2026 Thomas C. Kavanagh Memorial Structural Engineering Lecture

Tuesday, October 13, 2026; 5:00 pm
028 ECoRE Building
Speaker: Andrew Whittaker, Ph.D., P.E., S.E. from University at Buffalo

"Risk-informed, performance-based design of seismic isolation systems for nuclear power plants"

Abstract

Risk-informed pathways are being developed to support the design and licensing of next-generation nuclear power plants. This presentation describes one such pathway for implementing seismic base isolation. The methodology has evolved from a rigorous risk-based framework involving isolation-system-specific seismic displacement demand curves, fragility functions, and numerical integration of seismic risk, to a simplified closed-form procedure requiring displacement calculations only at an annual frequency of exceedance corresponding to the target performance goal (TPG). The resulting median displacement capacity, D50, provides the basis for prototype testing of seismic isolators and dampers.

The presentation begins with an overview of the nuclear regulatory framework relevant to risk-informed seismic design, followed by the derivation of displacement demand curves, development of isolation-system fragility functions, calculation of D50, and the associated prototype testing requirements for seismic isolation and energy dissipation devices.

Bio

Andrew Whittaker is a SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at the University at Buffalo, and holds a Faculty Joint Appointment at the Idaho National Laboratory. He is a registered civil and structural engineer in the State of California. Whittaker’s undergraduate degree in civil engineering is from the University of Melbourne (1977) and his MS (1985) and PhD (1988) degrees are from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Distinguished member of ASCE and a member of the US National Academy of Engineering.

Andrew Whittaker has contributed to the writing of ASCE standards, and ATC/FEMA guidelines for more than 30 years. He made significant contributions to the first generation of tools for performance-based earthquake engineering (FEMA 273, FEMA 274, FEMA 356, ASCE 41) and led the structural engineering team that developed the second generation of these tools (FEMA P-58). Whittaker served as Chair of the ASCE Nuclear Standards Committee from 2015 to 2026, and now co-chairs the ASCE 92 committee. He led Issue Team 11 in the current NEHRP cycle addressing risk targets for seismic isolation systems for buildings, with outcomes to inform ASCE/SEI 7-28.

https://www.cee.psu.edu/events/kavanagh/index.aspx

Hosted by: Jessica Wilson,  jrw412@psu.edu

Modern Applications of Quantitative Ultrasound for Medical Research

Wednesday, October 14, 2026; 3:35-4:25 pm
254 Health and Human Development
Speaker: JONATHAN MAMOU from University of Pitt

Presentation Abstract:

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is an active research field focused on obtaining quantitative tissue properties (i.e., system- and user-independent) from ultrasound data. Conventional ultrasound imaging is commonly used to visualize soft tissue morphology. During scanning, a gray-scale B-mode image is displayed on screen from which a trained clinician can evaluate tissue states. However, B-mode ultrasound image formation discards valuable information in the raw backscattered echo signal that encodes information about tissue microstructure. Therefore, microstructural changes in soft tissues that accompany disease processes, but do not directly affect tissue morphology, may not be visible in B-mode images. QUS methods use the raw ultrasound data to reconstruct parametric maps that are representative of tissue microstructure. In this talk, I will review conventional ultrasound imaging and QUS methods based on analyzing the backscatter coefficient and envelope statistics. I will present recent vivo QUS results from in vivo human studies in cancer, ophthalmology, and dermatology.

Dr. Jonathan Mamou graduated in 2000 from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications in Paris, France. In January 2001, he began his graduate studies in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in May 2002 and 2005, respectively. He previously was the Associate Research Director of the F. L. Lizzi Center for Biomedical Engineering at Riverside Research in New York, NY. He currently is a Professor of Electrical Engineering in the Department of Radiology of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, NY. Dr. Mamou also is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering of New York University. His fields of interest include theoretical aspects of ultrasound scattering, ultrasonic medical imaging, acoustic microscopy, ultrasound contrast agents, and biomedical image processing.

Hosted by: Lana Fulton,  lub18@psu.edu

Magnesium Oxychloride Cement: An Emerging Sustainable Building Alternative

Thursday, October 22, 2026; 10:35am
Capone Learning Auditorium (CBEB 001)
Speaker: Christopher Kitchens from Villanova University

ABSTRACT

Magnesium oxychloride (MOC), also known as Sorel cement, was discovered in 1867 but has recently re-emerged as a potential alternative to conventional Portland cement in residential and commercial construction. MOC offers greater compressive strength and elasticity than Portland cement, along with significant fire resistance. It also binds exceptionally well with many filler materials, enabling its use in lightweight, structurally robust building products. Furthermore, MOC is non-toxic, resistant to mold and mildew, and has a lower CO2 footprint than Portland cement. However, broader adoption remains constrained by challenges related to manufacturing control, water stability, and corrosion.

This seminar will examine the potential for MOC to transform the construction and building-products landscape, while addressing the technical barriers that currently limit its broader adoption. The discussion will cover the fundamentals of the formation and curing reactions, mechanisms of composite reinforcement for optimizing mechanical performance, and methods for enhancing water stability. Formation and curing kinetics of magnesium oxychloride 5-phase were monitored using time-resolved quantitative X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The reaction was characterized as a two-step process: dissolution of magnesium oxide into a gel state, followed by crystallization of magnesium oxychloride. We have also examined the reaction of MOC with CO2, which forms a protective, semi-insoluble chlorartinite layer on the surfaces of magnesium oxychloride crystals and improves water stability. To address corrosion concerns, we can model chloride-ion speciation within MOC and evaluate routes for mitigating potential metal corrosion.

