Symposium Speakers
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Michel BoufadelProfessor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Newark College of Engineering An expert in hydraulics and numerical modeling of large scale systems, Professor Boufadel is well-known for his work in the investigation of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and BP’s Deepwater Horizon (DWH) blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. His research projects include floodplain delineation for FEMA and predicting contamination in urban streams. He was involved in the response to the DWH blowout and has received funding from the Unified Command to evaluate oil biodegradation in the Gulf of Mexico beaches following the blowout. He comes to NJIT from Temple University. |
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Martina DeckerAssistant Professor of Architecture, College of Architecture and Design A pioneer in smart materials in architecture, Professor Decker is a partner in Decker Yeadon, the first architecture research office to synthesize “buckypaper,” a thin sheet of carbon nanotubes, and she and her partner, Peter Yeadon, are researching a range of novel, high performance materials like this for future building projects. Her work focuses on how new materials with novel properties might generate solutions to various contemporary challenges in sustainability and health and safety. In both her research and her architectural practice, she makes use of materials that are engineered at the molecular level. |
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Eric FortuneAssociate Professor of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Liberal Arts Professor Fortune is a neurophysiologist with expertise in electrophysiology, ethology, ecology and evolution. He studies the mechanisms of animal behavior through careful measurements of natural animal behavior and sophisticated quantitative approaches to discover the cellular mechanisms used by the brain to control behavior. The focus of Fortune’s research has recently been revolutionized by exciting results from investigation of the neurophysiological basis of cooperation in a unique species of Andean songbird — the plain-tailed wren which was published in the journal Science. He was formerly on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University. |