Civil & Environmental Engineering Update
July 1, 2009
Dr. Michele Barbato, assistant professor in structures and mechanics, with co-authors Drs. Alessandro Zona and Joel P. Conte, received the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2009 Moisseiff Award for the paper "Nonlinear Seismic Response Analysis of Steel-Concrete Composite Frames", (Journal of Structural Engineering ASCE, 134(6):986-997, June 2008), as an "important contribution to the knowledge of the dynamic response of composite steel-concrete structures." The Moisseiff Award is one of the highest profession-wide recognition of a paper of merit published by ASCE "dealing with the broad field of structural engineering including applied mechanics, theoretical analysis or constructive improvement of engineering structures of any structural material." The award was established in 1947 in recognition of the accomplishments of Leon S. Moisseiff, M. ASCE, a notable contributor to the science and art of structural engineering. Barbato was presented the award at the Structures Congress 2009 in Austin, TX.
Dr. Mostafa Elseifi, assistant professor, received a $165,000 contract for his proposal titled Cost Effective Prevention of Reflective Cracking of Composite Pavement from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) through the Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC). This research study will evaluate the performance of pavement sections across the state built with various treatment methods and look to determine the most cost-effective techniques to delay or prevent reflection cracking in composite pavements.
Dr. Mostafa Elseifi and Dr. Louay Mohammad, professor, received a grant from the Board of Regents Research Competitiveness Subprogram for $119,000 to develop and validate a heterogeneous-based modeling approach to describe the constitutive behavior of asphalt concrete.
At the 2009 Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) Hall of Distinction Banquet, Dr. Q. Jim Chen, associate professor, was presented with an annual Faculty Research Achievement Award which recognizes significant achievements in research. Dr. Donald Dean Adrian, PE, was presented with a Career Achievement Award. He is currently the Rubicon Professor of Engineering, Effie C. and Donald M. Hardy Professor in Engineering and graduate advisor.
Janet Labatut, administrative program specialist for the CEE Undergraduate Office, was presented with a 2009 Career Service Contribution Award at a faculty meeting held on May 4th. Labatut has been working at LSU for 24 years and joined the CEE department in 1988. Her notable efforts over the years have provided essential support to LSU, the CEE Department, faculty, and students. She has contributed enormously towards the coordination and management of undergraduate and administrative affairs within the department. She has also provided guidance, support, and encouragement for scores of LSU CEE students over the course of her career.
Article excerpted from the LSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Newsletter, CEE NEWS, Spring Issue, May 2009, by Julie Mueller, 225-578-9170, jmueller@lsu.edu
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