What courses do you teach?

I teach Civil Engineering courses in the area of Structures and Materials. Some of these courses include CIVE 2000: Statics and Mechanic Materials I, CIVE 2400: Materials, CIVE 2500: Statics and Mechanic Materials II, CIVE 3200: Structural Analysis, and CIVE 4250: Steel Design. I have also taught Introduction to Engineering, Capstone and developed an elective course.

How have your interests, research or experience led you to your field?
I do not remember a time when I wanted to be anything other than a Civil Engineer. My father is a Structural Engineer, and I was exposed to drawings, designs, models, and affordable housing and earthquake-resistant structures at a very young age. Teaching became a passion in college. My classmates always had questions and I would teach them. The word spread and soon there were more and more students that showed up to learn about structural analysis or bridge design. After I graduated, I thought of combining both my interests and teaching Civil Engineering. Two decades later, after teaching in universities in two countries and four states, I know it was the right path.

Why I am proud to be part of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

I’m proud to be part of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community because my heritage teaches me to live a noble life of sacrifice and service, producing more than what we consume and giving more than what we take (adapted from Chinmaya Mission Pledge). Sustainability has always been important in my culture, and I am proud of it.

Describe one exciting thing that you are working on or is happening in your classroom.

I am working on my Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Leadership and Administration and will complete it next month.

What is one interesting fact about you?

I started teaching Civil Engineering at a university when I was 20 years old.

Share your favorite quote for this month.

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Mahatma Gandhi

List of recent publications and other accomplishments:

Select Publications

• “Practical approach towards teaching a content intensive subject in higher education” at the ASEE Virtual Conference (National 2020) in June 2020. My co-authors for this conference were Mr. James Lambrechts and Mr. Ron Frattura.
• “Classroom Demonstration Module for Two- and Three-dimensional Force Analysis: The Montessori-based Engineering (MBE) Model” at the ASEE Virtual Conference (National 2020) in June 2020. My co-authors for this conference were Dr. Leonard Anderson and Dr. Hadi Kazemiroodsari.
•  “Steel Frame Sculpture for Teaching Purposes” at the ASEE Virtual Conference (National 2020) in June 2020. My co-authors for this conference were Dr. Hadi Kazemiroodsari, Mr. Austin Hart (Student) and Mr. Will Cashel-Cordo.
• “A novel approach towards teaching Structural Analysis” was accepted at the ASEE-NE Conference and I presented it in the October 2020 conference.
• “Personalized learning and modeling in a materials classroom” at the ASEE NE Conference in October 2020. My co-authors for this paper were Dr. Hadi Kazemiroodsari and Mr. Will Cashel-Cordo from the Civil Engineering program. My co-authors for the presentation were Mr. James Lambrechts and Dr. Hadi Kazemiroodsari.
• “Design and Building of a Load Frame for Buckling Test”. My co-authors for this paper were Dr. Hadi Kazemiroodsari, Mr. Nikolai Vaycheslav Gabard, Mr. Phillip Curtsmith, and Kamren S. Donovan.
• “Computational Intelligence for Engineering Design Applications: A Case Study in Structural Analysis” at the AMCIS -2019 Conference. My co-author for this paper was Dr. Amit Deokar.
• “Effect of Mycelium on Self-Healing Bio-Concrete,” at the BEI-2019 Conference. My co-authors for this conference were Joseph Radeki and Aparna Deokar.
• “Methods for Teaching Statics” at the ASEE-Zone 1 Conference-2019. My co-author for this conference was Dr. Naseer Yari.

Recent Awards and Achievements

• Recipient of the Bistline Grant 2021
• Partnered with Ron Burton Training Village to conduct a STEM program for underrepresented girls in middle and high school in March 2021
• Presented at the faculty panel in the ASCE Convention on “Empowered to Innovate: Civil Engineering Education for the Future Profession." The topic for my presentation was, “Maximizing the benefits of hands-on learning, addressing industry needs, updated facilities, inclusive learning, and integrated empathy/soft skills in design projects” in November 2020
• Recipient of EPIC Mini-Grant in Spring 2019