside Work Experience: Research Engi-neer, American Buildings Company; Eight years of building design experience at HSMM, Stanley D. Lindsey, and Struc-tural Design Group, Project highlights include Beaufort High School, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, StoneCrest Medical Center, and Parrish Medical Center; Ex-tensive experience in the design of struc-tural steel, cold-formed steel, convention-ally-reinforced concrete, post-tensioned concrete, and wood structures.

Career Goals: I wish to hold a teaching and research position at the university level.

Hometown: Rocky Mount, Va.



Awards and Recognitions: Registered Professional Engineer; EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship; AWWA LARS and Thomas R. Camp Scholarships; NWRI Fellowship; VWRRC William R. Walker Graduate Fellow-ship; WPI Graduate Fellowship; AEESP Outstanding M.S. Thesis Award; ASCE Thompson Award for Outstanding Under-graduate; Tau Beta Pi; Chi Epsilon.


Outside Work Experience: Environmental Engineer, CDM, 2000-2003; Intern, Mont-gomery Watson Harza, 1997; Co-op En-gineer, RR Donnelley Printing Company, 1994-1995.

Career Goals: I would like to contribute to the field of environmental engineering through teaching, research, and consult-ing.

Hometown: Fairfax, Va.



Awards and Recognitions: One of three fi-nalists for the 2006 United States Society of Dams Student Scholarship; Received a 2004 Paul E. Torgersen Virginia Tech College of Engineering Award.


Outside Work Experience: Two summer internships with the United States Bu-reau of Reclamation working on seismic risk analysis of several large earth dams in the Western United States; Perform seismic consulting work with Dr. Jimmy Martin and Dr. Guney Olgun from Virginia Tech on projects located in South Caro-lina, New York, Washington, D.C., and Nepal.

Career Goals: I would like to contribute towards the development of systems to reduce economic and human losses resulting from earthquakes. In particular, my interests are geared towards prepar-ing the Central and Eastern United States for a seismic disaster.

via scholars

Doctoral Students

D. BradDavis

Christina C.Davis

Morgan A.Eddy


Hometown: Cary, N.C.



Awards and Recognitions: Registered Professional Engineer (Virginia, North Carolina); Member-American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE); Water Environment Federation (WEF); Ameri-can Water Works Association (AWWA); VWEA Sonny Roden Memorial Scholar-ship, 2005; Virginia Water Resources Research Center (VWRRC) William R. Walker Graduate Research Fellow Award, 2005; Waste Policy Institute (WPI) Fellowship, 1998; Edna Bailey Sussman Foundation Internship, 1997; Marshall Hahn Engineering Scholarship, Virginia Tech, 1992-3.


Outside Work Experience: Project Engineer, Stearns & Wheler, LLC, Roanoke, Va., and Raleigh, N.C., 1999-2004; Project Engineer, CH2M Hill, Atlanta, Ga., 1999.

Career Goals: Through teaching and re-search in the application of membrane technologies, I hope to strengthen the commitment of future generations of en-gineers to sustain our water resources.

Hometown: Norfolk, Va.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Penn-sylvania State University

Location of Master’s Studies: Pennsylvania State University

Awards and Recognitions: Fulbright Schol-ar, Stuttgart, Germany; Licensed Profes-sional Engineer

Primary Area of Interest: Construction Outside Work Experience: Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner, 1999; The Citadel, 2004; Skanska, 2000-2007.

Career Goals: I look forward to working in transportation infrastructure development to explore innovative financing options to construct roads and bridges, and then eventually returning to teaching.

Hometown: Ada, Mi.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Univer-sity of Michigan

Location of Master’s Studies: University of Michigan

Awards and Recognitions: Chi Epsilon, F.E. Richart Fellowship, UM, 2006; Greene Fellowship, UM, 2006.

Primary Area of Interest: Geotechnical Outside Work Experience: Soils & Struc-tures, Inc., during summer 2006; City of Ann Arbor, May 2004 -November 2005.

Career Goals: Whether in academia or in-dustry, I hope to teach others about geo-technical engineering and to continue to broaden my knowledge and experience in the field.

via scholars

Doctoral Students

Kathryn A.Gunberg

Kevin R.Gilmore

Martha E.Gross


Hometown: Whitewater, Wi.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Univer-sity of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Awards and Recognitions: Ray Heath Scholarship in Chemistry, 2006; UW-L Undergraduate Research Grant, 2005; National Deans List, 2003-2007; Ameri-can Legion Award for Citizenship, 2003, Chosen for two seniors from Whitewater High School demonstrating courage, honor, leadership, patriotism, scholarship and service.


Outside Work Experience: REU summer intern, Mercury research lab at UW-La Crosse; Subassembly at electronics fac-tory; Lifeguard.

Career Goals: In the future I hope to apply my knowledge of environmental engi-neering and chemistry to environmental issues, particularly with a focus on an-thropogenic pollutants in water systems. This aspiration may lead to a research position, a consulting firm, or maybe even an international service organization. An understanding of water quality engineer-ing could potentially provide great op-portunities for aiding developing countries in improving their basic quality of life through their source of water.

Hometown: Cherry Hill, N.J.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Lehigh University

Location of Master’s Studies: Lehigh Uni-versity

Awards/Recognitions: NSF IGERT Fel-low; Sigma Xi: International Scientific Research Society; ADSC: International Association of Foundation Drilling Schol-arship; Lehigh University President’s Scholar; John B. Carson Award; Tau Beta Pi; Chi Epsilon.


Outside Work Experience: American Water Engineering Co-Op in Voorhees, N.J., three rotations.

Career Goals: I plan to conduct university research and teaching in geotechnical engineering with international and inter-disciplinary collaboration.

Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Univer-sity of Florida


Awards and Recognitions: NSF IGERT Fel-lowship; MS Via Fellowship; ExxonMobil Scholar; University of Florida Presidential Scholar; URS/Griner Scholar.


Outside Work Experience: June 2001 – No-vember 2002, ExxonMobil Development Company, Sr. Project Engineer, Business Planning; December 1999 – June 2001, ExxonMobil Development Company, Proj-ect Engineer & Business Advisor, Drill-ing; July 1999 – December 1999, Exxon Company U.S.A., Project Engineer, Drill-ing.

Career Goals: I wish to complete my de-gree requirements and develop the skills required to become an accomplished researcher and teacher. Upon completion of my degree, I plan to pursue a career in academia. My areas of interest include bridge structures and innovative material applications.

via scholars

Doctoral Students

Rebecca A.Halvorson

Laura M.Hannum

Devin K.Harris


Hometown: Washington, Pa.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Univer-sity of Pittsburgh


Awards and Recognitions: Pratt Fellowship; Joel I. Abrams Fellowship.


Outside Work Experience: Internship, Penn-sylvania Department of Transportation.

Career Goals: I wish to teach and conduct research.

Hometown: Opelousas, La.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: South-ern University

Location of Master’s Studies: Massachu-setts Institute of Technology; Harvard University; Johns Hopkins University.

Awards and Recognitions: Ford Fellow; Truman Fellow; Cunningham Fellow; Chi Epsilon; AWRA, Virginia Tech President; ASCE; NSBE; Pi Mu Epsilon; Sussman Internship; AWRA Herbert Memorial Scholarship; EPA Excellence in Service; LANL Distinguished Service.

Primary Area of Interest: Hydrosystems

Outside Work Experience: Los Alamos National Laboratory; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Environmental Protection Agency; Louisiana Department of Envi-ronmental Quality; Proctor and Gamble; NIA Corp.; Molten Metal Technology; Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.

Career Goals: My goals are to forward en-gineering and policy research, teaching, and application.

Hometown: Laurel, Md.



Awards and Recognitions: Via Masters Fel-lowship, 2003; Civil Engineering Alumni Advisory Board Scholarship, 2002; Virginia Department of Transportation Engineering Scholarship, 2001; Eleanor Davenport Leadership Scholarship, 2001; Warren F. Cline Civil Engineering Schol-arship, 2000; Chi Epsilon, National Civil Engineering Honor Society, 2000.


Outside Work Experience: Associate Engi-neer, Virginia Transportation Research Council, Charlottesville, Va., September 2004 – July 2007; Research Intern, Vir-ginia Transportation Research Council, Charlottesville, Va., May 2002 – August 2002; Scholar Intern, Virginia Department of Transportation, Salem, Va., May 2001 – August 2001; Civil Engineer Intern, The Wilson T. Ballard Company, Owings Mills, Md., May – August 2000 and December 2000 – January 2001.

