Civil & Environmental Research
Our Impact
Our engineering research has a far-reaching impact, from influencing policy decisions to driving innovation in industry. We collaborate with governmental agencies, non-profits, and private sector partners to ensure that our research findings translate into real-world applications. By bridging the gap between academia and practice, we are making a tangible difference in the world.
This is aligned with University president Randall’s commitment to expand the university’s learning and knowledge enterprise beyond campus borders. The goal is to improve lives and make a global impact, a mission that all our faculty are striving for.
Research News and Highlights
~$600,000 Awarded to Launch Innovative Transportation Electrification Certificate Program
The program will address critical challenges in the transition to a clean and sustainable electric power sector, particularly focusing on the integration of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy sources into the existing power grid. The move comes as the nation grapples with the need for sustainable solutions to combat climate change and, importantly to Utah, improve air quality.
Dr. Cathy Liu at the UofU (program director) and Dr. Regan Zane (program co-director) at USU will be leading the effort.
Over $10 Million from Department of Energy to Support Reducing CO2 Emissions in Uinta Basin
Dr. Ting Xiao and Dr. Brian McPherson are currently engaged in a comprehensive project focused on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) hubs. Their work is part of the CarbonSAFE II: Storage Complex Feasibility initiative, which aims to determine the viability of commercial CO2 storage in Utah’s Uinta Basin.
Granted in large part by the Department of Energy, to project will support an extensive range of activities, including high-resolution societal analysis, geological characterization, technical assessments, economic evaluations, and environmental analyses.
Innovating Transportation Engineering Research
Using programming, computational analysis, and urban informatics, Dr. Liu is investigating the effects of shared mobility on urban transportation networks, including economic, environmental, and social impacts.
Her research has been awarded multiple large-scale grants, including a $600,000 National Science Foundation grant for developing a methodology which allows social-technical spatial scientists to compare against and study human mobility in aggregate and at scale.
Earthquake-Proofing Mass Timber Buildings
Wood, our oldest building material, is experiencing a revival — one that can even withstand earthquakes. And our very own Dr. Pantelides is at this the helm of its revival.
The deceptively simple piece of lumber is an example of “mass timber” technology, a category of “engineered wood product” set to revolutionize the construction industry— and that Pantelides has spent the last seven years studying and developing.
Dr. Pantiledes with a piece of mass timber
+$1.3 Million Research Award to Dr. McDonald by U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Dr. Luther McDonald‘s research has received the 2023 Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction: Nuclear Forensics Research Award (NFRA), with a budget of $1,395,000 to support 36-months of laboratory experiments and student development.
Students in Dr. McDonald's Lab
Nuclear Medicine Applications: Making Medical-Grade Isotopes
All the way at the bottom of the Periodic Table, tucked away in an inset, you’ll find a double row of unusual elements: the actinides and lanthanides. Some of these metals are abundant in the Earth’s crust, while others can only exist for split-seconds after being synthesized in advanced labs, but the chemical properties that define them are indispensable for a host of modern technologies.
Tara Mastren, Nuclear Engineering assistant professor, specializes in this chemistry and its applications at the intersection of nuclear science and medicine.
Dr. Romero's Research is Building Better Infrastructure in Utah
The Utah Asphalt Paving Association recently hosted the 2024 Utah Asphalt Conference. Recognized as the premier asphalt-related event in the state, the conference brought together the industry’s best minds, including Dr. Pedro Romero, who was honored with the prestigious Friend of the Industry Award.
Dr. Romero receiving his award
Leading the Way in Advanced Structural Sensing
Dr. Peter Zhu and his team are currently working on finding the internal defects of railroad tracks, stress levels of tracks and the most effective and efficient way to manage tracks. They recently developed and deployed a polarized infrared camera-based prototype system on a UTA TRAX train. The system performed rail track condition assessment and diagnostics, providing reliable damage detection and diagnosis for timber and concrete sleepers with an inspection speed of up to 35 mph.
Dr. Zhu tests his technology on UTA TRAX
Geotechnical Engineering Expertise: Leadership in Foundations and Soil Mechanics
Dr. Shahrzad Roshankhah studies the involved multi-physics and multi-scale phenomena through laboratory experimental and numerical modeling, where she utilizes state-of-the-art laboratory monitoring and numerical simulation techniques.
Dr. Roshankhah was recently appointed as Guest Editor for a Special Issue of Journal of Geosciences, titled “Fracture Geomechanics – Obstacles and New Perspectives.”
Engineering Research Expenditures at the University of Utah
Funding Sources
