Gautham Das, Associate Professor, Civil Engineering

Douglas C. Elder Professorship Associate Professor, Civil Engineering
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The funds obtained from the Douglas C. Elder Professorship have enhanced the knowledge of sustainability and environmental remediation on Wentworth's campus.
Dr. Das is an associate professor of Civil Engineering in the School of Engineering.

Teaching

The Douglas C. Elder Professorship has had a positive impact on my teaching and research. It has given me the opportunity to work on a variety of projects and enhance my teaching abilities. In addition, the funding has given me the opportunity to enhance undergraduate research at Wentworth. Students have had exposure to working with graduate level instrumentation and material, which is beyond the scope of undergraduate curriculum.

Research

Incorporation of Plastic Products into Roadways (Research with Amanda Siciliano Catarina Figueredo Mendes and Gabriela Kuran): This research team consisted of two seniors and one junior from the Civil Engineering Program. In 2019-2020, the students continued their research of commingling single stream waste products into beneficial uses. It was determined that plastic products originate from the same source as bitumen, which is the primary constituent of asphalt—asphalt being the primary constituent of roadways. Ms. Siciliano, Ms. Kuran and Ms. Mendes conducted various environmental and strength testing at Wentworth. Ms. Mendes and Ms. Kuran presented their research at the 10th International Conference on Environmental Engineering and Applications (ICEEA 2019) on June 26-28th, 2019. They won the best presentation award at this conference and are in the process of obtaining a journal publication as well.

Citation: Das, G.P., Mendes C.F and Kuran, G., (2019) “Using Plastic Bags in Roadways” International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, Vol 10, No 12, pp 456.

Evaluating the Efficiency of Low-Cost Filtration: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the efficiency of various low-cost water filters regarding transitional metals, which are carcinogenic such as cadmium, chromium, and selenium. The objective of this research is to identify a low-cost water filter, which could be employed in areas affected by natural disasters and in developing nations. The research team consisted multiple undergraduate students for a period of two years. The research was published in the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA).

Citation: Das, G.P. and Charest, A., (2020) “Evaluating the Efficiency of Low-Cost Filtration” New England Water Environment Association Journal, Vol 54, No 1, ISSN 1077-3002.

Using Calcium Stearate for Fly Ash Stabilization: I investigated the attenuation capacity of calcium stearate by commingling this product with fly ash. The research indicated that calcium stearate was effective in reducing the leaching potential of fly ash, and as an additional bonus, it increased the pozzolanic properties of fly ash. The research concluded that calcium stearate could be used as an additive for fly ash stabilization.

Citation: Das, G.P. and Alborz, N., (2020) “Using Calcium Stearate for Fly Ash Stabilization” Journal of Boston Society of Civil Engineers, Winter 2020, Vol 28, Issue 1, ISSN 0886-9685.

Impact

The funds obtained from the Douglas C. Elder Professorship have enhanced the knowledge of sustainability and environmental remediation on Wentworth's campus. Students who have worked with me on these research projects have reported that the research projects have had a positive impact on their careers. Furthermore, this professorship has given me the ability to support women and minority students. Students have been able to present the research on various national and international platforms. The confidence gained from working on these research projects has given these students the ability to pursue graduate school and thrive in the engineering workforce.