News
| | CEE Ph.D. student presents poster at Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference • November 2009 Keith Leffler presented a poster titled "Analysis of Changes in the Onset and Duration of Coastal Upwelling of the Pacific Northwest" at the bieenial conference of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, held Nov 1-5, 2009 in Portland. | | | Prof. Chris Monsere gave an invited presentation at the Innovations in Congestion Monitoring Workshop • October 2009 Prof. Chris Monsere gave an invited presentation at the Innovations in Congestion Monitoring Workshop about the Intelligent Transportation Systems Lab recent activities related to congestion monitoring in Beijing China October 28-29, 2009. The workshop was sponsored by the Beijing Transportation Research Center and co-sponsored by the Beijing Municipal Committee of Transportation, the Texas Transportation Institute, and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Performance Measures Committee. | | | Dr. Christopher Mooers awarded $1.2 million grant • October 2009 The Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA), a large consortium of oil & gas companies and universities sponsored by DOE, announced an award of $1,248,000 to PSU, with cost sharing from CASE-JIP, a consortium of Gulf of Mexico offshore oil & gas companies, of $252,000, for a grand total of $1.5M. The project duration is 30 months, and it is anticipated to begin in January 2010. The project is concerned with evaluating the absolute and relative skill of several state-of-the-science, data-assimilative, forecast models for the spatially complex, time-dependent, 3-D ocean circulation of the Gulf of Mexico in the context of safe and efficient deep water oil & gas exploration and production, and in the context of societal concerns with environmental and ecological management. PSU, together with data management colleagues at Texas A&M University and modeling partners, will evaluate operational models from the Navy and NOAA and research models from the Naval Research Laboratory, Princeton University, North Carolina State University, and University of California at Los Angeles/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Res. Prof. Mooers is the PI and Dr. Ed Zaron, also of CEE, is participating in the analyses. The overall aim of the project is to demonstrate and recommend a prototype operational ocean prediction system for the Gulf of Mexico, which may be based on a single model or an ensemble of models, plus supporting real-time observations from satellites and in situ observing systems. | | | Drs. David Jay and Ed Zaron awarded $779,436 grant from NSF • September 2009 Secular Trends in Pacific Tides, David A. Jay and Edward Zaron, $779,436, September 2009-August 2013. This program derives from the recent discovery (Jay, 2009) that tides are growing in amplitude in the Northeast Pacific Ocean at about 2.2% per century, orders of magnitude faster than can be explained by changes in astronomical forcing. Tidal trends will be determined for the entire Pacific Ocean, and the causes of the trends will be analyzed using numerical tidal models. Preliminary results suggest that tidal evolution may be a symptom of global warming. | | | PSU Membership in NANOOS • August 2009 PSU has accepted an invitation to join the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), which covers the coastal ocean of Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. NANOOS (http://www.nanoos.org) is one of eleven regional associations covering the USA’s coastal ocean (i.e., the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)). As such, it contributes to the coastal ocean component of the USA’s Integrated (and Sustained) Ocean Observing System (IOOS). (NOTE: IOOS also has a global ocean component.)
IOOS is an emergent operational (i.e., real-time and sustained) information system for synoptic, prospective, and retrospective ocean state estimation integrating across several disciplines for scientific research and societal applications. Hence, it comprises three major subsystems: observing (in situ and remote sensing), modeling & analysis (numerical and statistical), and information management (Web-based, real-time, interoperable). PSU potentially has functional interests in all three subsystems, especially for the Columbia River estuary and its interactions with the Oregon and Washington continental shelves. As an evolutionary and complex system, one of the interesting management and intellectual challenges for IOOS is the eventual adoption of a Systems Engineering approach to rationalize its design, performance evaluation, balance between subsystems, adoption of technological and methodological upgrades, etc. Not well-delineated yet are the essential long-term partnerships between the R&D and Operational Oceanography communities, and the crucial enabling human resource requirements.
NANOOS was formed in 2003 under the regional leadership provided primarily by UW, OSU, OHSU, and HSU, and with participation by federal, state, and local government agencies, tribes, and the private sector. Membership in NANOOS offers PSU a stewardship role in an important ocean science and technology activity that relates to the sustainability of the Pacific Northwest, and which may lead to research, educational, and service opportunities for PSU faculty and students. Because of his long history of prior involvement in IOOS, Research Professor Chris Mooers, CEE has been designated PSU’s Member Representative to the NANOOS Executive Council.
