Several NDSU professors have recently published work in academic journals and another has received a national grant.
D. K. Yoon, assistant professor of emergency management, and Jimmy Kim, assistant professor of civil engineering, had an article published in the September/October issue of the Journal of Bridge Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers. In their paper, “Identifying Critical Sources of Bridge Deterioration in Cold Regions through the Constructed Bridges in North Dakota,” a novel approach is proposed to assess the performance of existing bridges in cold regions, including a combined Geographic Information System and statistical analysis method. Of particular interest is determining the critical sources affecting deterioration of constructed bridges subjected to cold region environments. The research findings are expected to enhance infrastructure planning and management in North Dakota.
Eric Raile, assistant professor of political science, and Amber Raile, assistant professor of communication, recently had published “Defining Political Will” as the lead article in the journal Politics & Policy. The authors, with co-author Lori Ann Post from Yale University, construct an operational definition of political will that facilitates analysis and assessment. The work represents a first step in a broader research agenda of identifying specific shortcomings in political will and designing appropriate strategies and tactics to secure political will for beneficial social change.
G. Padmanabhan, professor of civil engineering, has had the paper, “Regional Dimensionless Rating Curves to Estimate Design Flows and Stages,” published in a recent issue of the Journal of Spatial Hydrology. Brent Johnson, a 2005 master’s degree graduate in civil engineering and an advisee of Padmanabhan, is the co-author. In their study, Johnson and Padmanabhan investigated the potential for using dimensionless rating curves to estimate flows and stages of different return periods for streams in the Red River Basin of Minnesota and North Dakota.
Gregory Cook, chair and professor of chemistry, has received a $420,000 grant for the National Science Foundation. The three-year grant will support research in organic chemistry. Cook will develop new synthetic methods for the preparation of small molecule building blocks for new pharmaceuticals and new materials. Specifically, he is investigating new catalysts to control chemical reactions that are environmentally friendly. The development of green methods for the synthesis of organic molecules will have lasting impacts on the growth of safe and clean chemical technologies.