The move, he says, will realign CEE to provide leadership in future national challenges. The environment is impacted by infrastructure transportation networks impact air and noise pollution, for example and the environment similarly impacts the infrastructure, i.e., environmental conditions significantly impact the reliability of structures ranging from bridges to airplanes. The dominant issues now are the aging infrastructure, the safety of federal Department of Energy and Department of Defense facilities, and the clean-up of nuclear waste sites. Risk analysis and risk management are going to play prominently in our department, he adds. Risk analysis is the process of trying to understand what can go wrong, to what extent, and what scenarios you might contend with.
Risk management involves making decisions that influence and change things.
These areas will provide us with rich research and educational opportunities. Building for the Future Many in the department, including Frank Parker, Alan Bowers, and Gene LeBoeuf in the environment area, and Sankaran Mahadevan and Guillermo Hahn in the structures area, possess the skills on which to build the department s new thrusts, he points out. Parker, Distinguished Professor of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, a National Academy of Engineering member, and the first environmental engineer certified by eminence by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, has expertise in risk management and radioactive and hazardous chemical waste management. Bowers, associate professor, works with Jack Roth, professor of chemical engineering, on reducing the environmental impacts of airplane operations and maintenance at airports. LeBoeuf, assistant professor, is focused on fundamental aspects of contaminant behavior in the environment.