Career Goals: I am currently participat-ing in a National Cooperative Highway Research Program investigating high-performance lightweight concrete. Upon completion of the study and earning my Ph.D., I plan to return to the Virginia Transportation Research Council as a research engineer and continue investi-gating ways to improve bridge design and construction so that bridges last longer yet cost less for the Commonwealth and the rest of the country.

via scholars

Doctoral Students

Ann E.Jeffers

Joshua A.Joseph, Jr.

Bernard L.Kassner


Hometown: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago/Miami, Fl.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Howard University


Awards and Recognitions: NSF Graduate Fellowship Honorable Mention, 2004, 2005; ASCE National Capitol Section, National Capitol Section Scholarship, 2003; Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor So-ciety, Lifetime Member; National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Lifetime Member; Golden Key International Honor Society, Lifetime Member.


Outside Work Experience: Research As-sistant, Howard University Biological Processes Research Group; Assistant Engineer, Montgomery Watson Harza; Petrochemical Engineer Intern, Trinidad and Tobago National Petroleum Market-ing Co. Ltd.

Career Goals: I’d like to be a professor and international consultant. In this regard, I’d like to join/establish a cutting edge research facility while influencing envi-ronmental policy in both developed and developing countries.

Hometown: Elaine, Ar.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Ten-nessee State University

Location of Master’s Studies: Tennessee State University

Awards and Recognitions: Engineering Scholarship, Fall 2000 - Spring 2006; Dean’s List, Fall 2000 - Spring 2006; U.S. Geological Survey Headquarters: Outstanding Achievement Recognition, Spring 2006; 2006 Technical Research Symposium, Presentation Winner, Spring 2006; Alabama American Water Re-sources Association Symposium Winner, Fall 2005; Tennessee American Water Resources Association Symposium Win-ner, Spring 2004; Campus Superstar: US Black Engineer Information and Technol-ogy Magazine, Fall 2004.


Outside Work Experience: United States Geological Survey: South Carolina Water Science Center, Summer 2006; United States Geological Survey: Volunteer for Science Research, Fall 2003-Spring 2006; Y-12 National Security Complex, Summer 2002-2005, National Nuclear Security Administration, United States Department of Energy (Q Level Clear-ance).

Career Goals: Upon completion of my doctoral degree, I would like to pursue a career as a professor with research and teaching responsibilities. I strongly believe that a career in academia will provide me an opportunity to become directly involved and impact the lives of many motivated students.

Hometown: Orem, Utah

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Brigham Young University

Location of Master’s Studies: Brigham Young University

Awards and Recognitions: ORCA Under-graduate Research Scholarship; ACI Graduate Research Scholarship; Charles E. Via Graduate Fellowship.

Primary Area of Interest: Structural dynam-ics, structural design, steel structures

Outside Work Experience: Center for Ad-vanced Structural Composites, Provo, Utah, Research Assistant, March 1998 – May 1999; Patterned Fiber Composites, Lindon, Utah, Research Assistant March 1999 – April 2000; Delta Engineers, PE, Binghamton, N.Y., Project Engineer, April 2000 – August 2004; Licensed PE in California.

Career Goals: I would like to find an aca-demic position or a research oriented design position in a firm where I can work on new and innovative structures. Either way I want to be involved in education of future structural engineers in one form or another.

via scholars

Doctoral Students

Wendell O.Khunjar

Lashun K.King

Justin D.Marshall



Location of Undergraduate Studies: Univer-sity of Pennsylvania


Awards and Recognitions: GAANN Fellow-ship; Faculty Appreciation Award (UP-ENN); Dean’s List.


Outside Work Experience: Senior Staff Engineer, Schnabel Engineering, Inc., 2001-2004.

Career Goals: I’d like to teach at the college level or return to consulting.

Hometown: Manchester, N.H.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Univer-sity of New Hampshire


Awards and Recognitions: National Col-legiate Engineering Award; All-American Scholar Collegiate Award; Via Existing Ph.D. Student Fellowship Award; Depart-ment of Education GAANN Fellowship.

Primary Area of Interest: Software develop-ment for modeling contaminated ground-water remediation

Outside Work Experience: Private practice in software development; Virginia Tech Environmental Health and Safety Ser-vices; United States Geological Survey Student Appointment.

Career Goals: I’d like to work in a private practice in specialized, technical software development.

Hometown: Graham, N.C.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: N.C. State University-Raleigh, N.C.


Awards and Recognitions: National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, 2003-2005, 2007; NSF Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholar-ship, 2002-2003; W.C. Billy Creel Memo-rial Scholarship, 2002-2003; Progress Energy Scholarship, 2001-2002; CP&L Scholarship, 2000-2001.


Outside Work Experience: Stearns & Whel-er, Environmental Engineer, June 2005 – June 2007; Hazen and Sawyer, Intern, May 2001 – August 2003.

Career Goals: I would like to obtain a PE license and become a professor at a re-search university.

via scholars

Doctoral Students

Michael P.McGuire

EduardoMendez III

Caroline K.Nguyen



Location of Undergraduate Studies: Virginia Tech, New England Conservatory


Awards and Recognitions: VCUQ Faculty Development Grant, 2007; VCUQ Faculty Research Grant, 2005; Paul Torgersen Excellence in Research Award, 1999; Waste Policy Institute Summer Graduate Fellowship, 1998.


Outside Work Experience: Assistant Profes-sor of Mathematics and Physics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, 2004 – 2007.

Career Goals: I want to continue to be ac-tive as a researcher and an educator.

Hometown: Petaluma, Ca.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Hum-boldt State University

Location of Master’s Studies: Utah State University

Awards and Recognitions: United States Society on Dams Scholarship, 2006; Utah State University Geotechnical Engi-neering Scholarship, 1987-88; Registered Professional Engineer, California; Regis-tered Geotechnical Engineer, California.


Outside Work Experience: Geotechnical Engineering Consulting: Kleinfelder, Inc., 1988-1990 and 1996-2004; Woodward-Clyde Consultants, 1990-1996.

Career Goals: After graduation, I plan to obtain an assistant professor position at a research university where I plan to teach geotechnical related topics and continue my research on seepage and earth struc-ture related topics.

Hometown: Nampa, Idaho

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Univer-sity of Idaho


Awards and Recognitions: National Sci-ence Foundation Fellow; 2004 American Chemical Society Up and Coming En-vironmental Chemist Award; 2005 Paul E Torgersen M.S. Award; 2006 WPI Re-search Fellowship; Member of Chi Epsi-lon; AdvanceVT Ph.D. Fellowship; P.E.O. Scholar Award.


Outside Work Experience: 1999-2001 Un-dergraduate Research (UI Chemistry De-partment), 2001-2002 Analytical Chemist, Anatek Labs, Moscow, Idaho.

Career Goals: I hope to contribute to the scientific understanding of environmental chemistry.

via scholars

Doctoral Students

John E.Petrie

John D.Rice

Krista L.Rule






Outside Work Experience: Phelps Dodge Process Technology Center, Morenci, Az., July – October 2004, M.S. thesis project research on reaction kinetics involving activated carbon used as a catalyst in regenerating key ions in electrolyte for hydrometallurgical copper extraction; Phelps Dodge Process Technology Cen-ter, Morenci, Az., May – August 2002 and May – August 2003, Process evaluation, process standards of operation authoring, and process optimization. Project design, data collection, analysis and interpreta-tion. Lab and field technician work; Tran-sAlta Centralia Mining Company, Centra-lia, Wa., May – August 2001, AutoCAD mapping, drawing, project design. Talpak simulation for production estimates. Basic SAP use for cost accounting and budget-ing. Haulage time studies, program devel-opment, and implications. Core sample interpretation and logging; Luck Stone Corporation, Boscobel Plant, Goochland, Va., May – August 2000, Assistant for shot layout and blasting process. Plant vehicle driver. Assistant for plant equip-ment maintenance and repair; welding assistant.

Career Goals: I have interests in mining and minerals processing, with an emphasis on environmental issues in these fields, and I would like to work in academia.

Hometown: Maysville, Ky.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: West Virginia University


Primary Area of Interest: Environmental Engineering (water quality modeling)

Outside Work Experience: Design engineer, Black & Veatch Corp., 1998 - 2003.

Career Goals: I plan to do consulting or teaching.

Hometown: Fredericksburg, Va.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Virginia Military Institute

Location of Master’s Studies: Virginia Tech Awards and Recognitions: Virginia De-partment of Transportation Scholarship and Internship; Three-time recipient of the William H. Pettigrew Scholarship; Tau Beta Pi President, Virginia Delta Chapter; Recipient of the Alvin F. Meyer Award, awarded to the first classmen at VMI showing the highest proficiency in the study of Environmental Engineering.


