SEATTLE – From traffic jams and crumbling roadways to the impact of vehicle emissions on global warming, the social, financial and environmental problems related to transportation require immediate and sustainable solutions.
In a presentation entitled “Better roads ahead: Sustainable solutions to complex transportation needs,” WSU experts will discuss the challenges posed by aging transportation systems as part of WSU’s continuing “Innovators” lecture series at noon Tuesday, April 6, in the Spanish Ballroom of the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle. Luncheon registration is available at http://www.theinnovators.wsu.edu/ or by calling 877-978-3868. Admission is $45.
WSU experts in sustainable transportation are spearheading development of long-term solutions to the complex urban and rural mobility problems that confront the state, nation and world. David McLean, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Curtis Hinman, a specialist in low-impact development and storm water management technologies, are among those leading transformative research aimed at enhancing transportation within the built environment and improving the health and economic vitality of communities.
McLean also serves as director of WSU’s Transportation Research Center, which is run in partnership with the University of Washington and the Washington State Department of Transportation. His research interests include the behavior and design of reinforced concrete and masonry structures, the seismic response and retrofitting of bridges, and the use of composite materials in structures. External funding for his research exceeds $12 million.
During the past 25 years, McLean has received numerous regional and national awards for his research, teaching, advising and consulting activities, and he recently was awarded the annual Engineer of Merit Award from the Inland Empire Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Hinman is an associate professor with WSU Extension and an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences. He directs water resource programs for WSU Extension in Pierce County to help educate civic leaders and citizens in watershed ecology and to help protect water quality and aquatic habitat in the Puget Sound basin. Hinman is author of the “Low Impact Development Technical Guidance Manual for Puget Sound” and the “Rain Garden Handbook for Western Washington Homeowners.”
He is active in research, design and monitoring of low-impact development strategies for western Washington, while serving on advisory committees to develop regional storm water management policy and identify funding and research needs. Hinman studied environmental policy analysis and planning, specializing in lake ecology and water resource management, at the University of California, Davis, and earned his master’s degree with a concentration in stream ecology and watershed management from Yale University.
WSU’s Innovators lecture series highlights the university’s research achievements and promotes informed discussion about matters of vital importance in the twenty-first century. In lectures and panel discussions by faculty experts and industry leaders, WSU faculty members explore a variety of topics and inspire new visions for our future.