School of Engineering Cooperative PhD Program Develops Industry Innovators
The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering Cooperative PhD Program in Engineering Science is training the next generation of creative thinkers and innovators who will continue the advancement of the engineering industry.
Graduates of the program receive a doctor of philosophy degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The program’s memorandum of understanding designates SIUE as an approved residence center where coursework can be completed using the SIUE School of Engineering’s state-of-the-art laboratories for research and instruction.
“The goals of this program are to expand the high-quality educational opportunities in the doctoral level to students at SIUE by utilizing the educational resources available at both SIUE and SIUC,” said Keqin Gu, PhD, program director and distinguished research professor in the School of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.
“Students are especially pleased with the opportunity to work closely with outstanding faculty on the frontiers of engineering and science topics,” he added. “All past graduates of this program are employed as senior level engineers or faculty members at universities.”
Among the 18 students currently enrolled in the program, research assistant Siavash Zamiran has received multiple accolades for his research projects conducted in the SIUE soil laboratory. Zamiran is the 2016 recipient of the International Association of Foundation Drilling’s (ADSC) internationally acclaimed Endowed Civil Engineering Graduate Study Scholarship.
“The receipt of this scholarship is incredibly motivating, as it is well-known in the geotechnical and civil engineering communities,” Zamiran said. “My future professional goal is to continue engineering research with experimental and numerical studies. I would like to be active in different areas of geotechnical engineering in both academic and industrial environments.”
Zamiran’s extensive research activity during his doctoral studies includes the study of retaining walls’ behavior during earthquakes, subsidence and stability evaluation of Illinois coal mines, and the study of levees due to flooding and soil erosion, among other projects.
Abdolreza Osouli, PhD, P.E., assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, serves as Zamiran’s faculty advisor through the cooperative PhD program.
“With Siavash’s motivation, I have been able to direct him to excellent performance in all capacities of teaching, research and professional service,” Osouli said. “Students in this program have opportunities to engage with a multitude of educational and scholarly activities that can be helpful for their future professional careers.
“This program enhances critical thinking and helps the students be self-driven. Consequently, it trains students to be developers of creative ideas in the engineering industry.”
Zamiran will be acknowledged for his receipt of the coveted scholarship during the ADSC annual meeting in February 2017 in Palm Springs, Calif.
Students enrolled in the SIUE and SIUC Cooperative PhD Program may pursue a broad spectrum of engineering disciplines, including civil engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, industrial engineering, and mechanical engineering.
Photo: (L-R) Abdolreza Osouli, PhD, assistant professor of civil engineering, research assistant Siavash Zamiran, and Keqin Gu, PhD, cooperative PhD program director and distinguished research professor in the SIUE School of Engineering.