Outside Work Experience: Wetland resto-ration and monitoring with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT); Construction site inspection to ensure erosion and sediment control; Materials lab technician, surveyor, and watershed delineation (all intern positions).

Career Goals: I would like to work in waste-water treatment plant design, and estab-lish systems for wastewater treatment in developing countries.

via scholars

Doctoral Students

Emily A.Sarver

Vickie L.Singleton

Jeffrey A.Sparks


Hometown: Struthers, Ohio

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Buck-nell University


Awards/Recognitions: Bucknell University, Michael D. LaGrega Award for Excel-lence in Environmental Engineering, 2004; Edna Bailey Sussman Foundation Internship, 2006; Virginia Water Environ-ment Association (VWEA) Sonny Roden Memorial Scholarship; Member, Water Environment Federation & Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors.

Primary Area of Interest: Environmental & Water Resources Engineering

Outside Work Experience: Bucknell Univer-sity, Lewisburg, Pa., Undergraduate Re-search Assistant, Fall 2003-Spring 2004; MS Consultants, Inc., Youngstown, Ohio, Environmental Engineering Intern, Sum-mer 2001-Summer 2004.

Career Goals: I would like to continue my research in biosolids and residuals man-agement, increasing the scientific knowl-edge of the biological process that drive advanced anaerobic digestion technolo-gies. Upon graduation, my goal is to work as a professional engineer, integrating cutting edge research into the develop-ment of sustainable wastewater and bio-solids management processes.

Hometown: Rolla, Mo.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Univer-sity of Missouri-Rolla

Location of Master’s Studies: University of Missouri-Rolla

Awards and Recognitions: University of Missouri-Rolla Chancellor’s Fellowship; UMR Civil Engineering Senior Achieve-ment Award; ASCE Washington Intern-ship for Students in Engineering (WISE) Intern; Missouri ACI Graduate Scholar-ship; Member, Tau Beta Pi, Kappa Mu Epsilon, Phi Kappa Phi, & Chi Epsilon Honor Societies; Member of Chancellor’s Leadership Class.


Outside Work Experience: I worked for about a year at the HBE Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri. While there I helped do structural design of hospitals and financial institutions for design/build projects. In addition, I worked for over two years in the bridge division of the Missouri-Department of Transportation. During my tenure at MODOT, I analyzed and designed bridges for the state high-way system.

Career Goals: My ultimate goal is to obtain my Ph.D. in civil engineering, so I can return to academics. I really enjoy both the practical and theoretical sides of civil engineering and hope that my profes-sional experiences along with my educa-tion background will help me in teaching and research.

Hometown: Birmingham, Al.

Location of Undergraduate Studies: Tulane University

Location of Master’s Studies: Tulane Uni-versity

Awards and Recognitions: Louisiana Board of Reagents Fellowship, 2006; Spaar Research Fellowship, Tulane University, 2004-2005; Frederick H. Fox Achievement Award, Tulane University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2004; Tulane University Dis-tinguished Scholars Award.


Outside Work Experience: Intern at Struc-tural Design Group in Birmingham, Al., May-August 2002; December 2002-January 2003.

Career Goals: I would like to begin my ca-reer in industry doing structural design, specifically bridge design, after comple-tion of a Ph.D. After a few years in indus-try, I plan to pursue a career as a profes-sor in structural engineering.

via scholars

Doctoral Students

Matthew K.Swenty

Jennifer A.Warren

Christopher A.Wilson


Undergraduates

Suzanne Ayres AngeloYear Graduated: 2003Employer: Currently pursuing a M.S. degree

in Civil & Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech (Northern Virginia campus)

Doran J. BossoYear Graduated: 2006Employer: Currently pursuing a M.S. degree

in Civil & Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech

Chris EnglishYear Graduated: 1994; Master’s 1996, Uni-

versity of Illinois, UrbanaEmployer: CH2M Hill, St. Louis, Mo.Previous Employer: 1996-97, Patrick Engi-

neering, Springfield, Il.

Brian P. FelkerYear Graduated: 2001Current Status: Unknown

Kathryn Firich Year Graduated: 2007Employer: Brown and Caldwell, Alexandria,

Va.

Richard Andrew GoodwinYear Graduated: 1996Current Status: Unknown

Chris KaldahlYear Graduated: 1995Employer: Appalachian Mountain Club, Gor-

ham, N.H.

Stephen O. MeiningerYear Graduated: 1991Employer: CH2M Hill - OMI, Clarksville, Md.

Joshua MourasYear Graduated: 2006Employer: Currently pursuing a M.S. degree

in Civil Engineering at University of Texas at Austin

Joseph SchmittYear Graduated: 2001Current Status: Unknown

Paul TaylorYear Graduated: 2004Current Status: ExxonMobil, Houston,

Texas

Henry J. TheissYear Graduated: 1994Employer: Unknown

Jennifer VerwestYear Graduated: 2001Current Status: Currently pursuing a gradu-

ate degree at Texas A&M University, Col-lege Station, Texas

Elliott Robert WheelerYear Graduated: 1996Employer: Operations Management Interna-

tional, Inc., Englewood, Co.

Ryan WilleyYear Graduated: 2000Employer: Unknown

The following students also received their undergraduate degrees while on a Via Scholarship and elected to pursue their master’s degrees at Virginia Tech, also as Via Scholarship recipients. Their com-plete listings can be found in the alumni student section of this publication. These students are: Randall Boe, William Scott Dewhirst, II, Charles M. Dietz, Jr., Greg Hensley, Jeffrey Kuttesch, Mat-thew Moore, John D. Riley, John Ste-phen Siczka, Jeffrey Snow, and Marcia Votour Prowell.

Graduates

CONSTRUCTION

Frank ArcuriYear Graduated: 2007Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Fluor Corporation, New York,

N.Y.

Mary Jane Contos BartlettYear Graduated: 1992Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: O’Brien & Gere Engineering,

Morrisville, N.C.

Allan D. ChaseyYear Graduated: 1995Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Del E. Webb School of Construc-

tion, Arizona State University, Tempe, Az.

Kirsten DavisYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Wentworth Institute of Technol-

ogy, Boston, Ma.

Benjamin HaysYear Graduated: 2002Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: L.A. Dept. of Public Works, Los

Angeles, Ca.

John HildrethYear Graduated: 2003Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Angel HoYear Graduated: 1993Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Ports-

mouth, Va.

Jennifer Firman McConnellYear Graduated: 2002Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Schoor DePalma, Kulpsville, Pa.

Joshua P. MiddletonYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: American Infrastructure, Worces-

ter, Pa.

Juan C. PineroYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Barrett Hale& Alamo, Consulting

Engineers, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Jeffrey SnowYears Graduated: 2000 and 2002Degrees Awarded: Undergraduate (2000)

and Master’s (2002)Employer: American Infrastructure, Worces-

ter, Pa.

via a lumni

Via Alumni:Where are they now?


Janet SparksYear Graduated: 2000Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Tennessee Department of Trans-

portation

Robert C. WilliamsYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Currently pursuing a Ph.D. de-

gree in Civil & Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech

Terry L. WilliamsYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Alan A. Meyers, Inc.

ENVIRONMENTAL &WATER RESOURCES

Nancy Lade AndersonYear Graduated: 1999Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Full-time Mother

Randall BoeYears Graduated: 1991 and 1993Degrees Awarded: Undergraduate (1991)

and Master’s (1993)Employer: CH2M Hill, Gainesville, Fl.

Elizabeth Claire BoothYear Graduated: 2005Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Golder Associates, Gainesville,

Fl.

Charles Briddell BottYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Virginia Military Institute, Lexing-

ton, Va.

J. Steven BraunerYear Graduated: 2000Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Parsons Engineering, Denver,

Co.

Bradley M. CoffeyYear Graduated: 1990Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Metropolitan Water District of

Southern California, Water Quality Divi-sion

Joel CohnYear Graduated: 1993Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Malcolm Pirnie, Norfolk, Va.

Cynthia CraneYear Graduated: 1999Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Hydro Geologic, Herndon, Va.

Andrea Crowe HargetteYear Graduated: 1997Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Black & Veatch, Inc., Greenville,

S.C.

Christina Clarkson DavisYear Graduated: 2000Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Ph.D. student, Virginia Tech,

Northern Virginia Campus

Jason DavisYear Graduated: 2000Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Corallo, Eagle, Id.

William Scott Dewhirst, IIYears Graduated: 1993 and 1997Degrees Awarded: Undergraduate, 1993,

and Master’s, 1997Employer: Newport News Water Works,

Newport News, Va.

