UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Vikash Gayah, assistant professor of civil engineering at Penn State, was recently selected to be a part of the National Academy of Engineering’s Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) Symposium, which will take place Sept. 25 to 28 in Irvine, California.
The symposium committee, composed of several deans of engineering and members of the National Academy of Engineering, selected 48 of the most innovative engineering educators from across the country to participate in a two and a half day discussion on groundbreaking technical work and cutting-edge research in selected engineering fields. The purpose of the event is to foster a collaborative cross-discipline work environment where educators can share ideas, learn best practices, and leave with a charter that they can then share with their home institutions. They are also able to establish contacts among the next generation of engineering leaders.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to learn what everyone else is doing and see what I can take back to share at Penn State,” said Gayah.
This year's keynote speaker will be Curtis Carlson from the Practice of Innovation. Participants will be able to attend multiple speaker sessions as well as ample discussion periods and other events that offer attendees an opportunity for a more informal exchange with each other.
Gayah, who joined Penn State in 2012, was the only Penn State faculty member chosen.
His research focuses on the resilience of urban transportation networks, traffic flow theory, traffic operations and control, public transportation systems, and urban mobility.
Prior to joining Penn State, Gayah received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Central Florida. He continued his education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he completed his doctorate in civil engineering. Additionally, Gayah has published research at several other universities.
“I think Penn State has wonderful faculty, and I am lucky to be nominated,” said Gayah. “I am thankful for Tom Litzinger of the Leonhard Center and Peter Butler of the College of Engineering for believing in me and for nominating me.”
The 2016 FOEE symposium is sponsored by John McDonnell, Nandita and Sanjit K. Mitra, and the National Science Foundation.