Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering

Stevens Wins NSF Grant for International, Multidisciplinary Partnership to Study the Amazon River

December 13, 2012

Rivers around the world release fresh water into the ocean, playing a vital role in ocean dynamics. The Amazon River in South America is by far the largest river in the world in terms of waterflow. Dr. Michael Bruno, Dean of the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science at Stevens Institute of Technology and an expert on ocean observation systems and coastal ocean dynamics, has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant through the Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute Program to lead an international partnership of universities dedicated to the goal of an observing and modeling system on [Read more...]

Stevens Expert Joins International Panel on Nutrient Sustainability

November 8, 2012

NSF funds study to conserve phosphorus, a necessary element for life. Fertilizer is essential to sustaining the crop levels needed to feed the growing world population, accounting for the production of 40 to 60 percent of the world’s food supply. A key ingredient in the fertilizers necessary to support high-yield agriculture is phosphorus. Unfortunately, loss of phosphorus to the flow of water can lead to damaged coastal ecosystems. Dr. David A. Vaccari of Stevens Institute of Technology is working on an international project funded by the National Science Foundation titled “Coordinating Phosphorus Research to Create a Sustainable Food System,” the goal [Read more...]

In the Aftermath of Sandy, a Community Comes Together

November 6, 2012

Hurricane Sandy hit the Stevens and Hoboken community hard, leaving chaos and wreckage in its wake. During this difficult time, Hoboken residents, Stevens students, and volunteers from all over the area poured out generosity and support. Ucchishta Sivaguru, computer science undergraduate, recounts his experience: Stevens students volunteer in Hoboken “It was unbelievable waking up the morning after Hurricane Sandy made landfall to find a huge fallen tree on the campus ground, revealing its large roots. It was an indication of the strength and fierceness of the winds that caused so much devastation. “Losing power, hot water, and Internet on campus was hard [Read more...]

Maritime Researchers Prepare New York City and Boston for Flooding

October 15, 2012

In New York City and Boston alone, billions of dollars of urban infrastructure lie less than 4 meters above sea level, leaving the cities and its residents susceptible to coastal flooding and storm surges. Rising sea levels caused by climate change makes the two major metropolitan cities even more vulnerable. With support by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, researchers from Stevens Institute of Technology and Columbia University are developing plans for the cities to prepare and respond to coastal disasters. Dr. Alan Blumberg “Dr. Alan Blumberg and Dr. Philip Orton of the Stevens Center for Maritime Systems are collaborating with Dr. [Read more...]

Stevens Wins Third Consecutive DHS Award to Train Future Maritime Security Leaders

October 1, 2012

Our modern, interconnected global economy depends on products and goods that were built, assembled or harvested from all over the world. Indeed, some 90% of trade is transported by sea, according to the International Maritime Organization. As a leader in maritime security and commerce education and research, the Center for Secure and Resilient Maritime Commerce (CSR) at Stevens Institute of Technology, has won its third consecutive Science and Technology Career Development Grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The grant will support fellowships, including full tuition and stipends, for three full-time Maritime Systems graduate students. “This grant will strengthen a primary [Read more...]

Researchers Win NYSERDA Award to Develop Online Flood Risk Assessment Tool for Hudson Valley

September 12, 2012

Customized Web App Will Provide Information for Officials, Resource Managers and the Public by Merging All Flooding Resources into a Single Model Dr. Alan Blumberg Professors at the Stevens Institute of Technology and the Earth Institute have received funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to develop an online risk assessment tool for communities in the Hudson Valley to help prepare for the risk of future flooding due to climate change. The $289,000 NYSERDA award went to Dr. Alan Blumberg and Dr. Philip Orton of the Center for Maritime Systems at Stevens Institute of Technology, in [Read more...]

Dr. Philip Orton to Open Conference on Tropical Storms Irene and Lee

September 11, 2012

Experts gather to outline and analyze the historic combined effect of the two storms During a torrid week in 2011, cities and communities along the Hudson River were hammered by Tropical Storms Irene and Lee, causing $1.5 billion in damage and creating conditions so unique that scientists and researchers are still studying the effects a year later. On September 19, Dr. Philip Orton, Research Scientist for the Center for Maritime Systems at Stevens Institute of Technology, will give the opening talk at a conference hosted by the Hudson River Environmental Society (HRES), where experts in meteorology, hydrology, sediment transport, and biology [Read more...]

Stevens and Weirton Area Port Authority Collaborate to Create Resilient Ports

September 10, 2012

Stevens researchers to develop a resiliency plan to enhance port security, efficiency, and profitability Artist Rendering of Terminal In today’s global economy, ports are more important than ever in the supply chain, with approximately 80% of the entire world’s freight transported through waterborne vessels, valued at $1 trillion per year. To sustain an acceptable performance level despite disruptions, the Weirton Area Port Authority (WAPA) turned to the experts at Stevens Institute of Technology School of Engineering and Science and Howe School of Technology Management to create a resiliency plan in the event of an emergency. As members of the Executive Committee of [Read more...]

Stevens Researchers Win NASA Grant to Investigate Severe Weather Threats to New York City

June 25, 2012

Dr. Alan Blumberg, Dr. Philip Orton work with NASA researcher Timothy Hall on sweeping risk assessment Extreme weather events that can devastate populations have been occurring more frequently over the last decade, and that trend that is expected to persist as the climate continues to change. Coastal cities are particularly vulnerable to such events because of the combination of dense populations and the dual hazard from the sea as well as sky. Dr. Alan Blumberg and Dr. Philip Orton of the Center for Maritime Systems at Stevens Institute of Technology, in collaboration with Timothy Hall from the National Aeronautics and Space [Read more...]

Stevens Students Compete in 5th International Roboboat Competition

April 23, 2012

Unmanned vessel innovations help to advance next-generation naval vessels “Imagine a world where you could have a boat and just tell it where to go, [and it could arrive there] without any human input,” muses Edmund Hoffman, mechatronics engineer of the Stevens Institute of Technology Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Senior Design Team. As part of their capstone senior project, the team is participating in the international effort to realize unmanned vessel technology. On June 20th-24th, 2012, they will take their ASV to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and Office of Naval Research-sponsored 5th International RoboBoat Competition, where some [Read more...]