Charles (Chuck) Dietz, Jr.Years Graduated: 1989 and 1993Degrees Awarded: Undergraduate, 1989,

and Master’s, 1993Employer: Virginia Department of Conser-

vation and Recreation, Dublin, Va.

Daniel DorselYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Master’s, ENEEmployer: Cardinal Newman School, Co-

lumbia, S.C.

Mark DoughertyYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Auburn University, Auburn, Al.

Laura DuncanYear Graduated: 2007Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Strata Environmental, Knoxville,

Tenn.

Mary FaccioloYear Graduated: 1994Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Raleigh, N.C., consulting firm

Ryan M. FedakYear Graduated: 1999Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Hayes, Seay, Mattern and Mat-

tern, Roanoke, Va.

Jamie FettigYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Master’s, ENEEmployer: Parson Engr. Sci., N.Y.

Scott A. ForslingYear Graduated: 1994Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: CH2M Hill, Redding, Ca.

John FrippYear Graduated: 1991Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Na-

tional Resources Conservation Service, Ft. Worth, Texas

Wesley GeertsemaYear Graduated: 1992Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Metcalf & Eddy, Honolulu, Hawaii

Aimee E. GreyshockYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Virginia Department of Health-

Office of Drinking Water, Culpeper, Va.

Matthew GwaltneyYear Graduated: 2007 (posthumously)Degree Awarded: Master’s

Orrick (Rick) HaneyYear Graduated: 1994Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Haney Associates, Inc., Ander-

son, S.C

David HolbrookYear Graduated: 2003Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: National Institute of Standards

and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md.

Edward Brian HoustonYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Black & Veatch, Gaithersburg,

Md.

via a lumni


Kari Husovitz FoyYear Graduated: 1999Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: B.P. Barber and Associates, Inc.,

N. Charleston, S.C.

Richard T. Kelly, IIYear Graduated: 2005Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Employer: Brown & Caldwell, Seattle, Wa.

Angela LatrouYear Graduated: 1991Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Montgomery Watson Engineer-

ing

Rebecca LattyakYear Graduated: 2007Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Malcolm Pirnie, West Lafayette,

In.

Katherine LinaresYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: HDR Engineering, Inc., Norfolk,

Va.

Erika Lubkowitz BaileyYear Graduated: 1996Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: HDR, Inc., Raleigh, N.C.

Donald C. MarikovichYear Graduated: 1990Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Draper Aden & Associates,

Blacksburg, Va.

Becki MarshallYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Hazen & Sawyer, Durham, N.C.

Katherine McArthur LeitchYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Merck & Co., Inc., West Point,

Pa.

Colleen McCloskey RossmeislYear Graduated: 1995Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Companion Animal Clinic,

Blacksburg, Va.

Brian McCormickYear Graduated: May 2003Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Paciulli Simmons Assoc., Fairfax,

Va.

Laurie S. McNeillYear Graduated: 2000Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Utah State University, Logan,

Utah

Peter B. MerkleYear Graduated: 1995Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Sandia National Labs, Albuquer-

que, N.M.

Matthew C. MooreYears Graduated: 1992 and 1994Degrees Awarded: Undergraduate (1992)

and Master’s (1994)Employer: Sikland Engineering Associates,

Van Nuys, Ca.

Christopher D. MullerYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Brown and Caldwell, Seattle,

Wa.

Jocelyn Fraga MullerYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: University of Washington, Se-

attle, Wa.

Caroline NguyenYear Graduated: 2005Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Ph.D. candidate, Virginia Tech

Julia NovakYear Graduated: 2005Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Draper Aden & Associates,

Blacksburg, Va.

Jeff ParksYear Graduated: 2005Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Kristina PerriYear Graduated: 1997Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: CH2M Hill, Atlanta, Ga.

Carrie Adam PhippsYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: CH2M Hill, Newport News, Va.

Noreen PoorYear Graduated: 1996Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Public Health Engineering, Uni-

versity of South Florida

Diana RashashYear Graduated: 1994Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: North Carolina State University,

Raleigh, N.C.

Heather Veith RectanusYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Battelle, San Diego, Ca.

Sandra RobinsonYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: CH2M Hill, Redding, Ca.

Jason RushingYear Graduated: 2002Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Parson, Fairfax, Va.

Mary Rust SadlerYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Arcadis, Raleigh, N.C.

Paolo ScandinaYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Dipankar SenYear Graduated: 1995Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Santa Clara Valley Water District,

San Jose, Ca.

Brad ShearerYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: CH2M Hill, Redding, Ca.

Holly ShorneyYear Graduated: February 1992Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Black & Veatch, Inc., Kansas

City, Mo.

via a lumni


John S. SiczkaYears Graduated: 1994 and 1997Degrees Awarded: Undergraduate (1994)

and Master’s (1997)Employer: CH2M Hill, Brown Deer, Wi.

Aaron B. SmallYear Graduated: 1993Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: AES Consulting Engineers, Wil-

liamsburg, Va.

Sheryl D. SmithYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Camp, Dresser and McKee, Ra-

leigh, N.C.

Jeffrey A. SparksYear Graduated: 2007Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Ph.D. candidate, Virginia Tech

Jonathan StathisYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Cedar City Corp., Cedar City, Utah

Chris TadanierYear Graduated: 1997Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Dan WaddillYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Dept. of the Navy, Norfolk, Va.

Diane WatersYear Graduated: 2002Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: City of Miami, Public Works

Dept., Miami, Fl.

Edwin W. WatkinsYear Graduated: 1993Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Ogden Environmental and En-

ergy Services, Nashville, Tenn.

David WhichardYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: International Paper, S.C.

Christopher WolfeYear Graduated: 1993Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Semcor, Washington, DC

Jennifer WrightYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Department of Environmental

Quality (DEQ), Richmond, Va.

Kevin D. YoungYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Anna ZaklikowskiYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: HDR Engineering, Portland, Ore.

Lauren ZuravnskyYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Greeley and Hansen, Manhattan,

N.Y.

GEOTECHNICAL

William Bassett Year Graduated: 1990Employer: Federal Highway Administration,

Washington, DC

Diane Yamane Baxter Year Graduated: 2000Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc.,

Providence, R.I.

Craig BenedictYear Graduated: 1997Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Gannet-Flemming, King of Prus-

sia, Pa.

David BentlerYears Graduated: 1993 and 1998Degrees Awarded: Master’s; Ph.D.Employer: Shaw Stone & Webster, Inc.,

Denver, Co.

Jerry BrittonYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

Portland, Ore.

Pete CheneveyYear Graduated: 1994Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Dames & Moore, Cincinnati,

Ohio

Jaime ColbyYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Sanborn, Head & Associates,

Inc., Westford, MA

Megan ColeYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: GEI Consultants, Winchester,

Ma.

Jeramy Bruyn DeckerYear Graduated: 2007Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Kewit Construction Co., Pacifica,

Ca.

Patricia (Trish) M. GallagherYear Graduated: December 2000Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Drexel University, Philadelphia,

Pa.

Russell GreenYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: University of Michigan, Ann Ar-

bor, Mi.

George FilzYear Graduated: 1992Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Brendan FitzpatrickYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: GEOPIER Foundation Co., Inc.,

Blacksburg, Va.

Laura HenryYear Graduated: 1999Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Haley & Aldrich, N.J.

Wayne HerringYear Graduated: 2000Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: ARM Group, Hershey, Pa.

Randall HickmanYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: BP American, Inc., Houston,

Texas

via a lumni


Michelle Hoy Year Graduated: 1997Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Oregon Dept. of Environmental

Quality, Portland, Ore.

Kenneth A. HuberYear Graduated: 1997Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Unknown

Scott MackeyYear Graduated: 1993Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Central Connecticut State Uni-

versity, New Britain, Ct.

Jessica R. MarshallYear Graduated: 1990Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Colorado Public Works Authority

Christopher L. MeehanYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: University of Delaware, Newark,

De.

Clark MorrisonYear Graduated: 1995Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: North Carolina Dept. of Trans-

portation, Raleigh, N.C.

Bob MokwaYear Graduated: 1999Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Montana State University, Boze-

man, Mt.

Michael NavinYear Graduated: 2005Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

St. Louis, Mo.

David NeviusYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Terra Costa Cengineering, San

Diego, Ca.

James ParkesYear Graduated: 1999Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Gannett Fleming, Harrisburg, Pa.

Maysill G. PascalYear Graduated: 2003Degree Awarded: M.S.Employer: Haley and Aldrich Inc., Parsip-

pany, N.J.

Craig PetrankaYear Graduated: 1997Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Unknown

Michael PockoskiYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc.,

Norwood, Ma.

