Cal Poly Experts Directory - Disasters
Aircraft Crashes • Cyclones • Earthquakes • Materials Failure • Oil Spills • Terrorist Attacks • Wildfires
Aircraft Crashes
Daniel J. Biezad, Ph.D.
Professor of Aerospace Engineering
(805) 756-5126/2562 e-mail: dbiezad@calpoly.edu
Author of Integrated Navigation and Guidance Systems.
Member of four professional societies.
Author of more than 50 technical publications.
Areas of expertise:
* aircraft piloting and flight testing
* satellite navigation
* military aircraft
Russell Cummings, Ph.D.
Professor of Aerospace Engineering
(805) 756-1359/2562 e-mail: rcumming@calpoly.edu
Author of more than 20 scientific and technical journal articles and more than 40 technical meeting papers.
Associate fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, and member, Royal Aeronautical Society.
Current NASA research: multidisciplinary aircraft design, high-speed civil transport, high life aircraft systems, high angle of attack aerodynamics.
Conducting joint research project on drag computation at Oxford University Computing Lab.
Areas of expertise:
* history of aviation
* applied aerodynamics
* computational fluid dynamics
* experimental aerodynamics
* aircraft design
* aeronautical factors in aircraft crashes
Faysal Kolkailah, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor of Aerospace Engineering
(805) 756-2393/2562 e-mail: fkolkail@calpoly.edu
Recipient, Excellence in Academic & Research Achievement award from the Egyptian government.
Co-author, Numerical Analysis and Modeling of Composite Materials.
Recipient, Litton Excellence in Research Award.
Panelist, Graduate Research Fellowship Program NSF-OPAU.
External member, Foundation for Research Development, Pretoria, South Africa.
Member, society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering, Academic Advisory Council and the Composite Curriculum Committee.
Areas of expertise:
* theory of failure, fatigue and fracture mechanics of aircraft and aerospace structures (static and dynamic)
* SMART structures
* composite structures
* experimental and numerical analysis
* optimum design of aircraft components
* vibration analysis and control
* Islam and Muslim issues in the U.S. and Middle East
Jin Tso, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Aerospace Engineering
(805) 756-1391/2562 e-mail: jtso@calpoly.edu
Author of numerous articles on turbulence and applied aerodynamics.
Associate fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Research on aircraft cavity-induced problems and aerodynamics of short-take-off and vertical-landing aircraft.
Areas of expertise:
* aircraft aerodynamics
* vehicle aerodynamics
* wind-tunnel testing
* turbulent flow
* flow-induced vibrations
* aerodynamics of short-take-off and vertical-landing
(V-STOL) aircraft
Bob Heidersbach, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Materials Engineering
(805) 756-2568 e-mail: rheiders@calpoly.edu
Expert witness on materials science, metallurgy, corrosion, and building systems.
Member, National Association of Corrosion Engineers and American Society for Metals.
Author of more than 70 papers on corrosion and failure analysis.
Consultant on corrosion of the Statue of Liberty, buried storage tanks and metal grape stakes and on failure analysis of jet engines.
Areas of expertise:
* pipeline corrosion
* corrosion failure analysis
* corrosion control
* storage tank corrosion
* failure analysis of jet engines
Cyclones
Shan Somayaji, Ph.D.
Professor of Civil Engineering
(805) 756-2135/2947 e-mail: ssomayaj@calpoly.edu
Author of Civil Engineering Materials (1995, 2000) and Structural Wood Design (1990) and numerous articles on concrete technology, fly ash and cyclone disaster mitigation.
Professional leave project: Work at the Indian Institute of Technology in India on the use of appropriate technology, disaster mitigation, risk analysis, use of fly ash and concrete technology.
Areas of expertise:
* cyclone disaster mitigation
* civil engineering materials
* appropriate technology
* use of industrial byproducts (e.g., fly ash) in construction
* structural design
* concrete technology
Earthquakes
David Chipping, Ph.D.
Professor of Geology
(805) 756-1695/2448 e-mail: dchippin@calpoly.edu
Author of Geology of San Luis Obispo County.
Consultant to Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Fish & Game Department and Coastal Conservancy on groundwater and other topics.
Areas of expertise:
* geology
* earthquakes and other earth hazards
* geohydrology
* mine reclamation
* general identification of geologic problems
* evaluation of water resources
* geology and distribution of plant communities
Gregg L. Fiegel, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
(805) 756-1307/2947 e-mail: gfiegel@calpoly.edu
Geotechnical engineering consultant with special interest in geotechnical earthquake engineering.
