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Civil and Environmental Engineering e-News


 

March 23, 2012
In This Issue
Message from the dept. head
Announcements
Curriculum notes
Department news
Alumni news
Student opportunities

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Message from the CEE Department Head

Dr. Molly Gribb

 

The ASCE student chapter travels to Laramie, WY on March 29th to compete in the regional competition. We are hoping for big concrete canoe and steel bridge wins! Alumni are encouraged to visit the students and Dr. Hansen while they're there. For more information, contact Dr. MR Hansen at [email protected].

 

Visit us on the web: http://cee.sdsmt.edu
 

 

 
cee banner 

Announcements

   

Attention juniors and seniors: Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE) applications must be submitted online to the South Dakota State Board of Technical Professions office no later than midnight on January 1 for the April exam and no later than midnight on July 1 for the October exam.
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) applications must be submitted by September 7 for the October exam and February 22, 2013, for the April exam. Fee payment deadlines will vary depending on exam date.
 

SDSM&T CEE Department Seminar, March 28, 4-5 pm in EP 254 - Mr. Bill DeGroot, PE (BSCE 69, MSCE 74), Manager of the Floodplain Management Program, Urban Drainage and Flood Control District of Denver, CO, will discuss sustainable floodplain management.

Curriculum notes

 

As you may have heard, School of Mines students will be allowed to graduate in August or December 2012 following the new 130-credit curricula that were recently approved by the Board of Regents.  

 

The key changes for the BSCE degree requirements between the 130 credit and 136 credit curricula are: 1) Physical Education credits are no longer required, 2) an additional science or math elective is required (even if you took the 4-credit differential equations class), and 3) one fewer department approved elective is required. If you took IE 301 instead of IE 302, you will still meet the graduation requirements as long as you have enough total credits.

 

The key changes for the BS EnvE degree requirements between the 130 credit and 136 credit curricula are: 1) PE is no longer required, 2) CEE 425 is no longer required, 3) one technical elective is no longer required, and 3) EnvE 317 and EnvE 318 are now 3 credits (instead of 2).


The flowcharts for both BSCE curricula and the checklists for the BS EnvE curricula are available on our web site:

http://cee.sdsmt.edu/103529/. The easiest way to chart your progress is to review your transcripts from Webadvisor and mark off all the courses you've taken so far on the flowchart/checklist.


Notes for BSCE students: If you took CEE 358, you may use CEE 357 as a department approved elective in either curriculum. Similarly, if you have taken both ME 221 and ME 211, you may count one of these as a department approved elective in the 130-credit curriculum. Finally, if you took CEE 368, you may use that in lieu of CEE 325 (which is now required) or as a department approved elective.


Notes for BSCE students with an environmental engineering emphasis: The degree requirements for the new environmental emphasis in the 130-credit BSCE curriculum are shown on the web site: http://cee.sdsmt.edu/103529.


Questions? Please see your advisor.

Department news 

 

Senior CEE student Stephen Kilber received the Bill Craig Scholarship at the South Dakota Engineering Society Black Hills Chapter Membership Banquet on Feb. 24, 2012, during Engineers Week. Speaking at the event, Dr. Marc Robinson presented his work on advanced composites for use in extreme environments.


Cliff Reuer,  the SDSM&T Western Satellite Technical Assistance Provider for the South Dakota Local Transportation Assistance Program (SDLTAP) was selected to serve as a member of the advisory committee for updating the SDDOT Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). The safety plan is a comprehensive guide required by federal highway legislation that outlines procedures SDDOT will use to identify and correct roadway safety issues or concerns on all public roads in South Dakota.


While visiting Missouri University of Science and Technology, Dr. Jennifer Benning conducted laboratory investigations on indoor air quality with Dr. Glenn Morrison (Missouri S&T CEE), Max Trueblood (Missouri S&T Cloud and Aerosol Science Laboratory), and Ph.D. candidate Cong Liu (Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Bejing, China).  Biomonitoring studies have shown nearly 100 percent of people in developed countries are exposed to multiple semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), such as plasticizer, flame-retardants, and pesticides, in indoor environments.

 

With growing concerns over the potential human health impacts, including reproductive system disorders, asthma, and allergies, caused by SVOCs, there is a critical need for research to understand pathways from SVOC sources to humans. Ranging from building products, toys, car interiors, personal care products, cosmetics, food packaging and food itself, SVOC sources, though not wellunderstood, play an important role in exposure routes. Dr. Benning's post-doctoral research at Virginia Tech showed that airborne particles, present due to ambient sources and indoor SVOC sources such as cooking and smoking, could cause an increase in the emissions rate of phthalate plasticizer, an SVOC commonly found in vinyl flooring.

 

A model developed by Liu, Morrison, and Dr. Yingping Zhang (Tsinghua University) showed that this enhancement, and the reverse process of SVOC deposition on surfaces (including human skin!), may be explained by a particle-enhancement of the mass transfer coefficient. Laboratory investigations are aimed at experimentally demonstrating this process. The results could have a significant impact on scientific understanding of human exposure to SVOCs, since the model predicts that it may significantly increase the time to achieve gas-surface equilibrium, increasing the emission/deposition rate up to four times higher than previously predicted, and may increase human exposure by a factor of four to ten.
 

