The URECA website regularly features students' perspectives on research and/or creative activities

Thomas J. Kennedy is a senior majoring in civil engineering who has been working this past year with Prof. Ryan K. Giles, of the Sustainability & Health of Urban Infrastructure Laboratory. His research on the “Experimental Analysis of Polygonal Rocking Columns Subject to Seismic Excitations” was supported this past summer by PSEG through the Explorations in STEM program*, a program co-administered by the Career Center, Technology & Society, and URECA. Thomas's research seeks to expand our understanding of the behavior of rocking columns as an effective means of dissipating seismic energy—a system well understood by the ancient Greeks who used rocking columns in the Parthenon and other Greek temples, structures that have endured numerous earthquakes over millenia.  At SB, Thomas has been involved as a peer mentor for the College of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and is the Vice President for the SB Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Thomas plans to pursue a PhD in Civil Engineering and to continue to explore programming/modelling to develop our understanding of sustainable infrastructure design.

For the full interview/feature, please go to:   
http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/ureca/feature/October2016.html
*PSEG generously provided support in summers 2015 and 2016 for 35 Stony Brook students to pursue research over the summer.

Related news:
PSEG Investing in the Future of STEM
https://pluggedin.psegliny.com/2016/09/26/investing-in-the-future-of-stem/