| | | Professor Robert Bertini Appointed Deputy Administrator of RITA • August 2009 Dr. Robert Bertini was selected as Deputy Administrator for the federal government’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). He will be on a leave of absence from PSU while overseeing RITA’s 700 employees. RITA studies a variety of transportation issues ranging from bridge/highway safety to flight delays at airports. | | |  Chi Epsilon Holds Induction Ceremony • June 2009 Chi Epsilon, Oregon Alpha, held its second initiation ceremony on June 11, 2009. Twenty undergraduate students were initiated. These students are recognized for having demonstrated outstanding scholastic record and demonstrating interest in Civil Engineering. Officers for the 2009-10 academic year were elected: Conner Lamb -President; Carl Olson- Vice President; Joel Weakland-Secretary / Treasurer; Meredith Richards-Editor; Cameron Alexander -Marshall. See more Congratulations! | | |  CEE student awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship • April 2009 Alex Bigazzi, currently an undergraduate research assistant in the ITS Lab at PSU, has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. NSF Fellowships are generous three-year awards in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. "NSF Fellows are expected to become knowledge experts who can contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering." Alex will begin graduate studies at PSU in the fall. | | | Trevor Smith Recognized for 25 Years of Service to PSU • March 2009 Dr. Trevor Smith was recognized for his 25 years of service at Portland State University in the Length of Service Awards held at the Smith Center Ballroom.
Congratulations Dr. Smith! We look forward to many more! | | | Three Westview High School seniors, mentored by Keith Leffler and Dr. David Jay, have won Best in Fair at the Beaverton-Hillsboro Science Expo • March 2009 Three Westview High School seniors, mentored by Keith Leffler and Dr. David Jay, have won Best in Fair at the Beaverton-Hillsboro Science Expo, the largest regional Intel International Science and Engineering affiliated fair in Oregon. By winning Best of Fair, Peter Landgren, Maanas Tripathi, and Harish Vemuri advance to both the Intel Northwest Science Expo held at PSU on April 3, 2009 and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, held this year in Reno, NV from May 10-15, 2009.
Their project, "Turning the Ocean Upside Down: A Study in Trends of Coastal Upwelling Along the Pacific Northwest Coast", uses a novel application of wavelet methods to detect the onset and duration of coastal upwelling. Upwelling, an annual phenomena driven by summer wind patterns, brings nutrients to surface waters, which enhance primary biological productivity. Changes in the timing of upwelling could have adverse ecological consequences, as illustrated by an extremely late onset of upwelling in the spring of 2005 which contributed to low salmon populations and complete closure of salmon fishing south of Tillamook, Oregon in 2008. Current methods generally do not allow retrospective analysis prior to 1967. In contrast, the wavelet methods are shown to give reliable estimates of the onset of upwelling from tidal records alone, which extend back into the 19th century in the Pacific Northwest.
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, annually provides a forum for more than 1,500 high school students from over 40 countries to showcase their independent research. The Intel ISEF is the premiere science competition in the world exclusively for students in grades 9–12.
Each year, millions of students worldwide compete in local and school-sponsored science fairs; the winners of these events go on to participate in Intel ISEF-affiliated regional and state fairs from which the best win the opportunity to attend the Intel ISEF. The Intel ISEF unites these top young scientific minds, showcasing their talent on an international stage, enabling them to submit their work to judging by doctoral level scientists—and providing the opportunity to compete for nearly $4 million in prizes and scholarships. | | | The PORTAL project in the ITS Lab recently released a video depicting 1,000 days of bottlenecks on northbound I-5 in Portland. • March 2009 Using data collected from ODOT freeway sensors, the PORTAL team has developed a mechanism for identifying bottlenecks and characterizing their impact on freeway performance. For more information see http://portal.its.pdx.edu. | | | Drs. David Jay and Jaiyi Pan awarded $386,534 grant from NSF • March 2009 Dynamics of a Rotating, Supercritical Large-River Plume, David A. Jay and Jiayi Pan, $386,534, March 2009-February 2013. The rapidly moving tidal plume emerging from the Columbia River interacts with the coastal upwelling system in a way that enhances coastal biological productivity. This project analyzes the dynamics of initial plume motion using data analyses, analytical and numerical models, and remote sensing. | | |  Professor James F. Pankow Elected to Prestigious National Academy of Engineering • February 2009 Portland State University is pleased to announce that Professor James F. Pankow was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering (NAE) on February 6.
Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature," and to the "pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.
The NAE shares responsibility with the National Academy of Sciences to advise the federal government on questions of policy in science and technology.
Pankow, a professor with a joint appoint in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science and Department of Chemistry in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, earned the honor for his extraordinary contributions to the fields of environmental analytical methods, and his internationally regarded work in the behavior of air pollutants and aerosol particles in the earth's atmosphere. His ground¬breaking work on this theory, which is used in climate change re¬search, resulted in his re-ceipt of the 1999 American Chemi¬cal Society Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Tech¬no¬logy, and of the 2005 Haagen-Smit Prize. He has been listed as a "highly cited researcher" since 2003.
