The Fall 2023 meeting of the Center for Infrastructure Renewal (CIR) Advisory Panel (CAP) took place on Friday, October 20, 2023. Prior to the meeting, a poster session was held to showcase the research being conducted in the CIR labs. This provided an opportunity for board members and guests to interact with students and professors, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of the center’s growth and development. 

Graduate Research Assistant and PhD Candidate Mr. Xincheng “Ethan” Wang shared his perspective on the impact of poster sessions on research development: 

“Poster sessions serve as more than just a platform for PhD students to present their research. They act as a catalyst for engagement, learning, and growth. These sessions expose researchers to a variety of perspectives, fostering potential collaborations. The immediate feedback received can highlight areas for improvement or suggest new research directions. A notable moment from the CAP poster session was my insightful conversation with a Texas DOT officer. Discussing the practical applications of my research underscored the connection between academia and industry. It was encouraging to see the potential of my research idea in addressing real-world challenges in the construction industry. Such interactions inspire hope that our academic pursuits can indeed bring about tangible changes in the real world.” 

We are excited about hosting more poster sessions in the future. These sessions provide our researchers with the opportunity to connect with industry professionals, bringing firsthand experience into the research environment. We believe that this collaboration is key to implementation and real-world performance. 

CIR Director Dr. Anand Puppala noted that the recent poster session was the largest ever held at the CIR, featuring 26 posters and 30 participating students. This demonstrates the significant growth in students conducting their research at CIR. 

We extend our gratitude to all the students who participated in this poster session, as well as the laboratory leads and professors who promoted participation within their groups. We eagerly anticipate the upcoming research and projects at the CIR! 

Thank you to our student presenters: Abdullah Braik, Amit Gajurel, Aditya Deshmukh, Hiramani Chimauriya, Yoonjung Han, Natasha Van Dam, Jonathan Lapeyre, Naikeng Wang, Sumedh Sharma, Nikhil Potnuru, Santosh Kommidi, Ayazhan Bazarbekova, In Kyu Jeon, Mohammad Rahmani, Abdullah Azzam, Sanjana Kunkolienkar, Jordan Cook, Kseniia Zhgun, Leen Al Homoud, Mary Sue Bitar, Khandaker Akramul, Shining Sun, Congjie Wei, Yuxiang Gan, Jianyu Dai, Jiaoli Li, Juliana Montanez, Xincheng “Ethan” Wang, Khari Harrison, Jacob Rogers and Anikhet Mote.

Thank you as well to our students’ research supervisors: Maria Koliou, Anand Puppala, Jeff Bullard, Petros Sideris, Yong-Rak Kim, Thomas Overbye, Kate Davis, Chenglin Wu, Edith Arambula Mercado, Amy Epps-Martin, Zach Grasley and Tom Lacy.