Johnathan Woodruff wins First Place in Student Presentation Competition

Ph.D. student Johnathan Woodruff won first place in the student presentation competition during the annual Environmental, Water Resources, and Coastal Engineering Research Symposium. This award is chosen by judges from among all of the student presentations and is reflective of both compelling research activities and excellent presentation skills. The award includes a $500 cash stipend.

Congratulations to Johnathan!

CCHT Ph.D. student Johnathan Woodruff.

Johnathan Woodruff wins Student Educational Award

Ph.D. student Johnathan Woodruff won the Student Educational Award from the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association. This award is given annually to an undergraduate or graduate student who, through his or her research, is furthering the state of science of coastal systems as it relates to the goals and mission of the ASBPA. The award includes a $500 cash stipend. Johnathan wil attend the ASBPA National Coastal Conference next week to present his findings to the coastal community.

CCHT Ph.D. student Johnathan Woodruff.

Coastal Engineering Lab in Fitts-Woolard Hall

Construction is nearly-completed on Fitts-Woolard Hall, which will be our new home. We are moving slowly during this Fall 2020, and we will be in the new building when we return full-time to campus. The photo below is an updated look at our Coastal Engineering Lab. This room will have workspaces for the coastal engineering team at NC State, and its location on the third floor will allow a great view of Centennial Campus. We are excited for the new building!

New glass wall and furniture for the lab.

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Ajimon Thomas defends PhD Dissertation

Again because of the pandemic, we gathered virtually for a successful PhD defense by Ajimon Thomas. Most attendees joined online, and Ajimon shared his research with his fellow students and faculty committee. Congrats to Ajimon!

Socially Distant Movie Party

The coastal engineering team at NC State enjoyed a Socially Distant Movie Party on Sat Apr 4. From our separate homes, we watched Sharknado and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which are mildly “coastal” and good distractions. It was fun to connect with each other, even from a distance. Stay healthy!

Carter Rucker defends MS Thesis

Despite a challenging situation in the world, we gathered for a successful MS thesis defense by Carter Rucker. With only a few people in the room and a larger online audience, Carter presented his research and answered questions with great skill. Congrats to Carter!

News: CCHT Leads a Core Research Project for NC Sea Grant

2020/01/17 – NC Sea Grant News
NC Sea Grant Announces 2020–2022 Core Research Projects

North Carolina Sea Grant’s core research projects for 2020 to 2022 will apply innovative approaches to coastal issues. Research teams across the state are starting new studies on coastal resilience, climate change, flooding, shellfish and aquaculture, environmental literacy and more.

“Our core research examines real-world needs of our coastal communities and ecosystems,” says Susan White, executive director of North Carolina Sea Grant. “We are pleased to have so many multidisciplinary collaborations that address our program’s strategic focus areas.”

Brooke Rumbaugh

I am a first year graduate student in the CCHT at North Carolina State University. I am originally from West Virginia, which is a completely landlocked state. It was actually through traveling and vacations that my love of the coast developed. After I received my bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Marshall University (Huntington, WV), I began looking into master’s programs. During this search, I discovered coastal engineering. After learning about what coastal engineering was about and speaking with some coastal engineers, I discovered it was a perfect way to implement my love of coasts into my career.

Currently, I am involved in a research project: “Improving Predictions of Estuarine Flooding and Circulation during Storms.” This project addresses the issue of storm-driven circulation and flooding in estuaries for the North Carolina coast. It includes the enhancement of the exiting modeling and extend it to consider the density-driven circulation and salinity transport. I look forward to continuing to expand my knowledge and to learn to use new modeling software.

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