As the fall semester gains momentum, our College of Engineering community is reconnecting in meaningful ways. Welcoming students at our Dean’s Welcome Lunch and celebrating Family Weekend have reminded us that engineering is about more than innovation. It’s about the community that helps turn ideas into reality.
That spirit is reflected throughout this month’s newsletter. From Ryder’s generous investment in College of Engineering students to research that is helping strengthen wastewater infrastructure, improve underwater exploration, track sargassum blooms and protect coral reefs, our faculty and students continue to make an impact beyond our campus.
I look forward to sharing more of our collective successes throughout the academic year.
Vincent Omachonu
Interim Dean, College of Engineering
University of Miami
Students and family members gather at Lakeside Patio for a Family Weekend pep rally ahead of the Hurricanes’ matchup against Central Michigan. Photo: Catherine Mairena/University of Miami
The Ryder Charitable Foundation has established the Robert E. Sanchez Future of Excellence Scholarship at the College of Engineering, honoring the retiring Ryder chairman and CEO and University of Miami alumnus. The scholarship will support engineering students from South Florida while continuing a long-standing partnership between Ryder and the college.
Civil and environmental engineering professor David Chin is part of a countywide effort to identify and reduce wastewater system vulnerabilities across Miami-Dade. Supported by a $1 million state grant, the project combines real-time monitoring and advanced analytics to help county officials pinpoint problem areas and prioritize repairs.
Electrical and computer engineering professor Shahriar Negahdaripour received an Office of Naval Research grant to improve underwater mapping using sonar imaging and artificial intelligence. The project aims to create more accurate three-dimensional models of underwater environments, with applications ranging from marine research to offshore infrastructure inspection.
University researchers, working with Miami-based technology company Altametry, have developed GPS-equipped drifters that can track sargassum seaweed as it moves through the ocean. The technology could improve forecasting of seaweed landfalls and provide coastal communities with more advance warning to prepare for large-scale sargassum events.
Go behind the scenes as engineering doctoral students test and deploy Kanopi, a unique shade structure designed to shield corals from excessive heat and reduce the impacts of bleaching. The field deployment offers a closer look at one of the innovative approaches being explored to protect South Florida’s reefs.
Kathryn Alwin, an industrial engineering senior, dedicated her summer to the Field Engineering Readiness Laboratory (FERL) at the United States Air Force Academy, where she worked on projects in construction, structural design, surveying and materials engineering.
This summer, we welcomed high school students to the University of Miami College of Engineering STEM Summer Program, directed by Ali Ghahremaninezhad. Students explored coastal infrastructure resilience, robotics, corrosion, materials engineering and environmental monitoring.