Member, American Society of Civil Engineers and Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.
Areas of expertise:
* earthquake engineering
* geotechnical engineering
Abe Lynn, Ph.D.
Professor & Chair of the Architectural Engineering Department,
College of Architecture and Environmental Design
B.S., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 1986; M.S., University of California, Berkeley, 1991; Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1996
(805) 756-1314; e-mail: alynn@calpoly.edu
Chaired team of 25 scientists convened by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute in Oakland to study the after-effects and damage resulting from the December 2003 San Simeon earthquake. The San Simeon quake study was Lynn’s second; he also participated in the EERI study of the Northridge earthquake in 1994.
Areas of Expertise
* Seismic/Structural Building Safety
* Earthquakes
* Earthquake damage
* "Quake Proofing" or preparing homes, offices, other buildings
Rakesh Goel, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
(805) 756-2052/2947 e-mail: rgoel@calpoly.edu
Author of numerous articles on earthquake analysis and design of buildings and bridges.
Developed a new procedure for code analysis of asymmetric buildings.
Research on seismic protection of asymmetric buildings and on new materials for seismic applications. Member, American Society of Civil Engineers and Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.
Recipient of the 2000 Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize.
Registered civil engineer (PE) in California.
Areas of expertise:
* earthquake analysis and design of buildings and bridges
* seismic retrofit of buildings and bridges
* new technologies for seismic retrofit
Kenneth A. Hoffman, Ph.D.
Professor of Physics, Emeritus
(805) 756-1357/2448 e-mail: khoffman@calpoly.edu
Chairman, Division I (internal fields) International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (1995-99).
Chairman, working group in paleomagnetism, International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (1989-93).
Fellow, American Geophysical Union (1992).
Editor of Journal of Geophysical Research (1986-90).
Author of article on field reversals in Scientific American and several publications in Nature.
Recipient, Outstanding Professor of the CSU system (1988).
Areas of expertise:
* geomagnetism and paleomagnetism
* seismology and earthquakes
* behavior of Earth's magnetic field during reversals and reversal models
* rock magnetism
* paleomagnetism methodology
Clayton Pharaoh, M.S.
Assistant Professor in Architectural Engineering
(805) 756-2151/1314 e-mail: cpharaoh@calpoly.edu
Member, Structural Engineers Association of California, Emergency Response Team for California Department of Emergency Services.
Consultant for building reinforcement studies and the repair of a five-story steel-frame building damaged in 1994 Northridge earthquake.
Registered professional civil and structural engineer.
Areas of expertise:
* structural system design
* design of steel and timber buildings for earthquakes
* retrofit of unreinforced masonry buildings
Satwant S. Rihal, Ph.D.
Professor of Architectural Engineering
(805) 756-1352/1314 e-mail: srihal@calpoly.edu
Registered professional civil engineer.
Co-author of Guidelines for Design of Low-Rise Buildings Subjected to Lateral Forces (1993).
Contributor to reports issued by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (1983-94).
Member, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Post-Earthquake Reconnaissance Team.
Author of reports on earthquake hazard reduction.
Areas of expertise:
* earthquake-resistant building systems
* post-earthquake reconstruction
* seismic strengthening and retrofit
* seismic-prone areas of the world
* earthquake hazard mitigation of building systems, including non-structural systems
* innovative technologies and emerging developments in earthquake-resistant design and construction
Allen Settle, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science
(805) 756-2624/2984 e-mail: asettle@calpoly.edu
Co-author of public administration text and contributor to three textbooks on emergency management. Mayor, former council member, and former planning commissioner, city of San Luis Obispo.
Areas of expertise:
* urban affairs
* FEMA and legal issues
* elections and campaigns
* election surveys
* public opinion
* ballot measures
* government policy
* municipal and intergovernmental relations
* land-use planning and litigation
* civil and urban law
* public finance
Materials Failure
Bob Heidersbach, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Materials Engineering
(805) 756-2568 e-mail: rheiders@calpoly.edu
Expert witness on materials science, metallurgy, corrosion, and building systems.
Member, National Association of Corrosion Engineers and American Society for Metals.
Author of more than 70 papers on corrosion and failure analysis.
Consultant on corrosion of the Statue of Liberty, buried storage tanks and metal grape stakes and on failure analysis of jet engines.
Areas of expertise:
* pipeline corrosion
* corrosion failure analysis
* corrosion control
* storage tank corrosion
* failure analysis of jet engines
Ken Kohlen, M.Arch.
Professor of Architecture
(805) 756-1185/1316 e-mail: kkohlen@calpoly.edu
Licensed architect and licensed contractor.
