Spano Joins Group

Welcome to new MS candidate Alec Spano, who is a Research Assistant on the project Seismic Damping Effects on Bridges (sponsored by the Illinois Center for Transportation), which is being led by Professors LaFave and Fahnestock. Alec recently graduated from North Carolina State University with a BS in CE and Alec was awarded a Karol Graduate Fellowship for study in the field of structural engineering at Illinois. Congratulations!

ASCE JBE Editor’s Choice

Two recent papers in Volume 29 of the ASCE Journal of Bridge Engineering are featured in the Editor’s Choice Collection:

Congratulations to Gaoyu Liu and Sunny Zhou for this recognition of contributions from their Ph.D. research!

Shi Receives AISC Travel Grant

Congratulations to Shitao Shi for receiving a Student Travel Grant from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) to attend the November Task Committee and Committee on Specifications meetings in Chicago! This program connects students with AISC Staff mentors and provides the opportunity to meet some of the leading engineers and researchers in the industry and to see firsthand how AISC’s specifications and standards are made. Shitao’s Ph.D. research on seismic stability assessment and design of steel buildings is partially funded by AISC.

Schissler Wins AISC Scholarship

Congratulations to Lauren Schissler for receiving an AISC/Associated Steel Erectors of Chicago Scholarship for the 2023-2024 academic year! Lauren is an M.S. candidate and Lewis Graduate Fellow working on a collaborative research project with Professors Elbanna, Fahnestock and LaFave. The project, Strength and Serviceability of Damaged Steel Girders, is sponsored by the Illinois Center for Transportation.

Shi on Winning Hackathon Team

Congratulations to Shitao Shi and his teammates for winning the 2022 NHERI Hackathon in July 2022! The teams were judged on innovation, creativity, presentation and use of DesignSafe and SimCenter tools. Shitao is a Ph.D. student studying seismic stability design of steel frames as part of a project sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction.

https://simcenter.designsafe-ci.org/news/2022/december/nheri-hackathon-2022/

Schissler Joins Group

Welcome to new MS candidate Lauren Schissler, who is joining the research team for the project Strength and Serviceability of Damaged Steel Girders (sponsored by the Illinois Center for Transportation)! This project is a collaborative effort including Professors Elbanna, Fahnestock and LaFave and graduate students Ahmed Ibrahim and Sanjana Ahershinge. In May, Lauren graduated with a BS in CE from Illinois and was awarded a first-place Ira O. Baker Prize and a Lewis Graduate Fellowship for study in the field of structural engineering.