New Faculty Hires The Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment (ESSIE) is excited to welcome four new faculty members.
Eric Jing Du
Lecturer
Associate Professor
Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering
Joined UF: January 2019
Website: https://faculty.eng.ufl.edu/ericdu
Before coming to the University of Florida, Dr. Eric Jing Du served as a faculty member at Texas A&M University. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering. His primary area of research is the automation technologies in complex civil engineering works. Dr. Du’s ongoing projects involve the use of emerging information technologies in construction, such as virtual and augmented reality, as well as testing the benefits and issues of human-robot collaboration in complex construction operations.
Andreia Fonseca de Faria
Assistant Professor
Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences
Joined UF: January 2018
Website: https://faculty.eng.ufl.edu/andreia-fonseca-de-faria
Dr. Andreia Faria’s current research interests are in the use of nanotechnology to advance water treatment. She applies her multidisciplinary background in chemistry, biology, and engineering to develop nanomaterials that can help to overcome the inefficiency of conventional materials in water purification systems. Before joining ESSIE, Dr. Faria was a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University working with Professor Menachem Elimelech on environmental toxicology and nano-based technologies to prevent biofouling in membrane-driven water treatment processes.
Denise R. Simmons
Associate Professor
Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering
Joined UF: August 2018
Website: https://www.essie.ufl.edu/home/simmons
Dr. Denise R. Simmons, PE, PMP, has over 10 years of construction and civil engineering experience working for energy companies and as a project management consultant. She holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering and a graduate certificate in engineering education – all from Clemson University. Currently, Dr. Simmons oversees the Simmons Research Lab (SRL), which hosts an interdisciplinary mix of graduate researchers who work together to transform civil engineering practice with an emphasis on understanding hazard recognition, competencies, satisfaction, personal resilience, organizational culture, training and social considerations. With funding support from the NSF, she is one of a growing number of researchers bridging the space between understanding the future of work in civil engineering in the United States and characterizing the ecosystem that equip and sustain a competent and inclusive workforce for that future.
Khiem Tran
Associate Professor
Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering
Joined UF: August 2018
Website: https://www.essie.ufl.edu/home/ttk
Dr. Khiem Tran’s primary areas of research are geophysical and nondestructive testing, and foundation design and capacity assessment. He mostly focuses on seismic and ultrasonic techniques for nondestructive evaluation of transportation and civil infrastructure, as well as foundation dynamics and monitoring for integrity and capacity assessment. Before arriving in ESSIE, Dr. Tran had been a faculty member at Clarkson University for 6 years. He received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida in 2010.