Page 15 - Demo

QIZHI HE, Assistant Professor in CEGE and Affiliated Faculty with the Data Science Initiative, has begun research on a 3M-sponsored seed project. 3M selected five projects in total, including He%u2019s project, %u201cDesigning Micro-Phase Separated Polymer Systems Using Machine Learning and Meso-Scale Simulation.%u201d Qizhi He is developing a GenAI model to encode and generate microphase morphologies. The goal is to validate the model by comparing its generated data against simulation results using a generic copolymer system. If successful, his work will provide a strong foundation for securing external funding and advancing multiscale modeling objectives, including microstructure-informed property upscaling, inverse design of tailored polymer systems, and deeper insights into processing-structure-property relationships. MIKI HONDZO was named ASCE MN 2025 Outstanding Engineer of the Year, indicating that his work has significant practical applications in addressing societal challenges related to environmental and water resource issues. ALIREZA KHANI gave a plenary talk in the Modeling Mobility (MoMo) conference on September 17 on the topic %u201cTransit in Greater Minnesota: Ridership Trends and Technological Opportunities.%u201d The national conference was hosted at UMN McNamara Alumni Center.MICHAEL LEVIN has been selected to receive the 2025 Alfred Noble Prize for his paper, %u201cMax-Pressure Traffic Signal Timing: A Summary of Methodological and Experimental Results,%u201d Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, January 2023. It will be awarded during the Society%u2019s Annual Convention in Seattle, Washington, in October 2025.JOSEPH LABUZ has been awarded a Distinguished Professorship from the College of Science and Engineering. Labuz teaches courses in geoengineering and is co-director of the Center for Geo-processes in Mineral Carbon Storage (GMCS), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs). His research focuses on experimental geomechanics. MIHAI MARASTEANUwas awarded the Richard P. Braun Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding leadership in research and innovation. With colleagues from other universities, Marasteanu led two major national pooled-fund studies on low-temperature cracking in asphalt pavements, which made a significant step toward using fracture tests and mechanics to select crack-resistant asphalt materials and to better predict pavement performance.PEDRAM MORTAZAVI was appointed as an Associate Member of the Canadian Steel Code (CSA S16), as an Editorial Board Member of the Resilient Cities and Structures Journal, as the Vice-Chair of Task Group 06: Extreme Loads in the Structural Stability Research Council, and he received the Outstanding Reviewer Award from the ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering.RAPHAEL STERN was selected for the Hans Fischer Fellowship, which funds a visiting appointment at the Technical University of Munich, travel to Germany, and funding for supervising a graduate student over three years. Stern%u2019s work there will be in the area of transportation network resilience and recovery from disruptive events. JUDY YANG recently received an NSF grant titled %u201cCollaborative Research: Mass Transport Mediated by Microbial Biosurfactants in Unsaturated Porous Media: Multiscale Experimental and Modeling Investigations.%u201d The project builds on her recent discovery that bacteria can generate their own flows in porous media (such as soil and tissues) through the production of biosurfactants.The Advisory Board welcomes a new chair and three new board members. CEGE%u2019s Professional Advisory Board UpdatesMARCUS THOMAS, (PE, BCE 1994) Vice President of Emerging Markets & Services and Senior Principal at Bolton & Menk has been appointed as Board Chair for the CEGE Professional Advisory Board. As chair, Thomas leads a group of 13 CEGE alumni who advise the department leadership on curriculum, student recruitment strategies, and internship and job placement programs, ensuring graduates are wellprepared to enter the workforce. Returning board members: Laura Amundson, Jon Chiglo (WSB), Christie Kearney (NewRange Copper Nickel), Katrina Kessler (MN Pollution Control Agency), Daniel Murphy (MBJ), Robert Osburn (Barr Engineering), Eric Sellman (Meyer Contracting), Sean Swartz (Braun Intertec), and Jean Wallace (MnDOT). MIKE SPACK(PE, BCE 1996) CEO Spack HoldingsCHAD MILLNER(PE, BCE 2000) Director of Engineering, City of Edina MICHAEL STEENSON(PE, BCE 1995) President, ERA Structural Engineering University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering | DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND GEO- ENGINEERING 15