Marc Edwards named MacArthur Fellow for drinking water safety efforts. See page 4. the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering 2007 Via Report • No. 21 table of contents Department Head’s Message ..............................................................................................................................page 1 “We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be” ........................................................................page 2 Research News Edwards named MacArthur Fellow for drinking water safety efforts ................................................................page 4 A 51-year career in civil engineering ................................................................................................................page 6 Could your vinyl flooring contribute to indoor air pollution? ..............................................................................page 9 Assessing efficiency of road maintenance and improvement contracts leads to less risk, more innovation ...page 11 How does one insure all right of way issues are found before construction commences? ..............................page 12 CSTI works to improve your roads ...................................................................................................................page 15 Faculty Honors New Faculty .....................................................................................................................................................page 18 Faculty Achievements ......................................................................................................................................page 19 Student News Scholarship recipients ......................................................................................................................................page 20 Graduate scholarship and fellowship recipients ...............................................................................................page 21 Ph.D. degrees awarded ...................................................................................................................................page 22 Alumni News CEE Alumni Board ...........................................................................................................................................page 23 Program Areas CEE Faculty .....................................................................................................................................................page 24 Vecellio Construction Engineering and Management ......................................................................................page 25 Environmental and Water Resources Engineering ..........................................................................................page 28 Geotechnical Engineering ................................................................................................................................page 32 Structural Engineering and Materials ...............................................................................................................page 35 Transportation Infrastructure and Systems Engineering ..................................................................................page 39 Via Scholars ........................................................................................................................................................page 43 Via Alumni: Where are They Now? ......................................................................................................................page 59 Donors .................................................................................................................................................................page 66 10 17 25 32 39 note from the department head We will move forward but we will not forget It is once again that time of year in the CEE Department over the prior when my objective is to prepare this year. This year’s report again contains a message to alumni and friends of the Via wealth of information regarding the im- Department of Civil and Environmental portant activities that our faculty, staff and Engineering (CEE) that will introduce the students have been engaged in across 2007 edition of the Via Annual Report. our multiple mission areas. I do hope you William Knocke One would think that after having writ- will take time to read through the report ten 13 prior versions of this message the and familiarize yourself with all that is oc- task would be relatively easy at this point. curring here in CEE. will seek to honor the memory and the However, the events of the past several In this message I want to focus on passion for learning and discovery that months have made this like no prior year our department’s collective future in re- characterized Dr. Loganathan and each in our department’s history. As such, find- sponse to the tragedy that occurred on of the eight young men who died that day. ing the right words to convey our collec- April 16. The CEE Department lost nine Their dreams will be molded into our col- tive feelings to alumni and friends of the members of our family with the tragic lective vision for the future. The journey department is a substantial challenge that deaths of Dr. G.V. Loganathan and eight remains challenging as we go forward I hope that I am up to. of our students. Each of them had their day by day, but we know that with our Normally my message serves as an own life story filled with hope for the fu- collective will and dedication coupled with introduction to the many aspects of the ture and with passion for their chosen the continued support of many alumni annual report that talk about the accom- career paths. and friends we will prevail. plishments and ongoing major activities We were blessed as a department to have had each of them as a member of our family. In the days and weeks fol- lowing this tragic and senseless act of violence our faculty, staff and students responded with many acts of love and dedicated service to those injured and the families of those who were killed. We likewise were humbled by the outpour- ing of care and support that came to us literally from around the world. In the midst of so much pain and tragedy we still found ourselves surrounded by love and compassion from those who called, sent letters, came to share a hug, etc. We will be forever grateful for all of the help and kindness that was extended to us in our time of need. As we approach the future we will move forward, but we will not forget. We VIA REPORT | 2007 | 1 In the university’s convocation ceremony on April 17, professor and poet Nikki Giovanni gave a speech that brought strength to the community and the knowl- edge that Virginia Tech will prevail following the April 16 massacre that left 33 students and faculty dead. The deaths included G.V. Loganathan, an esteemed professor of civil and environmental engineering (CEE) and eight CEE students. In the middle of Giovanni’s speech was this statement: “We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be.” This statement remains true. As you When CEE held its memorial on April bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, read this Via report and learn more about 27 for the nine men in the department from the CEE department, with a con- the accomplishments of our students, who died that day, some 500 CEE alumni centration in environmental and water friends, and alumni, you will come to returned to campus for the event. Former resources engineering, in 2005. As a realize that “we are better than we think” department head and current president graduate student he taught CEE laborato- because of the support CEE has. And be- of Georgia Tech, Wayne Clough, was ry classes and was conducting research cause of this support, CEE is that much among those who traveled to Blacksburg on storm water management. He was closer to “what we want to be.” to pay their respects. passionate about sports, and a master of As College of Engineering Dean In his comments that day, Bill sports trivia and statistics. Richard Benson said at the Commence- Knocke, department head, said, “It is ment Ceremony on May 12, “All who died indeed unfortunate that we collectively Jeremy Michael Herbstritt that day were incredibly talented and ac- know them much better after their death Jeremy Michael Herbstritt held two complished. Many wondered aloud: How than we ever knew them in life. These bachelor’s degrees: a BS in biochemistry could it be that on an ordinary day, at an were all men whose lives contained many and molecular biology and a BS in civil ordinary hour, in an ordinary building, passions –– passions for sports teams, engineering, with honors, from Penn so many extraordinary people would be for music, and other creative forms of ex- State. He was enrolled as a CEE gradu- gathered together? What were the odds? pression, passions for family and friends, ate student where he was a teaching “The answer to that question: the an- passions to teach and to learn, and assistant and recipient of the Sussman swer is 100 percent. The people in Nor- above all, a strong passion for life.” Scholarship for summer 2007. He worked ris Hall and West Ambler Johnston Hall A brief bio of the incredibly talented, for the Guided Path Dairy Farm in Belle- weren’t there by chance. They were there accomplished and passionate members fonte and for the Centre County, Pa., Ex- because they chose to work or study of the CEE family members who died on tension office where he collected