UF Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment- ESSIE

Hearty congratulations are due to ESSIE Interim Director Kurt Gurley, Ph.D., recipient of the 2026 Jack E. Cermak Medal, presented by the Engineering Mechanics Institute and the Structural Engineering Institute. The award, created in 2000, recognizes achievements in wind engineering and industrial aerodynamics.

Students in Antarpreet Jutla's lab at ESSIE are working to create an early warning system to alert Floridians of unsafe levels of Vibrio bacteria in our waters.

UF project aims to give Pensacola Beach early alerts for Vibrio bacteria in water PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. -- A team of research scientists from the University of Florida were in town Thursday collecting water samples at pensacola beachthe goal

Well, they did it again. UF's Eckhoff Steel Bridge Team has won the 2026 AISC/ASCE Student Steel Bridge Competition National Championship, hosted by the University of Texas El Paso May 22–23. This victory marks their 6th consecutive and 8th overall national title, the most in the 34-year history of the competition.

The team designed, fabricated, and assembled a cantilever bridge that spanned an 18-foot river in accordance with the competition ruleset. They competed against 44 other qualifying schools from 20 regional competitions, with 216 overall competing schools in North America.

Civil & Coastal Engineering Professor of Practice Taylor Rawlinson, Ph.D., P.E., is the faculty advisor for the team.

With the spring semester decidedly in the rearview mirror, now's a great time to take stock of the impactful work that ESSIE is doing.

Our spring newsletter is out now. Inside, you'll find stories about: taking concrete steps towards sustainability; why light poles failed during Hurricane Ian; the new leader of UF’s Center for Coastal Solutions; predicting storm damage with computer models; UF's original steel teaching sculpture gets a facelift; and the change atop the Weil Hall clock tower.

Get the whole picture: https://bit.ly/4tDrFb2

Congratulations to Sara Behdad, Ph.D., selected by the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering to receive the Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentoring Award for the 2025–26 academic year.

An associate professor in the Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment, Behdad was recognized for her excellence, innovation and effectiveness in doctoral dissertation advising.

Behdad received the award in person today at the HWCOE Awards Luncheon.
More: https://bit.ly/3OAy4Fohttps://bit.ly/3OAy4Fo

Congratulations to Taylor Rawlinson, Ph.D., selected to receive the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Faculty Advisor/Mentor Award for the 2025–26 academic year.

A professor of practice in ESSIE, Rawlinson is a well-known and much loved advisor for two key student organizations in the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering— the Concrete Canoe Team and the student Steel Bridge Team. Both teams have won multiple consecutive national championships under Rawlinson’s guidance.

Rawlinson received the award in person today at the HWCOE Awards Luncheon.
More: https://essie.ufl.edu/essies-rawlinson-wins-college-faculty-advisor-mentor-award/

In what he describes as a major highlight of his career, Christopher Ferraro, Ph.D., has been awarded the 2026 Jean-Claude Roumain Innovation in Concrete Award by the American Concrete Institute (ACI)crete Institute (ACI).

Ferraro is specifically honored for advancing concrete innovation through transformative research in sustainable materials.

The award also is special because, Ferraro said, its namesake is a personal hero.

Learn more about Ferraro and JC Roumain: https://essie.ufl.edu/a-career-highlight-essies-ferraro-receives-award-named-for-his-hero/

The Spring 2026 ESSIE External Advisory Board Meeting is happening today... ESSIE faculty, staff and students sharing experiences and advice with industry leaders. And vice versa. Talking curriculum, job market, industry trends and so much more, including updates from student groups and information about new initiatives. Thanks to EAB Chair David Wantman for his leadership.

Are you a future ESSIE graduate student? Need assistance with your application? Never fear! Join our application workshop, Tuesday, April 14 at 4:30 PM. We'll go over the application process, fee waivers, and answer any questions you may have about applying! Register now: https://bit.ly/4r4Hzdm

Join us Thursday, April 9 at noon for an hour-long information session via Zoom to learn about the 4+1 combined bachelor’s/ master’s degree program for ESSIE undergraduate students. Reps from ESSIE undergrad & grad advising teams will be there to answer your questions. Register now: https://bit.ly/45eExdY