Department of Civil Engineering Full Time Faculty
 | Edmund Yuen, Ph.D., P.E. Associate Professor, Department Chair Dr. Edmund Yuen received his Ph.D. from the University of Windsor, Ontario. His specialization is Water Resources Engineering and Environmental Engineering. He has worked the past few summers for DaimlerChrysler in their Advanced Manufacturing Engineering division. His recent DaimlerChysler projects include abatement of volatile organics compounds from paint processes, paint booth control and odor control of stacks discharges. He is also involved in numerical simulation of lake circulation models and physical modeling of air stack plume discharges. | |
 | Nishantha Bandara, Ph.D., P.E. Assistant Professor Dr. Bandara received his PhD from the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. His specialization is in Transportation Engineering with an emphasis in pavement evaluation, analysis and design, pavement management, highway safety and highway materials. His research interests include highway construction quality measurement, pavement condition monitoring, pavement analysis/ design and highway infrastructure related safety improvements. Dr. Bandara is an active member of TRB Committee AFD80 “Strength and Deformation Characteristics of Pavement Sections”. | |
 | Donald D. Carpenter, Ph.D., P.E., LEED AP Associate Professor Director of University Assessment Director of Great Lakes Stormwater Management Institute Dr. Carpenter received a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Michigan. His specializations include Hydraulics, Water Resources, River Engineering and Coastal Engineering. Research interests include urban stream restoration, coastal processes, and watershed processes. Dr. Carpenter is a member of ASCE and advisor for the student chapter. Dr. Carpenter is also very active with ASEE and conducts educational research on academic dishonesty among engineering undergraduates and use of learning objectives. | |
 | Nabil F. Grace, Ph.D., P.E. Dean, College of Engineering University Distinguished Professor and Director, Center for Innovative Materials Research College of Engineering Dr. Grace received his Ph.D. from the University of Windsor, Ontario. His specialization is Structural Engineering. Dr. Grace is the Director of the Structural Testing Center at Lawrence Tech University. This facility is primarily devoted to the investigation of the use of composite materials in concrete structural applications. His research interests include application of carbon fiber composites to structural engineering, assessment of dynamic behavior of composite automobile components, environmentally dependent behavior of composites, and infrastructure rehabilitation using composite materials. His research activities have been implemented in the design and construction documents of the first CFRP prestressed bridge in the USA. | |
 | Hiroshan Hettiarachchi, Ph.D., P.E. Associate Professor Director of Civil Engineering Graduate Programs Dr. Hettiarachchi received his PhD from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), a master’s in geotechnical engineering from Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, and a bachelor’s in civil engineering from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. His specialization is geotechnical and geo-environmental engineering. His research interests include settlement mechanics of landfills, geotechnical aspects of solid waste management, soil mechanics, rock mechanics, and foundation engineering. | |
 | Elin Jensen, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Research College of Engineering Dr. Jensen received her Ph.D from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Her specialization is Material and Structural Engineering. Research interests include construction and highway materials with special emphasis on Portland Cement Concrete, highway analysis and design, and distress development of concrete pavements as affected by environmental and mechanical lading. Her research work is based on experimental and finite element methods. Dr. Jensen is an active member of the ACI Committee on Fatigue of Concrete, ISCP (International Society for Concrete Pavements), ASCE, and SWE. | |
 | Keith Kowalkowski, Ph.D., P.E., S.E. Assistant Professor Dr. Kowalkowski received his Ph.D in Structural Engineering from Purdue University and his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University. His specialization is in structural engineering with an emphasis in steel design, analysis, and finite element applications. Research and professional development interests include fire, blast, seismic, erection engineering, heat-straightening, and steel connection design. Dr. Kowalkowski is an active member of the TRB committee entitled "Fabrication and Inspection of Metal Structures" and is a member of ASCE, AISC, and TRB. | |
 | Luis A. Mata, Ph.D Assistant Professor Dr. Mata received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at North Carolina State University, a Master in Science in construction engineering and management from North Carolina State University, and a bachelor in Civil Engineering from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, Caracas, Venezuela. His specializations are construction engineering and management, and construction materials. His research interests include self-consolidating concrete, pervious concrete pavement systems and sustainability in construction practices. Dr. Mata is a member of ACI Committee and ASCE. | |
 | John V. Tocco, J. D. Assistant Professor Professor Tocco earned his law degree at Michigan State University and his B.S. in Construction Engineering at Lawrence Technological University. His specialties include project management, construction law and alternative dispute resolution. Professor Tocco is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Design-Build Institute of America. | |