Pankow is also very interested in contaminants in drinking water, and has recently secured a new five year project from the U.S.G.S on that topic. He is the author of more than 130 peer-reviewed publications, and four books. Pankow’s academic training combined basic chemistry (B.A., SUNY, 1973) with engi¬neer¬ing (Ph.D., Caltech, 1979).
Pankow’s election to this elite institution makes him the only professor currently active in the state of Oregon to belong to the NAE. Pankow joins an exclusive group; among the other NAE inductees for 2009 are Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, and Dr. Matthew O'Donnell, Dean of Engineering at the University of Washington.
| | |  CEE Alum Zachary Horowitz wins CUTC's Neville A. Parker Award • December 2008 Zachary Horowitz’s paper, “Freight Railroad Capacity Alternatives in the Pacific Northwest: An Analysis of Class I Cooperation in the Columbia River Gorge” won the Neville A. Parker Award for Outstanding Non-thesis Masters Degree Paper in Policy and Planning from CUTC (Council of University Transportation Centers). He is the first student from the state of Oregon to win a CUTC award. His paper examined the impact of freight railroad traffic volumes in the Pacific Northwest, which are rapidly increasing toward capacity. Using OpenTrack, a railroad simulation software application developed at the Swiss Institute of Technology in Zurich, the paper explored the potential benefits of a directional operating strategy in which the two railroad companies, BNSF Railway and Union Pacific, would combine their track and communication infrastructure. The results of the simulation model showed that the cooperative directional operating strategy has the potential to substantially increase capacity in the Columbia River corridor.
Mr. Horowitz completed a M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Portland State University in 2007. While at Portland State University, he studied traffic capacity analysis on Oregon highway 217 and presented his original research at the Transportation Research Board, ITE, and Transportation Northwest conferences. He also took on a number of student leadership roles, including co-organizing the 2006 TransNow student conference and serving as fundraising coordinator for the 2005 ITE District 6 Annual Meeting. Mr. Horowitz now works for David Evans and Associates as a transportation planner on the Columbia River Crossing project. Zach's advisors were Dr. Monsere and Dr. Bertini | | |  CEE students Bigazzi and Crichlow-Weick awarded the Coral Sales / Douglas P. Daniels Scholarship • December 2008 Alex Bigazzi and Olivia Crichlow-Weick were awarded the Coral Sales / Douglas P. Daniels Scholarships for the 2008 academic year. Coral Sales Company of Milwaukie, Oregon college scholarship program began in 1987 to provide scholarships for men and women majoring in Transportation Engineering and Construction Engineering at sixteen Colleges and Universities in the Pacific Northwest. The intent of the scholarship is to support students in the transportation field who are involved in their area of study as well as the future of their communities. From left to right, Olivia Crichlow-Weick, Carolyn Vail (President), Lauren Van Bishler (Coral Sales), and Alex Bigazzi. Congratulations Alex and Olivia! | | | Green Building Research in CEE • October 2008 In the past ten years green building construction, a process which aims to decrease environmental impact of buildings through recycled materials and improved efficiency, has taken root. A Portland State University professor, Peter Dusicka, Ph.D., P.E., is engaging directly with the community to study the seismic performance of green building materials.
Dusicka, an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University, has teamed up with a Portland-area start-up company to further develop products used in the construction of green buildings.
“Green building features are often not incorporated in structural elements of a building and currently little research exists on how public safety gets balanced with the new materials, especially during seismic events,” says Dusicka.
Dusicka and his team of student researchers, one graduate student and two undergraduate students, in the infraStructure Testing and Applied Research (iSTAR) Laboratory create full-scale building walls using recycled plastic and reinforced concrete. Using hydraulic actuators the research team is able to simulate seismic conditions and test the walls to the point of destruction. If the wall construction is suitable for the Pacific Northwest it will eventually be tested on the iSTAR Laboratory’s shake table. Dusicka hopes his research findings will be useful in further promoting green building construction.
Dusicka is directing research in the iSTAR Laboratory and works on other sustainability related infrastructure projects in collaboration with the Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University and faculty from the University of Washington and California State University, Los Angeles. The mission of the iSTAR Laboratory is to enhance durability and improve functionality of our infrastructure by conducting applied research and disseminating the gained knowledge to all sectors of the engineering community as well as the general public.
The Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University creates an inspiring educational and research environment for students, faculty, and staff to expand knowledge and improve lives through innovation in research and engineering education. The hallmark of the college is a locally relevant and globally significant impact, demonstrated by: a diverse portfolio of collaborative and cross-disciplinary research; exceptional students who apply cutting-edge research to current issues and who are sought after in the global market; strong partnerships with industry, government, and non-profit organizations that promote economic opportunities and contribute to the economic development of the region.
~by Danielle Cox, MCECS External Relations Coordinator | | |  New faculty member gives keynote address at MCECS Alumni event • October 2008 Dr. Jim Pankow gave a lecture entitled "Ending the Hubris: Engineering and Sustainability in the 21st Century." In addition to this lecture the Maseeh College was pleased to announce two large donations.
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has generously invested in the DTNA Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, which will allow the College to equip the Laboratory with state-of-the-art work stations and systems that will allow our students to experience a true hands-on engineering education. The DTNA Fluid Mechanics Laboratory supports students who are pursing degrees in Civil and Mechanical Engineering. Undergraduate fluid mechanic classes are at historic highs reflecting the popularity and growth of undergraduate engineering at PSU. DTNA’s gift will allow the College to accommodate the increase in student enrollment.
Intel’s contribution will support the College’s Department of Computer Science Capstone Laboratory and the Systems and Networking Laboratory. Both laboratories will receive equipment upgrades to improve the hands-on education students receive in computer science. The Computer Science Capstone Laboratory is used by every student pursuing an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and will be renamed the Intel Computer Science Capstone Laboratory, in recognition of Intel’s gift. The Systems and Networking Laboratory is used for a variety of activities including the Saturday Academy high school program, high school science fair projects, undergraduate and graduate education and research in the areas of systems, networking and security, and research collaborations with Intel employees. | | |  Peter Dusicka receives National Science Foundation grant • September 2008 Peter Dusicka, Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty, received a $349,600 grant from the National Science Foundation for development of an innovative structural system for steel frame buildings. The project also involves collaboration with faculty at University of Washington and California State University in Los Angeles. Congratulations Dr. Dusicka! | | | Bertini and Jay promoted to full professors • September 2008 Robert Bertini and David Jay have been promoted to full Professors in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Portland State University effective September 16, 2008. Congratulations! | | |  CEE Students win University-wide Awards • June 2008 Three CEE students were presented with the President's Award. Matt Jordan, a senior in Civil and Environmental Engineering, was recognized for Outstanding Community Engagement. He was also one of two students invited to speak at the luncheon event.Jesse McLaughlin, a senior in Civil and Environmental Engineering, was recognized for Outstanding University Service. Recipients receive a $100 honorarium in addition to being acknowledged at the luncheon and are profiled in a display case on the second floor of Smith Memorial Student Union for one entire year. The General Student Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate selects recipients of Presidents Awards. Shown in the photo, from left to right: Fouad Aljuhani - ETM student, Dundar Kocaoglu - Chair of ETM, Dean Bob Dryden, Jesse McLaughlin - CEE student, Matt Jordan - CEE student, Bill Fish - Acting Chair of CEE. | | |  Dr. Bill Fish was awarded the John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teaching Award • June 2008 Dr. Bill Fish, Acting Chair and Professor of CEE, was awarded the John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teaching Award. This award recognizes excellence in teaching as determined by the students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences where Dr. Fish (pictured below at center) is appointed in the Department of Environmental Science and Resources. | | |   Chi Epsilon Chapter Installed at PSU • June 2008
We are Oregon Alpha! Twenty-nine students were initiated as the founding class of the new chapter of the Chi Epsilon National Civil Engineering Honor Society at Portland State University. The PSU chapter is the first chapter to be established in Oregon and is designated Oregon Alpha. Officers Deanna Hutchinson (President), Brian Leatham (Vice-President), Paul Worrlein (Secretary / Treasurer and Editor), and Jack Dahl (Marshall) were also installed. A reception followed that was attended by the new student members and officers, CEE faculty, and the visiting delegation from Chi Epsilon national headquarters (President Dr. Gregory D. Reedd, National Secretary/Treasurer Dr. Thomas M. Petry, and Rocky Mountain District Councillor Dr. Robert D. Holtz) Chi Epsilon was organized to recognize the characteristics of the individual civil engineer deemed to be fundamental to the successful pursuit of an engineering career, and to aid in the development of those characteristics in the civil engineering student. Founded in 1922 at the University of Illinois, there are currently 123 active chapters at major engineering universities throughout the United States. More information about Chi Epsilon can be found at http://www.chi-epsilon.org/. Congratulations to all - including the past inductees and officers of the Civil Engineering Honor Society at Portland State University! | | | • December 1969 | | | • December 1969 | | |
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