Dr. MR Hansen organized the 48th Annual Concrete Conference on March 1, 2012 that featured many national leaders in the concrete world. The event garnered media attention: When asked about hiring CEE graduates from SDSMT, Mike Schneider, senior vice president of Baker Construction told the KNBN television news team, "We have found this to be one of those secret fishing holes that companies need to have in the war for talent...we have found that the students from the School of Mines are very well grounded, lots of practical experience, ... a certain work ethic here, that we at Baker Concrete appreciate." http://www.newscenter1.tv/stories/11079.aspx

concrete conference
From L-R: Dr. MR Hansen and featured speakers Tarek Khan, BASF; Jody Titze, South Dakota Ready Mixed Concrete Association; Luke Snell, Western Technologies, Inc.; Michael Schneider, Baker Concrete, and Dr. Molly Gribb, CEE Department Head.

 
CEE graduate students Nicholas Marnach, Anil Shrestha and Carol Racanelli of the admissions office accompanied Dr. Damon Fick and Dr. Foster Sawyer (Geological Engineering) to the 2012 Oglala Lakota Career Fair held at the Piya Wiconi campus. The contingency visited with students about SDSM&T internship opportunities and collaborative SDSM&T-OLC summer projects.


The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board recently selected Dr. Scott Kenner for a prestigious Fulbright grant to Mongolia. Sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, the 12-member board appointed by the U.S. President establishes Fulbright Program policies and selects program recipients. Grants are made possible through funds appropriated annually by the U.S. Congress and often include contributions from partner countries and the private sector.


Senior CEE students Tony Kulesa and Stephen Kilber each received a $3,000 scholarship from the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) Education and Research Foundation. CRSI, founded in 1924, is an authoritative resource for information related to steel-reinforced concrete construction.


Based on their commitment to excellence in education and willingness to serve as role models for effective teaching at SDSM&T, Dr. Soonkie Nam and Dr. Jim Stone have been selected as 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ASCE ExCEEd) Fellows to participate in 2012 ASCE ExCEEd Teaching Workshops at West Point in July, and Florida Gulf Coast University in June, respectively.

 
CEE junior student Spencer Ferguson was elected president of the Student Association for the 2012-2013 academic year. 

Alumni news

  

Robins and construction are signs of spring on campus. The half-block just west of Birch Avenue along St. Joseph Street has been razed to make way for the construction of new student apartments. Alumnus Jim Scull (CE74), owner of J. Scull Construction, is close to finalizing a construction contract. Owner of Quinn Construction, alumnus Bob Quinn (CE77) is overseeing the demolition, clean-up, and site grading of the construction area. According to alumnus Hani Shafai (CE87), president of Dream Design International and lead developer on the project, construction of the first building is scheduled to begin sometime in April. The building project will add 330 new beds for Mines' students. Phase I will be a seven-story building on the corner of St. Joe and Birch, with six floors of student apartments and student-oriented commercial services on the ground floor; students are scheduled to move in the new facility next fall. In Phase II of the project, a second residential building will be constructed one block west of Birch and St. Joe, with a parking area located between the two buildings. The residential construction project marks one of the first major developments west of campus as part of the 30-year Campus Master Plan. http://president.sdsmt.edu/159948
Student opportunities

  

The National Research Council of the National Academies sponsors a

number of awards for graduate, postdoctoral, and senior researchers at

participating federal laboratories and affiliated institutions. Awards include

stipends ranging from $42,000 - $75,000 per year for recent Ph.D. graduates, and higher for grads with additional experience. Graduate entry-level stipends begin at $30,000. Awards provide recipients with opportunities for independent research in some of the best-equipped and -staffed laboratories in the United States. Research opportunities are open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Some laboratories also offer awards to foreign nationals. Detailed program information, including online applications, instructions on how to apply and a list of participating laboratories, is available on the NRC Research Associateship Programs website: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/rap/.

Contact NRC with questions at 202-334-2760 or [email protected]. Applicants

should contact prospective lab adviser(s) prior to the application deadline to

discuss research interests and funding. There are four annual review cycles: Review Cycle 1: May; Opens March 1; Closes May 1; Review Cycle 2: August; Opens June 1; Closes August 1; Review Cycle 3: November; Opens September 1; Closes November 1; Review Cycle 4: February; Opens December 1; Closes February 1.


American Technical Services, Inc. has a full-time summer job opportunity for a geotechnical technician, with an option for a part-time fall position. The successful applicant will be trained to test fresh concrete. Must have own transportation for travel to testing sites (mileage is reimbursed). Training may also include soil density and moisture, proctor, and gradation. To apply, forward resumes to Justin Foster, [email protected] at

American Technical Services, Inc.
8105 Black Hawk Road
PO Box 558
Black Hawk, South Dakota 57718
Phone: (605) 787-9303
Fax: (605) 787-9515


Scholarship opportunity: The Association of State Dam Safety Officials

is accepting scholarship applications through March 31, 2012. Up to $10,000 will be awarded to up to three senior undergraduates planning careers related to dam or levee safety. U.S. citizens who plan to graduate in 2013 are eligible. Additional information is posted at www.damsafety.org, under Information for Students/Faculty. For more information, contact [email protected]