Jonathan PorterYear Graduated: 1990Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: U.S. Air Force, Tyndall AFB

Marcia Votour ProwellYears Graduated: 1992 and 1993Degrees Awarded: Undergraduate (1992)

and Master’s (1993)Employer: Virginia Geotechnical Services,

PC, Richmond, Va.

Susan RafalkoYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Reinforced Earth Co., Vienna,

Va.

Alan RauchYear Graduated: 1997Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Fuller, Mossbarger, Scott and

May Engineers, Inc., Lexington, Ky.

Nathan ReevesYear Graduated: 2000Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: S&ME, Inc., Raleigh, N.C.

Andrew T. RoseYear Graduated: 1995Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: University of Pittsburgh, John-

stown, Pa.

Jennifer A. SchaefferYear Graduated: 1997Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: CH2M Hill, Seattle, Wa.

Matthew SleepYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Ph.D. candidate, Virginia Tech

Kord WissmanYear Graduated: 1995Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: GEOPIER Foundation Co., Inc.,

Charlotte, N.C.

STRUCTURES

Mary Sue Mouchka AbelYear Graduated: 1993Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: EMCS Design Group, Milwau-

kee, Wi.

Chad C. AlanderYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Goodkind & O’Dea, Carlisle, Pa.

Nick AmicoYear Graduated: 2005Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Figg Engineering, Tallahassee,

Fl.

Kirsten A. Baldwin MetzgerYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Laurene & Rickher, P.C., Char-

lotte, N.C.

Anthony Barrett, Capt., USAFYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: United States Air Force, Kunsan

Air Base, South Korea

James Wescott (Wess) BottYear Graduated: 2005Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: HDR Alaska, Inc., Eagle River, Ak.

Susan BowersYear Graduated: 2007Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Whitman, Requardt & Associ-

ates, Baltimore, Md.

Kevin R. CollinsYear Graduated: 1989Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Unknown

via a lumni


Jason CawrseYear Graduated: 2000Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Michael Baker, Jr., Inc., Charles-

ton, W.Va.

Amy Dalrymple RyanYear Graduated: 1999Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Starzer, Brady, Fagan Associ-

ates, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.

Kyle Richard DominisseYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Walter P. Moore, Kansas City,

Mo.

Richard DrummYear Graduated: 1993Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: FHWA

Keith GrubbYear Graduated: 1995Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: American Institute of Steel Con-

struction, Chicago, Il.

Linda Morley HanaganYear Graduated: 1995Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Penn State University, State Col-

lege, Pa.

Matthew D. HarlanYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: URS Corp., Tampa, Fl.

Greg HensleyYears Graduated: 2004 and 2005Degrees Awarded: Undergraduate (2004)

and Master’s (2005)Employer: Pinnacle Engineering, Charlot-

tesville, Va.

Anne HimebaughYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Simpson, Gumpertz, and Heger,

Waltham, Ma.

Hunter HodgesYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Lane Bishop York and Delahaye,

Inc., Birmingham, Al.

William P. Jacobs, VYear Graduated: 2002Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Stan Lindsey and Associates,

Atlanta, Ga.

Jared B. JamisonYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Hankins and Anderson, Glen

Allen, Va.

Bernard L. KassnerYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Ph.D. candidate, Virginia Tech

Adam R. LeaseYear Graduated: 2005Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Cives Steel Company, Win-

chester, Va.

James David MartinYear Graduated: 2005Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Walter P. Moore, Tampa, Fl.

Timothy W. MaysYears Graduated: 1997 and 2000Degrees Awarded: Master’s (1997) and

Ph.D. (2000)Employer: The Citadel, Charleston, S.C.

Laurie MazurskyYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Sutton-Kennerly and Assoc.,

Asheville, N.C.

David McGowanYear Graduated: 1991Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Dominion Generation, Glen Al-

len, Va.

Sean MolloyYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Redwine Reizian Structural Engi-

neers, Avon, Co.

Michael MotleyYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: The LPA Group, Inc., Tallahas-

see, Fl.

Michael C. NeubertYear Graduated: 1999Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Unknown

Charles (Chuck) NewhouseYear Graduated: 1994 and 2005Degree Awarded: Master’s (1994) and

Ph.D. (2005)Employer: Texas Tech University, Lubbock,

Texas

Patricia Seay O’NeilYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Bechtel, Frederick, Md.

Jason D. PerryYear Graduated: December 2003Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Stanley D. Lindsey & Associates,

Ltd., Nashville, Tenn.

Jason PiotterYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Master’s; Ph.D. pendingEmployer: Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Robert T. PrinceYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern,

Inc., Roanoke, Va.

Bruce QueenYear Graduated: 1991Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: President, QED Inc., Raleigh,

N.C.

Michelle Rambo-RoddenberryYear Graduated: 2002Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: FAMU-FSU College of Engineer-

ing, Tallahassee, Fl.

Clint RexYear Graduated: 1997Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Stanley D. Lindsey and Associ-

ates, Atlanta, Ga.

Cheryl RottmanYear Graduated: 1996Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Frontenac Engineering, St.

Louis, Mo.

via a lumni


John C. Ryan, Jr.Year Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: StructurTech Construction Sys-

tems, Charleston, S.C.

Richard A. SaundersYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: KSI Structural Engineers, At-

lanta, Ga.

Donald P. ScholzYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: CVM Engineers, Wayne, Pa.

Michael W. SeekYear Graduated: 2007Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Walter Seek Engineering, John-

son City, Tenn.

Bruce ShueYear Graduated: 1995Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Smislova, Kehnemui & Assoc.,

Rockville, Md.

Michael SladkiYear Graduated: 2000Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: SKA Engineers, Washington, DC

Paul SpearsYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Martin/Martin Consulting Engi-

neers, Kansas City, Mo.

Sean Robert SullivanYear Graduated: 2007Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: HNTB, East Lansing, Mi.

Emmett A. SumnerYear Graduated: 2003Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: North Carolina State University,

Raleigh, N.C.

Anthony B. TemelesYear Graduated: 2001Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Modjeski & Master’s, Philadel-

phia, Pa.

Angela Sellars TerryYear Graduated: 1994Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Self-employed

Steven J. TschetterYear Graduated: 1994Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Suncoast Post-Tension, Inc.,

Woodbridge, Va.

Christopher J. WaldronYears Graduated: 2001 and 2004Degrees Awarded: Master’s (2001) and

Ph.D. (2004)Employer: Figg Engineering, Philadelphia,

Pa.

Joseph A. WallenfelszYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Traylor Brothers, Inc. and Mass-

man Construction Co., Golden Meadow, La.

Christopher WernerYear Graduated: 1997Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Stroud Pence, Norfolk, Va.

Maurice W. WhiteYears Graduated: 1991 and 1995Degrees Awarded: Master’s and Ph.D.Employer: Unknown

John WhitlowYear Graduated: 1995Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Unknown

Gregory WilliamsonYear Graduated: 2007Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: ExxonMobil, Fairfax, Va.

Eric J. WishartYear Graduated: 1991Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Civil CADD Services, Inc., Lin-

coln, R.I.

Mustapha ZmerliYear Graduated: 1992Degree Awarded: Master’sDeceased

via a lumni

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTUREAND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING (TISE)

Sudarshana C.S. BhatYear Graduated: 1989Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: University of Texas at Austin,

Austin, Texas

Douglas R. BishYear Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Edgar David de León Izeppi Year Graduated: 2006Degree Awarded: Ph.D.Employer: Virginia Tech Transportation In-

stitute, Blacksburg, Va.

Joshua (Josh) DiekmannYear Graduated: 2000Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: A consultant in Seattle, Wa.

Erin Walsh DonovanYear Graduated: 1999Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Unknown

Anthony IngleYear Graduated: 2004Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: DLZ Michigan, Kalamazoo, Mi.

Jeffrey KutteschYears Graduated: 2003 and 2004Degrees Awarded: Undergraduate (2003)

and Master’s (2004)Employer: Rummel, Klepper, and Kahl En-

gineers (RK&K), Baltimore, Md.

John D. RileyYears Graduated: 1997 and 1999Degrees Awarded: Undergraduate (1997)

and Master’s (1999)Employer: Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc.,

Richmond, Va.

Kevin M. SiegelYear Graduated: 2003Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: PBS & J, Inc., Newport News,

Va.

Eric J. SiessYear Graduated: 1998Degree Awarded: Master’sEmployer: Naval Surface Warfare Center,

Dalgreen, Va.


