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A. Scott Weber is professor and chair of the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
How has the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering changed in the past three to five years?
The department has changed both physically and programmatically. The most noticeable physical change has been the $20 million expansion of the Structural Engineering and Earthquake Simulation Laboratory (SEESL) through its hosting of the most versatile equipment site in the National Science Foundation-supported, nationwide earthquake engineering "collaboratory" better known as NEES. In this network, earthquake engineers and students located at different institutions are able to share resources, collaborate on testing and exploit new computational technologies. This effort continues UB's leading role in earthquake engineering scholarship. The most recent demonstration of our department's contribution to the seismic community was the NEESWood townhouse project in November, which generated very strong interest both in the U.S. and internationally. In addition, our environmental engineering group has been developing a strong emphasis in ecological engineering with very positive results. Faculty members in this area have developed a summer education program in ecosystem restoration that was attended by leading national authorities and led to the development of an NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) proposal focused on ecosystem restoration that is in the final stages of review and funding consideration. Finally, the department has committed itself to building a strong transportation systems engineering research group and is conducting a national search for two faculty members who specialize in this area.
How does the department fit into the UB 2020 strategic plan?
The department is playing a key role in UB 2020, especially in the "Extreme Events: Mitigation and Response" strategic strength. Building on the department's historical strength in earthquake engineering, faculty members have played critical leadership roles in the development and coordination of this effort. In addition, the department this semester is offering a class in blast engineering that complements this effort and has been very well received by our students. Our efforts to build a transportation systems engineering research group also complements the extreme events strategic strength area. In addition to the extreme events strategic strength, departmental faculty members also are contributing to the "Integrated Nanostructured Systems" strategic strength.
Tell me about the environmental engineering programs.
The department offers both a B.S. in environmental engineering and master's and Ph.D. degrees concentrated in environmental engineering. The undergraduate program is relatively new, with our first class graduating in 2002, while the graduate programs have been active for many years. Ecosystem sustainability is continuing to be more of a presence in our program and we are working with our students to elevate the discourse on this subject. For example, this year the senior design project is focused on analyzing the emissions and life cycle energy budget for corn-to-ethanol plants in general and on the one proposed for Buffalo that will incorporate the grain silos on the Buffalo River. At the graduate level, we have students and faculty working on building sustainability, with a strong interest in applying these concepts to the new engineering building being planned at UB. Additionally, the efforts described above on ecological engineering are part of this greater push for sustainable systems. What makes civil and environmental engineering so much fun and rewarding? Civil and environmental engineers are naturally interested in large complex problems that impact society. Whether it's protecting the environment, designing structures that are resistant to hazards, advocating for sustainable infrastructure, or providing the most basic commodity of life—safe drinking water—our students are engaged in developing solutions to challenges that affect us all.
What one piece of advice would you give to a high school student contemplating a career in engineering?
I would ask students to focus on as broad an education as possible, with a special emphasis on developing strong communication skills. Engineers need to assume greater leadership roles in society and the ability to develop compelling arguments for your ideas and vision is essential. I also would suggest to high school students that they not be so eager to pick the type of engineering they want to pursue, which many do while still in high school. Look around, learn what each branch of engineering has to offer, and then select what seems like the right fit.
What question do you wish I had asked, and how would you have answered it?
What do you do for fun? I love to hike in the Adirondacks year round, especially during the winter. I am an ADK 46er, which means that I have had the chance to climb all the peaks in the Adirondacks that are over 4,000 feet. I also make maple syrup and syrup season is coming soon.