The University of Houston’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has received a three-year $498,132 Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) award from the Department of Education. Dr. Y.L. Mo is the Project Director on this award and Drs. Deborah Roberts, Reagan Herman, and K.H. Wang of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering are Co-Directors on the project along with UH College of Education member Dr. H. J. Freiburg. The primary objective for this project is to increase the number of well-qualified U.S. citizens and permanent residents, particularly those from underrepresented groups, who will pursue teaching and research careers in Civil and Environmental Infrastructure Engineering. The GAANN program will provide support to doctoral candidates pursuing degrees in this area at the University of Houston.
Infrastructure engineering has been identified by the Department of Education (DOE) as one of its ‘absolute priority’ areas of national need. The granted GAANN Fellowships will enhance and expand the strong efforts already underway within the Cullen College of Engineering and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The GAANN program will allow an opportunity to coordinate interdisciplinary research on civil infrastructure studies and provide improved centralized laboratories and specialized equipment to support this work. Although the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will house the GAANN fellows, they will also be exposed to the advanced interdisciplinary infrastructure research and education available at UH. This will provide the opportunity for training and research in almost every aspect of civil and environmental construction, transportation, water/wastewater, and energy infrastructure, as well as the social aspects of modern infrastructure development and maintenance.