Christopher Adcock ...................... 1991

William Aden ................................. 1967

Wendy Ahart ........................ 1985/1986

Chad Alander ................................ 1996

Thomas Albee............................... 1978

Thomas Ameel.............................. 1984

Ross Amico.......................... 2002/2005

David Anderson ............................ 1988

S. Kendall Anderson ............ 1962/1970

Charles Armentrout....................... 1976

C. Howard Arnold ......................... 1980

Erol Aydar ..................................... 1990

Walter Bailey ................................ 1972

Kelso Baker .................................. 1951

Meredith Baker ............................. 2003

D.J. Balzer .................................... 1977

Charles Barnes ............................. 1964

Gary Beach................................... 1972

Edward Beale ...................... 1964/1967

Courtney Beamon......................... 1995

Phillip Beasley .............................. 1992

George Beasley ................... 1964/1968

Danelle Bernard............................ 1985

Brian Bersch ................................. 1981

William Betts ................................. 1932

Michael Biscotte ........................... 1980

Randall Boe .................................. 1991

Harold Bohannon.......................... 1968

Charles Bott .................................. 2001

Bryan Bowers ............................... 1987

Gary Bowman ............................... 1980

Michael Bowman .......................... 2002

Robert Braden .............................. 1990

Patrick Brady ................................ 1960

Jerry Brammer .............................. 1968

Kenneth Brammer ........................ 1976

Kenneth Brannan.......................... 1986

William Brittle ................................ 1969

Thomas Brockenbrough ...... 1942/1946

Glenn Brown ................................. 1963

Richard Brownley ......................... 1944

Deborah Bryan ............................. 1978

W. Barry Bryant ................... 1970/1971

Kenneth Buchanan ....................... 1999

Amy Buehler ................................. 1994

D. Michael Burk ............................ 1974

Charles Burke ............................... 1996

Douglas Burks .............................. 1979

Christopher Burner ....................... 1995

Daniel Bush .................................. 2001

Christy Butler ................................ 2001

Heather Campbell......................... 2001

Kenneth Carlton............................ 1979

Valerie Carpenter .......................... 1999

Michael Carrato ............................ 2001

Roger Carriker .............................. 1987

Robert Carson .............................. 1970

Derrick Cave ................................. 1987

Michael Cavell .............................. 1983

Ben Chen...................................... 1973

John Cherundolo ................. 2002/2003

Aaron Cheskis ..................... 1998/2003

Giles Childress ............................. 1981

Trenton Clark ................................ 1993

Steven Clark ........................ 1973/1977

Alfred Cline ................................... 1958

Richard Coates ............................. 1983

John Coffey .................................. 1986

Stanley Cohen .............................. 1949

Kevin Collins ................................. 1989

Michael Collins ............................. 1971

Newton Colston ................... 1964/1968

Kay Colton .................................... 1981

Darren Conner .............................. 1983

Michael Conner ............................ 1974

Steven Conner.............................. 1983

James Corbalis ............................. 1979

Joan Cornwell ............................... 1950

Steve Cox ..................................... 2001

Thomas Cox ........................ 1988/2001

Thomas Cox ................................. 1991

William Cox ................. 1966/1968/1976

Jeffrey Crate ........................ 1973/1976

Amy Cresswell .............................. 2004

Gary Crouch ................................. 1975

Douglas Cruce .............................. 1992

James Cruise................................ 1974

Raymond Curry ............................ 1954

Glenn Custis ........................ 1971/1973

John Davis .................................... 1971

Robin Davis ......................... 1999/2001

James Day.................................... 1981

Shari Day ...................................... 1982

John DeBell .................................. 1968

David Dee ..................................... 1987

Charles Delorimier ........................ 1976

Greg Deubler ................................ 1994

W.S. Dewhirst ............................... 1950

Robert Dick ................................... 1989

John Downer ................................ 1990

Michael Dugas .............................. 1987

Robert Durfee ............................... 1982

Robert Earl ................................... 1967

Steven Eckert ............................... 1981

R. Scott Ehrhardt ................. 1984/1995

John El-Khoury .................... 2003/2005

Stephen Elgin ...................... 1978/1979

Anne Ellis...................................... 1980

Williard Emory .............................. 1977

Susan Estes ................................. 1999

via donors

Donors to CEE Department for 2006-07The donors recognized on the fol-

lowing pages made a contribution to the Via Department of Civil and Envi-ronmental Engineering (CEE) during fiscal year 2007 (7/1/2006-6/30/2007). Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this report, we acknowledge that errors may have occurred. If your name has been omit-ted or listed incorrectly, please accept our sincere apologies and send in any corrections to the CEE Main Office at 540-231-6635.

