Page 3 - CEGE Magazine - Fall 2021

CEGENEWS
UNIVERSITY
The UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA made the Star Tribune’s list of Minnesota Top Workplaces (August 2021).
FACULTY
BILL ARNOLD’S research on levels of quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) was featured in Chemical and Engineering News (c&en, August 2021). Quats are commonly used in disinfec- tants, sanitizing wipes, and personal care products. During the COVID-19 pandemic, disinfectant use has shot
up, and half the disinfectants approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency to fight the virus that causes COVID-19, contain quats. Even though quat disinfectants are essential for slow- ing the spread of disease, Arnold and his team are concerned that increased use could have long-term negative environmental consequences (Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2020, DOI: 10.1021/ acs.estlett.0c00437). Researchers are also concerned that an elevated quat presence in the environment could spur the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. While rapid biodegradation
of quats is desirable in wastewater treatment plants, this ability could be problematic if the trait reaches bacteria in the wider environment. That could render quats ineffective where they are needed, such as in hospitals. Research- ers’ efforts could help avoid unintended long-term consequences of quat use and help quats remain effective disin- fectants for years to come (article by XiaoZhi Lim).
A paper by GARY DAVIS was featured as the Editor’s Choice of the Journal of Transportation Engineering Part A: Systems for Issue 4 in April 2021. The paper, “Traffic density versus rear-end
crash risk on freeways: Empirical model, mechanism model, and transfer to auto- mated vehicles,” was co-authored by INDRAJIT CHATTERJEE (Ph.D. 2016), JINGRU GAO, a current Ph.D. student, and JOHN HOURDOS, Research Associate Professor and Director of the Minnesota Traffic Observatory.
A new NSF Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site has been located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The pur- pose of the site is to study dynamic
and diverse relationships between urban nature and people. Sarah Hobbie (Ecology, Evolution & Behavior) is
the Principal Investigator. XUE FENG described her involvement, “The bene- fits and burdens of urban nature are not equally shared by all, so a large focus of the study is to engage with underserved communities and learn about effective policy interventions that can improve environmental outcomes for all city resi- dents. These efforts will be important as we undergo climate and social change. My group will specifically investigate how stormwater moves through the urban watershed, which is a patch- work of “grey” (built) infrastructure and “green” natural areas. We are working with computer models and data from watershed management districts around the Twin Cities to understand how urban watersheds can reduce flooding, cool neighborhoods, and carry pollutants downstream through this patchwork.” (https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_ reports/announcements/031021.01.jsp)
BEN DYMOND (Ph.D. 2015), CATHERINE FRENCH, and CAROL SHIELD received the ASCE T.Y. Lin paper award for “Inelastic Shear Distribution in Pre- stressed Concrete Girder Bridges,” pub- lished in ACI Structural Journal in July 2019. This distinction is awarded annually to a single paper selected from among all prestressed concrete papers published in the journals of the Ameri- can Society of Civil Engineers, the American Concrete Institute, and the Prestressed Concrete Institute. The award will be presented during the 2022
Structures Congress. Dymond, Associ- ate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth, is a former graduate student co-advised by French and Shield. The ASCE Pre- stressed Concrete Award was endowed in 1968 by T.Y. Lin, F.ASCE, to encour- age the preparation of meaningful papers in the designated field of endeavor.
JOHN HOURDOS (top photos, maroon shirt) attended the FDIC Expo in August 2021 where he demonstrated the “Super Ambulance,” a mobile unit designed to aid people in cardiac arrest. The unit pairs advanced medical technology, including an ECMO machine, with virtual reality. It includes a 3D panoramic view camera, which creates an environment where medical specialists can interact with patients and emergency responders in real time. Hourdos is also the director of the Minnesota Traffic Observatory, which operates a similar live camera observa- tion system for metro-area freeways.
MICHAEL LEVIN’S
research is helping improve traffic safety via “talking” cars. Manufactur- ers are developing
vehicles that will “talk” to each other to avoid crashes. In an article from the Center for Transportation Studies (August 18, 2021), Levin explained, “Vehicles will broadcast basic safety
University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering | DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND GEO- ENGINEERING 3