Through an interdisciplinary research and education program that bridges engineering, marine science, natural science, and data science, civil engineering professor Ali Ghahremaninezhad is rethinking how the research community approaches coastal resilience.
With support from a substantial $3 million National Science Foundation award, the University of Miami College of Engineering will take a leading role in preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers to address the urgent challenges facing coastal communities.
The five-year award will fund the creation of a new research and education program focused on developing sustainable, data-driven solutions for flooding, erosion and sea level rise. The initiative will also strengthen the coastal resilience workforce by giving students both technical expertise and the professional skills needed to translate research into real-world applications.
By leveraging the university's expertise and coastal setting, the program seeks to develop both transformative technologies and a new model for interdisciplinary graduate education.
Students will learn to analyze how coastal infrastructure responds to stressors such as storms and saltwater intrusion while exploring new approaches to designing resilient infrastructure. Coursework and workshops will focus on topics such as advanced infrastructure materials and systems, self-healing and corrosion-resistant concrete, marine biogeochemistry and environmental data analytics. The program will also emphasize leadership, entrepreneurship, and communication skills to prepare graduates to lead teams and engage with policymakers.
The program brings together faculty from across the university, including Prannoy Suraneni from the College of Engineering, Amanda Oehlert from the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, Rajeev Prabhakar from the College of Arts and Sciences, and Ravi Vadapalli from the Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC). Working alongside other faculty members, they will conduct research and mentor Ph.D. students through a mix of interdisciplinary research, laboratory rotations, fieldwork, and community-engaged projects.
The program's collaborative structure reflects the complexity of coastal resilience and aligns closely with the university's broader commitment to resilience in the built environment. It builds upon other College of Engineering initiatives aimed at protecting South Florida's infrastructure and ecosystems.
