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Posts from Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment

NEWS & STORIES

ESSIE faculty members earn Wason Medal for Materials Research

Friday September 4, 2026

Christopher Ferraro, Ph.D., P.E., associate director and associate professor in the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment, and Kyle Riding, Ph.D., P.E., department head and professor of Civil and Coastal Engineering, are among the researchers recognized with the American Concrete Institute’s Wason Medal for Materials Research.
A robot prepares to remove components from a desktop computer

Bombarded by dangerous e-waste? Bring on the bots

Thursday August 27, 2026

To make recycling e-waste safer and more efficient, UF’s Sara Behdad is leading a project to develop a self-learning digital twin to guide robots in disassembling consumer electronics for remanufacturing. 
Associate Professor Andrew Altieri, shown here speaking at the 2025 Center for Coastal Solutions Summit, served as a staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama before working at UF.

ESSIE’s Altieri named Hearne Rising Star Professor

Tuesday August 25, 2026

Andrew Altieri has been named the Scott and Lindy Hearne Rising Star Professor in ESSIE. 
The friends are shown here whitewater rafting in 1986 on the Trinity River in California. Front of the raft, left to right: Robert Thieke and Michael Drews; back of raft, left to right: rafting guide and Frederick Rozner.

‘An opportunity to honor’: How a lifelong friendship sealed an ESSIE endowed professorship

Friday August 21, 2026

The Robert Thieke Endowed Professorship was established in 2025 to honor Thieke upon his retirement after 35 years at UF.

Assistant professor Xiang Jacob Yan, Ph.D. poses on bike with bike helmet with UF campus in background

Engineer develops innovative approach to designing safer streets for cyclists

Monday August 17, 2026

Xiang Jacob Yan, Ph.D., is developing a tool to help designers incorporate cyclists’ perspectives with the help of LLMs.

UF’s Eckhoff Steel Bridge Team assembles its bridge earlier this year during competition. Photo by Sergio Mendez, ASCE

Inside The Pit: How UF engineers turn concrete, steel and sweat into championships 

Friday July 31, 2026

UF’s Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering is home to two national champion design teams: Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge. 
A UF researcher takes samples for use in the National Wetland Condition Assessment.

Back to the bog: UF researchers lead wetlands assessments

Tuesday June 30, 2026

Researchers at the University of Florida’s Howard T. Odum Center for Wetlands are once again leading Florida’s participation in the 2026 National Wetland Condition Assessment, a nationwide survey conducted every five years to assess the ecological health of wetlands across the US.

Surgeons in an operating room use robotic imaging to guide instruments.

A clear vision: Researchers develop robotic surgical cameras that mimic the human eye

Monday June 29, 2026

Researchers at the University of Florida and the University of Tennessee are developing technology to improve surgical outcomes. Shuai Li, Ph.D., and his colleagues have developed a soft, magnetically driven, AI-powered, nature-inspired robotic device that mimics the human eye.

A wide view of a beach in Florida.

Researchers are developing AI enabled tools to predict flesh-eating waterborne pathogens

Thursday June 25, 2026

UF researchers are collaborating to transform the way scientists detect, forecast and respond to dangerous waterborne infections caused by pathogenic Vibrio bacteria. 
ESSIE doctoral student Bowen Sun tests a drone-control system used in human-subject experiments comparing human and AI decision making, measuring the differences between the two. Photo courtesy of Eric Du

ESSIE researcher works to close the AI-human trust gap

Friday June 12, 2026

In a project that’s part engineering and part psychology, Eric Jing Du, Ph.D., is examining the trust gap between humans and the artificial intelligence systems on which they depend.  
Angela and Tim Lindner are sitting in their living room with their two dogs.

One bulletin board launches a UF legend: Angela Lindner to retire after 28 years

Wednesday May 20, 2026

Angela Lindner, Ph.D., is retiring after almost 30 years at UF.  Her journey was defined by resilience amid personal loss and institutional hurdles, culminating in tenure, prolific student‑support programs and a reputation for student‑centric, visionary leadership.   
Ron Antevy (BSCE ’91)

From Gator to game-changer: UF-bred entrepreneur Ron Antevy continues to distinguish himself 

Tuesday May 19, 2026

As the spring commencement speaker for the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, Ron Antevy (BSCE ’91) shared his journey from civil engineering graduate to successful entrepreneur with a few thousand of his colleagues.  
UF ESSIE Insights | News from the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment

ESSIE Newsletter, Spring 2026

Friday May 8, 2026

Welcome to the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment (ESSIE) at the University of Florida’s digital newsletter. I am proud to share the latest updates within our School.
Kurtis Gurley, Ph.D.

Spring 2026 Letter from the Director

Friday April 24, 2026

Dear alumni, students, faculty and friends,  As summer appears on the horizon, now is a good time to showcase some of the people and projects that make the University of Florida a leader in civil, coastal and environmental engineering. It has been an amazing semester.   First, we’re excited to introduce the new director of the […]
Associate Professor Christopher Ferraro accepts the Jean-Claude Roumain Innovation in Concrete Award from American Concrete Institute President Maria Juenger. Photo provided by ACI

A career highlight: ESSIE’s Ferraro receives award named for his hero

Monday April 20, 2026

In what he describes as a major highlight of his career, Christopher Ferraro, Ph.D., has been awarded the 2025 Jean-Claude Roumain Innovation in Concrete Award by the American Concrete Institute (ACI).  
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