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Ahmet Akosman (ENGR) in collaboration with URI and Clemson University, has submitted an NSF RII-NEST EPSCoR grant proposal to establish electronic automation design centers in Rhode Island and South Carolina. This project aims to enhance research and workforce development in advanced AI-assisted automation technologies.

Janet Baldwin (ENGR) spent time in England to explore the extensive canal and locks network such as the 29 locks on the Avon canal to get up over the Caen Hill rising 237 ft over two miles.  In addition, she traveled to Cherry Hill, NJ, in March with ten students for the Society of Women Engineers regional conference.

Maija Benitz (ENGR) and Li-Ling Yang (�鶹ɫ��Ƭ Professor of Education) together with their eight Research Assistants, led the 6th year of the KidWind Community Engagement this Spring semester. They look forward to delivering the project again next spring with renewed support from the SouthCoast Wind Fund of the SouthCoast Community Foundation.

Amine Ghanem (CNST) mentored the Heavy Civil competition team to a 1st place finish at the ASC Region 1 competition in Albany.

Vani Gupta (COMSC) published a paper at ACM BuildSys 2024 with co-authors from UMass Amherst - HeliosFair: Fair Sharing of Solar Energy Costs in Communities in the 11th ACM International Conference on Systems for Energy-Efficient Buildings, Cities, and Transportation (BuildSys).

Lillian Jeznach (ENGR) had a paper co-authored with Maija Benitz accepted for presentation at the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference & Exposition, in Montreal.  It is titled “Longitudinal Examination of Gender Differences in Engineering Self-Efficacy and the Impact of COVID-19: A Six-Year Study.”

Pamela Judge (ENGR) welcomed a guest speaker, Mr. Andrew Reeder, PE, Structural Engineer with VHB, to provide a guest lecture to Engineering Economic Analysis (ENGR 335).  He presented on the topic Engineering Economics in Practice: Calculating Infrastructure Costs from Concept to Construction.  It was a great opportunity for students to hear real-world examples and implications of economics on the success of engineering projects.

Shay Kurzinski (CNST), in collaboration with Joel Singley (Environmental Science), graduating student Andrew Mungovan, and rising senior Ellis Hwang set up mock-ups for a USDA-sponsored project.  These two mock-ups are simulations of a real-life mass timber structure, one with lab-fabricated products and the other with commercially fabricated products donated to the project by South County Post and Beam. The mock-ups were deployed on the Shell Path.  The goal is to measure the moisture penetration/temperature change in the cross-laminated timber, discoloration of the glulam panels due to exposure to UV light, and the impact of salt spray when a mass timber structure is constructed near the shoreline.

Jung Hyun Lee (CNST) mentored the Design Build competition team to a 3rd place finish at the ASC Region 1 competition in Albany.  On another note, Dr. Lee has announced that she will be departing �鶹ɫ��Ƭ as of Summer 2025.  What an honor it has been to be your colleague!  Congratulations on your new position, and best of luck!

Allison Marn (ENGR) continued her research on skin cancer detection using Terahertz imaging funded by the Rhode Island Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence. She mentored two engineering undergraduates who developed imaging windows and skin phantoms for the Terahertz frequency range.

Nicole Martino (ENGR) finished the Phase 1 project titled, "Enhanced GPR system for Rapid Assessment of Chloride Content in Concrete Bridge Decks.”  This was a subcontract awarded by SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) through the U.S. Small Business Administration.  A Phase II invitation to further the research was offered by the Administration, and that proposal was recently submitted.  Also, Dr. Martino was promoted to full professor during this academic year. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

William Palm (ENGR) and six Engineering, Computer Science, and science students traveled to Chicago to attend the 2024 S-STEM Scholars and PIs Meeting, sponsored by AAAS.  He presented a poster on the results of the RISE Scholars Program to date, while Senior Ashlee Lewandoski presented research she conducted with Prof. Lillian Jeznach.

Matthew Stein (ENGR) coached the �鶹ɫ��Ƭ Ultimate Frisbee team to an unprecedented fall season record of 17-1.  The SECCM boasted five members on this team including two team captains, Nick Marsili CM’25 and Connor Maguire CM’25.

Gordon Stewart (ENGR) developed a new elective, Thermofluid Design, for the Spring 2025 semester.  In this project-based class, students developed a detailed design of a residential ground-source heat pump, synthesizing elements from their Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, and Heat Transfer classes. The class culminated in a final technical report about the student's systems in addition to a trifold pamphlet aimed at advertising to an audience of homeowners.  Dr. Stewart will be transitioning from visiting faculty to tenure-track faculty as of the start of the 2025-2026 academic year. Congratulations!

Charles Thomas (ENGR) will send his oldest off to college in the Fall.  If you were a student in his ENGR 110 section in the Fall of 2006, you might have predicted this.  Apparently, Dr. Thomas also enjoys thinking of subtle ways to make former students feel old!

Gökhan Çelik (Associate Dean, CNST) published a collaborative review manuscript late in 2024: Çelik, B. G., Abraham, Y. S., & Attaran, M. (2024). Unlocking Blockchain in Construction: A Systematic Review of Applications and Barriers. Buildings, 14(6), 1600.