Alumni Who Contributedto CEE in 2006-2007


Thomas Evans.............................. 1964

Doug Fahl ..................................... 1965

Richard Famularo ......................... 1978

Dwight Farmer .............................. 1974

Craig Favor ................................... 1997

Charles Feagans .......................... 1972

Peggy Fersner .............................. 1982

Charles Fisher .............................. 1973

Jeffrey Fisher ................................ 1995

James Fitzgerald .......................... 1999

Jay Fitzgerald ............................... 1976

Kiera Fitzgerald ............................ 1982

Brendan FitzPatrick ...................... 2001

Theron Fluker ............................... 1999

Robert Fogg.................................. 1971

Kathryn Freiberger........................ 1991

Ernest Fulford ............................... 1958

William Galli .................................. 1961

Jason Garafalo ............................. 2001

Lindsey Gardner ........................... 1960

Claude Garver .............................. 1963

Leslie Gates.................................. 1940

Gregory Gerling ............................ 1991

Anne Germain .............................. 1989

Patrick Gerstner............................ 1993

Michael Gill .......................... 1987/1994

James Givens ............................... 1970

John Glazebrook .......................... 1954

Adil Godrej ........................... 1982/1989

Danny Gray .................................. 1977

Robert Gray .................................. 1983

Thomas Gray ................................ 1973

Dixie Griffin ................................... 1970

Tim Groover .................................. 1979

Leah Grossi ......................... 1985/1991

D. Randolph Grubbs ..................... 1971

Michael Guarino .................. 1992/1996

Charles Hall .................................. 1970

John Hall....................................... 1955

Kristin Hanes ................................ 1988

Richard Harris............................... 1958

E. Franklin Hart............................. 1967

William Hase ................................. 1981

Jeffrey Haugh ............................... 1986

Kevin Heaslip................................ 2003

Larry Hedgepeth ........................... 1976

Bufford Heller ................................ 1975

David Hill ...................................... 1978

Jack Hill ........................................ 1949

Peter Hollis ................................... 1979

Daniel Horne................................. 1973

Kimberly Hughes .......................... 1985

Jeffrey Hugney ............................. 1988

Robert Hundley............................. 1984

Robert Hungate ................... 1986/1988

Thomas Hunnicutt ........................ 1959

Ricardo Jacquez ........................... 1976

Edward Janney ............................. 1973

Robert Jansen .............................. 1980

Benjamin Jarosz ........................... 1999

Jimmie Jenkins ............................. 1970

James Johnson ............................ 1978

Mitchell Johnson ........................... 1988

David Jordan ................................ 1994

Patricia Jordan.............................. 1979

Williams Joyner ............................ 1965

Matthew Kaiser ............................. 1997

Dennis Kamber ............................. 1963

Govindan Kannan ......................... 1999

Mia Kannik .................................... 1997

Jeffrey Kapinos .................... 1986/1992

Randall Karalus ................... 1981/1995

Marc Killingstad ............................ 1996

Troy Kincer ................................... 1982

T. Alan Kite.................................... 1976

Stephanie Klaus ........................... 2006

Dennis Knight ............................... 1992

Karen Knight ................................. 1988

John Koenig.................................. 1991

Vincent Kohlbecker ....................... 1961

Kenneth Kohut .............................. 1972

Gregory Koontz ............................ 1981

Kevin Krupa .................................. 1976

Jeffrey Kuttesch ............................ 2003

Benjamin Lacy ..................... 1962/1965

Charles Lamb ............................... 1981

Kevin Laptos ................................. 1988

Steven Lavinder............................ 1984

Debra Lawall................................. 1980

Scott Lawson ................................ 2001

Jeffrey Lighthiser .......................... 1977

Charles Linamen .......................... 1971

Alan Lingerfelt............................... 1976

James Link ................................... 1958

Clifford Lissenden ......................... 1985

Charles Logan .............................. 1985

Jon Loker ...................................... 1958

Liane Long .................................... 1986

Stephen Long ............................... 1983

Brenda Louie ................................ 2005

Ronald Love ................................. 1977

James Lowe ................................. 1978

William Lucas ............................... 1978

R. Bruce Lucas ............................. 1972

Daniel Lynch ................................. 1989

Gary Lynn ..................................... 1988

David Maloney .............................. 1991

Jeffrey Mann ................................. 1990

Peter Maratta ................................ 1975

Donald Marickovich ...................... 1990

Burton Marshall ............................ 1958

Donald Martin ............................... 1974

Michael Martin .............................. 1974

Ray E. Martin ................................ 1964

Peter Mattejat ...................... 1984/1985

Lisa McAdam ................................ 1983

Fred McConnell ............................ 1972

Timothy McCormick ............. 1983/1984

Francis McCreery ......................... 1967

Samuel McGhee ........................... 1962

Bryan McIlwee .............................. 2001

Jeffrey McInnis ............................. 1996

Charles McKenzie ........................ 1969

Richard McLaughlin ...................... 1973

Laurie McNeill ............................... 2000

Chester McPhatter........................ 1993

Amy Meli ....................................... 1998

Peter Merkle ................................. 1995

Stephen Michalak ......................... 1984

Robert Miller ................................. 1967

Tracy Miller Jackson ..................... 1992

Colleen Montgomery .................... 1990

via donors


Henry Moore ................................. 1940

Paula Moore ................................. 1996

Franklin Moore.............................. 1959

Anthony Moraco ........................... 1984

Herbert Morgan ............................ 1975

Marsha Morgan ............................ 1972

Robert Moser ................................ 1997

Jonathan Moyers .......................... 1998

Michael Muron .............................. 1984

Eddie Murphy ............................... 1978

A. Ross Myers .............................. 1972

Soonkie Nam ................................ 2005

Kelly Nash .................................... 1995

Charles Newhouse .............. 1993/2005

Albert Nichols ............................... 1962

James Nichols .............................. 1943

Kathleen Noonan .......................... 1992

Kerry Nothnagel................... 1965/1968

Robert Notte ................................. 1997

Nathaniel Nottingham ................... 1949

Daniel O’Connor .................. 1978/1980

Raymond O’Donnell ..................... 1980

Morris Oliver ................................. 1987

David Oshinski.............................. 1981

Robert Painter .............................. 1948

Jeffrey Parks ........................ 2001/2005

Steven Paulovich .......................... 2000

Mark Perry .................................... 1995

Kimberly Perry ..................... 1977/1979

John Peter .................................... 1980

Carl Peterson................................ 1960

Lawrence Phipps .......................... 1960

Daniel Phlegar .............................. 1970

Warren Poarch .................... 1966/1972

Nancy Powell ................................ 1977

Dwight Powell ............................... 1958

Brian Prowell ................................ 1992

Marcia Prowell .............................. 1992

Archie Pugh .................................. 1990

Carl Pugh...................................... 1985

Michael Quillen ............................. 1970

Marie Raffay ................................. 1991

Michael Ramsey ........................... 1979

Robert Rees ................................. 1986

via donors

Glenn Rehberger .......................... 1969

Terrell Reid ................................... 1970

Jason Reiner ................................ 1981

Gregory Reisch............................. 1983

A. Wayne Reynolds ...................... 1962

Linvil Rich ..................................... 1947

James Richards ............................ 1968

Joseph Riding ............................... 1959

Jack Rinker ................................... 1961

Randolph Rivinus ......................... 1968

Millard Robbins .................... 1956/1965

Mark Roberts ................................ 1995

Joseph Robinson ................. 1985/1989

Larado Robinson .......................... 1985

Steven Rosen ............................... 1990

Lisa Ross ............................. 1990/1996

Richard Rountree ......................... 1963

Richard Ruckman ......................... 1981

Aldelmo Ruiz-Santiago ................. 1949

Saulio Saleta ................................ 2002

James Schaub .............................. 1948

George Schulte.................... 1971/1973

Ted Scott....................................... 1995

William Scruggs ........................... 1960

Anu Shah ...................................... 1990

Brett Shankles .............................. 2002

Philip Shucet................................. 1972

B. Leon Shumate .......................... 1951

Bernard Shumate ......................... 1980

Michael Siburt ............................... 2004

Clyde Simmers ............................ 1971

Howell Simmons .................. 1960/1963

Jennifer Simmons ................ 1995/2004

Larry Simmons ............................. 1969

Carol Sinclair ................................ 1983

J. Keith Sinclair ............................. 1975

Anthony Sklanka........................... 1975

Brian Smith ................................... 1999

Robert Spitzer............................... 1981

Brian Staak ................................... 2006

David Stader ................................. 1997

Bryan Stevenson .......................... 1996

Jack Stewart ................................. 1953

Harvey Strawsnyder ..................... 1971

Richard String ............................... 1988

Karen Sturgis ....................... 2000/2002

Todd Swanson .............................. 1974

Richard Swartout .......................... 1969

Robert Szukelewicz ...................... 1982

John Taylor ................................... 1979

Michael Taylor ............................... 2000

Matthew Thomas .......................... 2005

Sean Thorne ................................. 2003

Dominic Tiburzi ............................. 1974

Monica Tiburzi .............................. 2003

J. Allan Tice .................................. 1965

Samuel Tignor .............................. 1958

John Torell .................................... 1993

Francisco Torres ........................... 1988

Thomas Traver .................... 2000/2002

Louis Trigg .................................... 1950

Randall Tritt .................................. 2002

Dennis Truax ................................ 1976

Steven Tschetter ........................... 1992

Frederick Turner ........................... 1959

Rod Turochy ................................. 1991

Nicholas Turpen............................ 2005

Nathan Umberger ......................... 2005

Harald Van Aller ............................ 1979

Lisa VanLandinham ...................... 1994

Donald Vaughn ............................. 1958

Leo A. Vecellio, Jr. ........................ 1968

Matthew Wagner .......................... 2000

Thomas Waldrop .......................... 1951

Darryl Walker ................................ 1988

William Ward ................................ 1995

Thomas Washington ..................... 1953

Christopher Weaver ...................... 2005

Wells Estate .................................. 1958

Edward Westerman ...................... 1993

Robert White................................. 1950

Eric Whitney ................................. 1997

Ronald Worley .............................. 1971

Bruce Wright ................................. 1980

Ker-Jen Ying ................................. 1991

Jerzy Zemajtis .............................. 1998

Jennifer Zinck ............................... 2005


via donors

Michael Abraham

Ronald Abramson

Accenture Foundation Inc

Craig Adams

Robert Adamski

Advanced Production Systems Inc. Advanced Structural Concepts

AISC Education Foundation

Ann Ainsworth

Tracie Akins

Jason Alexander

Roberta Alexander

American Council of Engineering Companies

ACEC - Virginia

American Infrastructure

American Institute for Steel Construction

American Society of Civil Engineers George Anderson

Anderson & Associates, Inc.

APWA - Suncoast Branch

Friends Who Contributedto CEE in 2006-2007

ARCADIS

Ardaman & Associates, Inc.

Michael Arotis

H. Pat Artis

ASCE Metropolitan Los Angeles Branch

ASCE Peninsula Branch

Katelyn Asselin

ATAC Corporation

Atlantic Constructors Inc.

Auburn Student Chapter- ASCE

Baker Properties Group

Balzer and Associates, Inc.

Neal Banerjee

Kate Barald

Kristin Barmoy

Shannon Bartelt-Hunt

Ross Bassett

Sunanda Basu

Romesh Batra

BE&K Government Group, Inc.

Bechtel Foundation

Philip Berdis

Margaret Besse

Nageshwar Bhaskar

Inder Bhoovaraghan

Peter Bjornberg

Black & Veatch Corporation

Terri Blackmar

Blacksburg Christiansburg VPI Water Authority

Arlys Blakey

Lee Block

Dennis Bluhm

Bradley Bodman

Bohler Engineering

Michelle Boltz

Cindy Booth

Donald Both

Bowman Consulting Group

Jared Bramblett

Diane Briggs

Christopher Brown

Kathleen Buchholtz

Lisa Burge

Douglas Burt

Cafe Right Angle

Caliper Corporation

Campbell & Paris Engineers

Cynthia Cardin

Dennis Carper

Kathleen Carroll

Traci Case

Amy Caywood

CH2M Hill Foundation

Michael Chambers

Bhargavi Chavali

Loni Chewning

Lee Chin

Christopher Consultants, Ltd.

Ciesla for Senate

Daniel Clayton

John Clements

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Achievement Awards for 2007 were presented to five Distinguished Alumni and to three Outstanding Young Alumni. Pictured together as one group, from left to right, are: Louis L. Guy, Jr., Steve Mein-inger, Michael C. Brown, J.W. Bonniville, Patrick Shaffner, Don Garst, Anne Ellis, Dan Carson, and Raymond Curry, Jr.


via donors

CMAA at Virginia Tech

Pamela Colesworthy

Joe Collins

Computers and Structures, Inc.