We are also working with several manufacturers through the Magnesium Oxide Building Products Association (www.mgobpa.org) to develop testing standards that support commercial product quality and building-code approval. This work has advanced the commercialization of magnesium oxide building products, including the design and construction of a large-scale MOC manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas—the only such facility in North America. The seminar will trace this path from fundamental laboratory research to full-scale manufacturing and show how technical advances, standards development, and industry collaboration can enable a new sustainable alternative to conventional materials used in residential and commercial construction.

Chris Kitchens is Professor and Chair of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Villanova University. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Appalachian State University in 1999 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University in 2004 under the guidance of Prof. Christopher Roberts. Following a two-year postdoctoral appointment at the Georgia Institute of Technology, he joined the Chemical Engineering faculty at Clemson University, where he served from 2006 to 2022. During that time, he established a research group focused on advanced materials for applications in nanotechnology, renewable resources, green building products, and stimuli-responsive composites. His research interests include the synthesis, processing, and application of surface-modified nanomaterials for drug delivery and catalysis; the environmental fate of engineered nanomaterials; nanocomposites derived from renewable resources; and next-generation green cement building products. His group also employs tunable-fluid materials processing and neutron-scattering characterization techniques. Dr. Kitchens is active in education and outreach related to nanotechnology, green chemistry, and green engineering. He earned an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Clemson University in 2021 and subsequently completed a two-year industrial residency with MiTek Inc., where he worked on the development and manufacture of magnesium oxide cement products for the construction industry.

Hosted by: Angela Dixon,  adc12@psu.edu

Ferroelectric Polymers and Composites with High Piezoelectricity

Wednesday, October 21, 2026; 254 Health and Human Development Building
3:35 - 4:25 p.m.
Speaker: QING WANG from Penn State Materials Science and Engineering Dept.

Abstract: Ferroelectric polymers represented by poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers enable the development of flexible piezoelectric devices for a wide range of applications, including wearable electronics, human-machine interfaces, energy harvesting, soft robotics, and ultrasonic imaging. This talk will describe our recent efforts on the improvements of piezoelectric coefficients and elastic energy densities of PVDF-based ferroelectric polymers and composites. Inspired by the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), a critical concept in the design of high-performance piezoelectric ceramics, we establish the coexistence regions of the competing ferroelectric and relaxor properties in the P(VDF-TrFE) copolymers and reveal the crucial role of chain tacticity in driving the formation of the transition region. The copolymer with the morphotropic composition exhibits state-of-the-art piezoelectric coefficients. We employ an electro-thermal approach to drive the ferroelectric phase transition in PVDF-based percolative polymer nanocomposites. The actuators based on electro-thermal actuation outperform current polymer-based actuators in terms of concurrently enhanced actuation strain and elastic energy density that are triggered at a much lower electric field. In this regard, electro-thermal actuators based on ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites can bridge the gap between ferroelectric polymers and piezoelectric ceramics. This talk will discuss fundamental insights into the structural mechanisms that control piezoelectricity and actuations in ferroelectric polymers.

BIO: Prof. Qing Wang received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago in 2000. Prior to joining the faculty at Penn State in 2002, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University. Among other awards, he has received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Rustum and Della Roy Innovation in Materials Research Award and Penn State Faculty Scholar Medal in Engineering. His research interests include the development of ferroelectric polymers, electroactive polymers, dielectric polymers and nanocomposites for energy harvesting and storage. Prof. Wang is a Fellow of AAAS and IEEE.

Hosted by: Lana Fulton,  lub18@psu.edu

Ultrasonic Imaging to Reveal the Physics of Earthquake Precursors

Wednesday, November 4, 2026; 3:35-4:25 pm
254 Health and Human Development
Speaker: Jacques Riviere from

Abstract
Earthquakes result from sudden frictional instabilities along tectonic faults. Death toll due to earthquakes can be enormous, especially in regions where proper infrastructure is lacking. Anthropogenic earthquakes near geothermal reservoirs or due to wastewater injection also threaten communities in regions of historically low seismicity. The objective of this research is to discover the mechanisms of precursory changes in rock and fault properties preceding laboratory earthquakes, to improve our understanding of earthquake precursors and ultimately better assess seismic risk. I will first begin this talk by providing an overview of the lab work conducted in this area and describe how it can be used to inform field observations. I will also describe the recent application of machine learning models to predict laboratory earthquakes. Finally, I will present more recent results from laboratory experiments where dense arrays of ultrasonic sensors are utilized (i) to characterize laboratory earthquakes and their foreshocks and (ii) to understand precursory changes to failure on heterogeneous faults. Our recent results show that, under similar conditions, some laboratory earthquakes exhibit simple ruptures while others reveal a rich seismic response, including ruptures of small asperities taking place concomitantly with the main rupture. Together, our laboratory experiments show that datasets with a seemingly simple configuration and simple mechanical response can exhibit both complex precursory changes to failure and complex seismic responses.

 

Biographical 

Jacques Rivière is an associate professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, as well as Acoustics, at the Pennsylvania State University. Prior to his appointment at Penn State, he was a Marie-Curie postdoctoral fellow at the Université Grenoble Alpes, France (2016-2018), a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Geosciences at the Pennsylvania State University (2015-2016), and a postdoctoral scholar at Los Alamos National Laboratory (2012-2015). He earns a Ph.D. from Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, France and an M.S. in Mechanics and Acoustics from Université du Maine, Le Mans, France. He is a recipient of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science Early Career Award (2022). His research expertise spans across acoustics, ultrasonics and geophysics. It includes the use linear/nonlinear ultrasonics, ultrasonic imaging and acoustic emission for (i) the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and/or structural health monitoring (SHM) of materials for industrial and civil applications, as well as (ii) the characterization and monitoring of rocks, granular media and fault friction in the context of earthquake physics and related geophysical applications.

Hosted by: Lana Fulton,  lub18@psu.edu