SIUE Civil Engineering Faculty Host Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Conference
The environmental and water resources engineering faculty members of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Civil Engineering Department organized the 2024 Mid-American Environmental Engineering Conference (MAEEC) on October 19 at SIUE. Graduate students and their faculty advisors attended a day-long conference, where students presented their research. The attendees represent six universities in the region: SIUE, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri University of Science and Technology, University of Missouri Columbia, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Saint Louis University.
S. Cem Karacal, PhD, Dean of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering, offered welcome remarks: “As we confront the pressing challenges of global climate change and environmental pollution, it’s essential for scholars and graduate students from our region’s universities to come together. Sharing insights and exchanging ideas is crucial for advancing our understanding of these complex issues.”
The conference chair Rohan Benjankar, PhD, an associate professor in water resources engineering of the Civil Engineering Department, opened the conference and elaborated the significance of the event, emphasizing the collaborative research work to address the problems in water resources and environmental management.
“Water resources management and environmental engineering professionals have very challenging responsibilities to address the issues that arise from future population growth, increasing water, food, and energy demands and the impacts on the ecosystem,” said Benjankar. “Climate change adds more frequent extreme events such as flood and drought, which pose a serious threat to water resources management and the environment.”
Conference co-chair Jianpeng Zhou, PhD, professor of environmental engineering of the Department of Civil Engineering, said, “In addition to research presentations by the graduates students, this conference has brought to SIUE the world-renown AEESP Distinguished Lecturer Dr. Lynn Katz, Professor in Civil Engineering and the Director of the Center for Water and the Environment of the University of Texas at Austin to give the keynote presentation. The conference also offered a career panel to the students, making this event a wonderful learning experience for all.”
The SIUE Emeritus College and the ASCE-EWRI St. Louis Chapter sponsored the conference.
PHOTO: 2024 MAEEC conference participants