Dinshaw Contractor

Monica Cook

Cordilleran Compliance Services, Inc.

Cortech Systems LC

Angela Cottrell

Loran Courpet

Edwin Cruz

CSSI, Inc.

Stephanie Cumbie

Lisa Dafoe

William Davidge

Janet Davis

Roy Davis

Thomas Decker

Tim Dell

Sidney Dewberry

Dewberry & Davis, LLC

Robert Diamond

Pamela Digges

Panayiotis Diplas

Draper Aden Associates

Lynn Dunaway

Dana Dykhouse

W. Samuel Easterling

ECS Corporate Services LLC

The Eddy Group

James Edzwald

Lauren Eskra

Jeffrey Evans

Ronald Ewing

Fairfax County (VA)

Edward Farquhar

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund

George Filz

Matthew Findley

Patrick Fite

Edwin Fleischer

Fluor Foundation

JoAnna Fonville

Nancy Forbes

Patricia Forbes

James Foster

Mark French

Karen Fry

Rajender Gaddam

Philip Gammon

Gannett Fleming, Inc.

Don Garst

Teresa Gates

GE Foundation

GeoConcepts Engineering, Inc.

Geopier Foundation Company, Inc.

GeoSyntec Consultants

Geosynthetic Institute

Mary Gibson

Donald Goldberg

Golder Associates, Inc.

David Good

Robert Gore

Serengulam Govindan

Laura Grablutz

Greenhorne & O’Mara

Vineela Griddaluru

Julia Groff

D.J. Hagerty

Shannon Hair

Haley & Aldrich

Kathleen Hall

Maureen Hall

Hannum, Wagle & Cline Engineering

Shawn Harden

Leland Harms

Roswell Harris

Paula Harrison

William Hawes

Hayward Baker Company

Thurman Heironimus

Ann Heltzel

Mark Henson

Eric Hersh

Floyd Hetzer

David Higie

Len Hill

Denise Hiner

Thomson Hirst

Louise Hoang

Charles Hoke

Patrick Holden

Jean Holman

Henry Holtzmann

Robert Hopson

Paul Huang

Dodie Hudson

Mary Hughes

M.R. Humphrey

Emily Humphreys

Troy Hunter

Daniele Huntington

Barry Hurff

Salih Iddrisu

Rosalind Ivory

Gopalkrishnan Iyer

Joan James

Bob Jansen

John M. Anderson Construction Company Corp.

Gary Johnson

John Jones

Larry Jones

Sherry Jones

Vijay Kadayam

Kiran Kambhampati

Edward Kavazanjian

Stephen Keighton

Sid Kere


via donors

Ellen Kerley

Linda Kessler

Theresa Kidwell

Kiewit Constructors, Inc.

Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc.

Ronald King

Gary Kirkbride

Deanna Knobelspiesse

William Knocke

Marcia Kolankiewicz

Deborah Koller

Lawrence Kroll

Scott Kroll

Kevin Kulick

Kyle LaClair

Jill Landsman

Langan Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc.

Philip LaRocque

Mary Ann Lees

Ford Legarreta

Brian Leonard

John Leonardis

John Leonardis

Jennifer Lester

Littleton Lewis

Lingerfelt Family Foundation

Laura Linn

Janice Lively

Suzanne Locklair

Nancy and Brian Love

Malcolm Pirnie

Sanjeev Malushte

Paul Manno

Maryland Land Design

David Maxwell

Deborah Mayo

McCandlish & Lillard, PC

Richard McCannell

Susan McClean

Mark McGinley

McKinney & Company

McMahon Associates, Inc.

Kevin McNiff

Andrea McSweeney

Renee Medlin

Michael Baker Corporation

W.W. Miles

George Miller

Ivy Miller

Montserrat Mintz

Jeanne Miraglia

Pradyumna Misra

James K. Mitchell

Jean Mitchell

J.P. Mohsen

Laura Monahan

Gerard Mrykalo

Maragret Mueller-Tyler

Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers

Richard Murch

National Ground Water Association

Clifford Nelson

Dani Newcomb

Nicholson Construction Company

Dell Nunaley

NXL Construction Services, Inc.

Michael O’Leary

Lawrence Olinger

Omega Phi Beta Sorority Inc.

Yusuke Orito

Joseph Paciulli

Paciulli, Simmons & Associates, Ltd.

Subramanian Palaniappan

Daniel Palkovic

Elena Pangilinan

Mary Parola

Priti Patel

Therese Payne

PB Foundation, Inc.

Terry Pearson

Pembroke Construction Co.

Richard Pennock

Margaret Perkinson

Marianne Peterson

Catherine Piche

Josephine Pillis

Vicki Pillis

Pioneer Environmental Assoicates, LLC

Charles Pittinger

Dan Pleasant

Subhadra Ponnada

Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute

Frederick Pribble

John Primm

PSU/ITE Student Chapter

Irwin Radezky

Deborah Radisch

Ramaswamy Raghavan

Railroad Mall Properties

Shrikant Ramdas

Ravindra Rao

R.R. Rasmussen

Janet Raymond

Rodney Redwing

Mark Reiner

Barbara Rekart

Christopher Reseigh

Donald Reynolds

Scott Reynolds

Marc Richman

Richmond Joint Engineers’ Council

Theodore Rieger

Rinker Design Associates, P.C.

Louis Robbins

Kimberly Roberts

Rockaway Consulting, Inc.

Rockwell Automation Charitable Corporation

Jonathan Roller


via donors

Christopher Romanowski

Dennis Rooney

Derek Rosenberg

Patricia Rosensteel

Matthew Rudolph

Timothy Rudolph

Stephen Ryan

S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation

S&ME

Alex Sabo

Robin Sadler

Susan Sajadi

Lynn Salmon

San Diego Younger Member Forum ASCE

Melanie Sattler-Dennis

Laurence Sauter

Benjamin Schafer

Fred Schardein

Sarah Scharff

Jamie Schiller

Elizabeth Schmitt

Schnabel Engineering Associates

Schnabel Foundation Company

Tamara Sheldon

David Simon

Simpson Strong Tie Company, Inc.

Julia Skare

SME Chicago Chapter 5

C.J. Smith

Josila Smith

Paula Snow

Bhaskar Sompalli

Gale Sosebee

Dorothy Spindle

Jane Sporleder

Springdale Community Church

Justin Staley

Michael Stallings

Winifred Stambaugh

Stanley D. Lindsey & Assoc. LTD

Stearns & Wheeler LLC

Cheryl Stockton

Pat Subramanian

Julie Sueker

Syed Suhaib

Zhihui Sun

T.J. Willard & Associates, Inc.

Maher Tadros

Jason Takacs

Mary Faith Tantillo

James Taylor

Tellico Village

Prabhakar Thaniksasalam

The Studio at Cathy’s LLC

Carlene Thomas

Kurt Thompson

Ruth Timpe

Christine Todd

Charles Tomasch

Rosaleen Tomasch

Joseph Tomlinson

Sue Traub

Rohitkumar Trevedi

Treviicos Corporation

Brenda Tudge

Charles Ulrich

URS

Shane Ussery

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

USACOE Waterways Exp. Station

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

VA AWWA

Valentine Engineering Associates, Inc.

Mike Vallancourt

Van Meter Industrial, Inc.

Robert Van Vranken

Jerry Varnon

VCC

Vecellio Family Foundation, Inc.

Vermont Section ASCE

Alan Veverka

Virginia Dept of Transportation

Virginia Geotechnical Services

Kenneth Wagner

John Walker

Richard Walker

Walker Title, LLC

Jennifer Wall

Walter P. Moore and Associates, Inc.

Eleni Ward

Stephen Webb

Aen Webster

T.A. Weigel

Justin Weiler

Brooke Weinstein

Whiting-Turner Contracting Company Inc.

Thirza Whitney

Mark Widdowson

Mildred Wiggert

Wiley & Wilson, Inc.

Wilkes University

William L. Berry Family Foundation

Brooke Williams

Beverly Williges

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Assoicates, Inc.

Mark Witek

Susan Wolf

Lisa Wolff

Sharon Wood

Liang Wu

Andrea Yakubovich

Jung Yoon

Michael Younts

Larry Zimmerman

Peng Zin

Petrovic Zlatko

InsideBackCover

The Charles E. Via, Jr.Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering200 Patton Hall, Virginia TechBlacksburg VA 24060

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDBlacksburg VA

24060Permit No. 28

www.cee.vt.edu

new the charles e. via, jr. department of civil and environmental … · 2016. 11. 17. ·...

Documents