Spring 2022
NEWSLETTER INTELLIGENT and SUSTAINABLE Future
The smart cities of the future are closer than you think. Find out how our department is enabling new frontiers in computing to build more sustainable, intelligent and resilient cities.

View Infographic Message from
the Department Chair A world full of possibilities and new beginnings I am inspired by our faculty, students and staff who have adapted so well and kept our department running during the pandemic. Looking at the way we came together to face these harsh realities, I see a world full of possibilities and new beginnings. At the same time, choosing what research problems to focus on is also an ethical decision. This means that as we educate the engineers, innovators, and technologists of tomorrow, we should also help them build resiliency and character, shaped by a deep understanding of human experience, ethics and the impact, both intended and unintended, of engineering and technology on society. These engineers equipped with technical aptitude, empathy and character can truly be the stewards of our planet and the change makers our world desperately needs. 
 
Dr. Burçin Becerik-Gerber
Dean’s Professor
Chair, Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Can Concrete Heal Its Own Cracks?
Dr. Bora Gencturk

Dr. Gencturk focuses on the durability and resilience of reinforced concrete structures and high-performance materials to withstand extreme events.
  Find out more
Assessing the Health of Buildings
Dr. Audrey Olivier

Dr. Olivier applies data analytics to identify potential risk factors and avoid future hazards in the structures that house and connect us.
  Find out more Spotlight on
Abdulmalik Altuwayjiri Impact of different sources on the oxidative potential of ambient particulate matter PM10

Faculty Advisor: Constantinos Sioutas Spotlight on
Maria Morvillo Improving the computational efficiency of first arrival time uncertainty estimation using a connectivity-based ranking Monte Carlo method Faculty Advisor: Felipe de Barros Be CEEN PODCAST Episode One: Turning Sewage Into Drinking Water in California Dr. Daniel McCurry, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Isabel Bluml, a senior studying environmental engineering and a member of Dr. McCurry’s lab, talk about their work to transform wastewater into drinking water for drought-stricken California. They also discuss what drew them to the field and what motivates their work. Listen online
Great to see eachother face to face (finally).
After a whole semester of being back on campus, the ASCE chapter is excited to continue engaging with our students. This semester, our design teams attended ASCE’s Pacific Southwest Student Symposium at the University of California, San Diego from March 31–April 2, 2022. Over 800 civil engineering students from 14 universities across California and Hawaii put their engineering skills to the test participating in society-wide competitions.
We’re also thrilled to partner with other CEE organizations, like the Chi Epsilon Honor Society student chapter, to co-organize events for our members. Our most recent joint event, the Resume Workshop, was aimed at helping engineering students better prepare for the competitive job market. Stay tuned for more news from our chapter and visit our website to learn about our upcoming activities. 

CEE in Alaska When Basics are a Luxury, How Do You Promote Sustainability? $10 milk. Electricity six times the national average. An innovative CEE course partners with Alaska’s rural communities to find new answers to the toughest sustainability challenges facing the last frontier. Follow the journey SUCCESS STORIES Alumni Couple Supports Student Innovation Santanu and Kelly Das, B.S. ’95, B.S. ‘96, met at USC. Now they are kickstarting a student innovation competition for a more sustainable Los Angeles “We must connect the dots between industry and academia and society in a way that sparks innovation and entrepreneurship and takes engineering from the classroom to the street.” – SANTANU DAS Read the full story Copyright © Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Kaprielian Hall, 3620 S Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90089

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.