Civil, Coastal and Environmental Engineering Department Awarded Two Grants

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Posted on May 17, 2024

Lance Crawford

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Two grants totaling $650,000 from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, will help the University of South Alabama better prepare students for careers in engineering and expand its program in plastics recycling.

The first grant of approximately $150,000 will be dedicated to the design and implementation of modules integrating standards, specifications and codes education into the civil engineering curriculum. 

USA Civil, Coastal and Environmental Engineering Department faculty Dr. Sheghua Wu, Dr. Min-Wook Kang, Dr. John Cleary and Dr. Lisa LaCross will collaborate to develop learning modules for students from freshman to graduate levels. These modules will integrate standards, specifications and codes into the curriculum.

“In the field of civil engineering, adherence to standards is crucial,” said Wu, associate professor of civil engineering and principal investigator for the project. “We'll focus on teaching students how to understand, interpret and effectively apply them in their coursework, thereby enhancing their skills for their future careers.”

The second grant of $500,000 will be used to design an industry-ready curriculum for plastics recycling. This will include developing a textbook about plastics circularity and initiating a new course within civil engineering and other departments.  Co-principal investigators include Dr. Alexandra Stenson, Dr. KuangTing Hsiao and Dr. Kari Lippert.

“Plastics are omnipresent and vital for modern life, yet they also contribute to a significant amount of waste,” Wu said. “Many people overlook the potential benefits of reusing, recycling and repurposing plastic waste. In our new textbook and curriculum, we will emphasize the concepts of circularity and lifecycle perspectives.”

Wu added that the goal of the plastics circularity course will be to encourage a more sustainable approach to the use and management of plastics that students will be able to carry into their professional careers. 

“The demand for workforce development is particularly strong across the nation, especially in the Gulf Coast region,” he said. “Essential skills need to be cultivated to prepare our students effectively.”

Wu says the standards, specifications and codes education modules will be ready by the fall of 2026, while the plastics circularity curriculum and textbook should be completed in early 2027.

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