Member, International Conference of Building Officials, Construction Specifications Institute.
Expert witness.
Areas of expertise:
* construction defects
* wood-frame construction
* forensic architecture
* construction dispute and resolution
* materials of construction
* residential construction
* light-frame construction
* architectural working drawings
* personal injury claims
* water damage
Daniel W. Walsh, Ph.D.
Professor of Materials Engineering and Associate Dean, College of Engineering
(805) 756-6400/2131 e-mail: dwalsh@calpoly.edu
Author of more than 80 technical articles treating physical metallurgy, corrosion, joining, microbiologically influenced corrosion, weldability, and educational techniques.
Consultant.
Recipient, Adams Memorial Award, The American Welding Society; Teetor Award, Society of Automotive Engineers; AT&T Foundation Award; Dow Outstanding Faculty Award, American Society for Engineering Education.
Technical reviewer for the National Science Foundation, American Welding Society, American Society for Metals, National Association of Corrosion Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineering, and American Society of Electrical Engineers.
Areas of expertise:
* biomaterials
* joining and solidification processes for advanced materials
* metallurgy
* material failure analysis
* corrosion
* microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) and bioengineering
* lightweight, high-strength materials
* advanced techniques for technical education
* technology transfer
* space shuttle main tank
Oil Spills
Raul J. Cano, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
(805) 756-1358/2788 e-mail: rcano@calpoly.edu
Director, Cal Poly Environmental Biotechnology Institute and Unocal Professor of Environmental Studies. Recipient, American Academy of Microbiology's 1997 Carski Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award. Contributor to four textbooks and author of more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including papers announcing the first revival of Dinosaur-Age bacteria (1995) and the first extraction, from insects preserved in amber, of viable Dinosaur-Age DNA (1993).
Isolated bacterial DNA from lung tissue of Copper Age "Iceman" found in 1991 in Tyrolean Alps. Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology, and member, American Society for Microbiology, Society for Industrial Microbiology and American Association for the Advancement of Science. Consultant to four biotech companies and San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office and certified public health microbiologist. Visiting researcher at hospitals in Seville and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Fluent in Spanish.
Areas of expertise:
* molecular evolution and paleobiology
* molecular diagnostics
* microbial diversity
* transmission, diagnosis and prevention of disease
* fossil DNA and DNA typing
* forensic biology--use of biology in criminal investigations
* revival of ancient one-celled organisms such as bacteria
* food microbiology
* Listeria, a pathogen found in dairy products and other food
* detection of Salmonella and other disease-causing agents
* sexually transmitted diseases
* bioremediation -- using bacteria and natural processes to clean up oil spills and other contamination
* botanical remediation -- using native plants to restore polluted areas
Christopher Kitts, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
(805) 756-2949/2788 e-mail: ckitts@calpoly.edu
Associate Director, Cal Poly Environmental Biotechnology Institute. Teaches introductory microbiology, microbial physiology, microbial ecology. Researcher in variety of topics from petroleum bioremediation to bacteria in milk powder, including E. coli contamination and intestinal microbial communities.
Areas of expertise:
* microbial physiology and ecology
* structure and dynamics of microbial communities
* petroleum bioremediation / using bacteria to clean up oil spills
* intestinal microbial communities
* tracking E. coli and other bacterial contamination in the environment
Terrorist Attacks
Dane Jones, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
(805) 756-2528/2693 e-mail: djones@calpoly.edu.
Director of Cal Poly's polymers and coatings program. Consultant to coatings industry on formulation, VOC analysis, testing of coatings and related products. Member, American Chemical Society. Member, Los Angeles Society for Coatings Technology.
Areas of expertise:
* polymers (plastics) and coatings chemistry
* chemistry of paint
* chemical weapons and warfare
* biological weapons and warfare
* environmental terrorism
Wildfires
Ronald Taskey, Ph.D.
Professor of Soil Science
(805) 756-1160/2261 e-mail: rtaskey@calpoly.edu
Participant, Soil Survey of the High Sierra (summer 1995).
Member, Soil Science Society of America, Society of American Foresters.
President, Soil and Water Conservation Society, California Chapter (1995).
Past president, California Forest Soils Council.
Certified rofessional in erosion and sediment control, professional soil scientist, and professional soil classifier.
Author of articles on undergraduate education and curriculum, wilderness, old-growth forests, and wildfire.
Areas of expertise:
* soil maps and land use
* wildfire and emergency rehabilitation
* landslides
* soil erosion
* wilderness
* watersheds