Hunter Burch, assistant professor of electrical engineering, alongside an undergraduate researcher, participated in the Polar Aeronomy and Remote Sensing (PARS) Summer School and corresponding research campaign at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) in Gakona, Alaska. The experience involved writing a scientific proposal and experiment plan to investigate a particular aspect of the science surrounding the auroral electrojet current using HAARP.
Fa Foster Dai, Godbold Endowed Chair Professor of electrical and computer engineering, was recently named Region 3 Outstanding Engineer by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The award recognizes outstanding contributions through teaching, government, or at an institute of higher learning.
Roy Hartfield, the Walt and Virginia Woltosz Professor of aerospace engineering, was awarded the Aerodynamics Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the organization’s annual convention in June. The award is presented for meritorious achievement in the field of applied aerodynamics, recognizing notable contributions in the development, application, and evaluation of aerodynamic concepts and methods.
Jasmeet Lamba, associate professor of biosystems engineering, is the principal investigator on a $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The project aims to develop and assess innovative agricultural management practices that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural systems, improve soil health and water quality, and reduce the vulnerability of crop failures during droughts. The co-PIs from the Department of Biosystems Engineering are Sushil Adhikari, professor; William Batchelor, professor; and Hossein Jahromi, assistant research professor.
Shiwen Mao, the Earle C. Williams Eminent Scholar Professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Wireless Engineering Center, was named a fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in March 2023. The IET is a multidisciplinary professional engineering institution with 155,000 members in 148 countries.
Andrzej Nowak, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was awarded the Charles S. Whitney Medal and the Mete A. Sozen Award for Excellence in Structural Research, both from the American Concrete Institute. The Charles S. Whitney Medal is given annually for noteworthy engineering development work in concrete design or construction, while the Mete A. Sozen Award for Excellence in Structural Research was awarded for Nowak’s co-authored paper “Strength Reduction Factors for ACI 318 Strut-and-Tie Method for Deep Beams,” which was published in the March 2022 issue of the ACI Structural Journal.
Akond Rahman, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering, was awarded a $553,295 grant from the National Science Foundation for his project, “Resilient Operations for Deployment Units Used in Container Orchestration.” Rahman is currently leading three NSF-funded projects, all of which focus on software engineering.
Clint Snider, visiting assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering, received the Young Scientist Award at the International Union of Radio Science’s General Assembly and Scientific Symposium for his research project, “A Novel Lightning Strike Location Prediction Method.” This award is given to select scientists under the age of 35 whose work was deemed exceptional.
Alice Smith, the Joe W. Forehand/Accenture Professor of industrial and systems engineering, received the Auburn University Author Award for her book, “Women in Computational Intelligence: Key Advances and Perspectives on Emerging Topics.” Additionally, along with two doctoral students, Smith visited the Norwegian University of Science and Technology as part of a project funded by the Research Council of Norway.
David Timm, Brasfield & Gorrie Professor and associate chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was elected to the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists (AAPT) Board of Directors, an organization with more than 800 members that is a leading worldwide community dedicated to excellence and advancement of asphalt paving technology.
Jakita Thomas, Philpott Westpoint Stevens Associate Professor of computer science and software engineering, received a $300,000 National Science Foundation EAGER award for her project, “Collaborative Research: EAGER: Intersectional Computing.” The project will develop a series of workshops to engage members of the Broadening Participation in Computing Alliances and Black, Latina, and Native American women graduate students to develop a community of support in computing disciplines.
Jin Wang, the Walt and Virginia Woltosz Professor of chemical engineering, and Peter He, associate professor of chemical engineering, co-authored a pair of studies that explore means to convert bio-gas into animal feed. Their project, “Circular Aquaculture Through A Next-Generation Waste-to-Feed Biotechnology,” earned a four-year, $650,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, while a second study, “A Novel Multi-Tray Dry Biofilm Reactor for Methane Capture from Air,” was awarded a two-year, $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
