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Research Assistantships Available
I have research
assistantships available for graduate study leading to Master of Science (M.S.)
or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees with a research focus in the following aspects
of environmental engineering:
- Modeling of human exposure to PM2.5: There
is increasing concern about the health effects of human exposure to fine
particulate matter (PM) that is less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic
diameter (PM2.5). The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency currently regulates ambient levels of
PM2.5 under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS). EPA is beginning a 5 year
process to review and possibly revise this standard. NC State is the lead university on two
related studies of human exposure to PM2.5 and the associated
health effects. These highly
collaborative interdisciplinary projects focus on the environmental
science of modeling human exposure to air pollutants. However, these projects will have
significant policy implications.
These projects involve working with the existing Stochastic Human
Exposure and Dose Simulation (SHEDS) model for PM2.5, as well
as models for source apportionment of air quality to emission sources
(Chemical Mass Balance [CMB] and Positive Matrix Factorization [PMF]
models). The major skills that a
student must have or develop in these projects include: (a) statistical methods for quantifying
inter-individual variability in exposures and uncertainty in data and
model predictions; (b) other statistical methods such as to support
analysis of data and use of CMB and PMF models, including principle
components analysis and time series analysis; (c) geographic information
system approaches to spatial analysis of data; (d) developing and working
with large databases for air quality, human activity, and demographic and
housing information that are input to the SHEDS model; (e) ability to work independently
in a highly demanding and highly visible research area; (f) ability to get
things done in a timely manner to support collaborative work with others
in the research team. An
environmental science or engineering background is suitable for this
research area.
- Measurement and Modeling of Real World
Activity, Fuel Use, and Emissions of Vehicles. There
is a wide variety of work occurring internationally on the development of
real-world data for activity, fuel use, and emissions of a wide variety of
vehicles. NCSU has been at the
forefront of this type of research since 1996. Since 1999, NCSU has been a leader in
the application of Portable Emission Measurement Systems (PEMS) that can
be temporarily installed on a vehicle in order to collect data on vehicle
activity, fuel use, and emissions under real-world conditions. Dr. Frey’s research group has
developed a systematic methodology for study design, field data
collection, quality assurance, and data analysis using PEMS. Over the years, Dr. Frey’s group
has done field measurements of passenger cars, heavy duty trucks, nonroad
construction vehicles, and railroad locomotives in order to assess the
effects of vehicle characteristics, traffic flow, ambient conditions,
driver/operator behavior, and infrastructure design and operation on fuel
use and emissions. Currently, we
are starting a new project focused on light duty vehicles. This project involves collaboration with
other students and faculty, and requires field measurement, data analysis,
and modeling skills. The major
skills that a student must have or develop in this project include: (a) working with the PEMS both in the
laboratory and in the field to properly calibrate, install, and operate
the instrument in order to produce high quality data; (b) operate highway
vehicles during data collection (must have a driver’s license); (c)
conduct quality assurance of the field data using standard protocols; (d)
develop and apply methods for analyzing data, including statistical
methods and “physically-based” methods derived from first
principles in order to create models of fuel use and emissions; (e)
statistical methods for regression, time series, and principle components
analysis; (f) geographic information systems modeling techniques; and (g)
work with the project team to implement the models to case studies and
link them with other software tools, such as transportation demand
models. An environmental,
mechanical, or chemical engineering background is most suited to this type
of work, although students from other engineering disciplines or from
science disciplines that emphasize chemistry, physics, or both may be
considered.
- Measurement and Modeling of
Tire/Pavement Noise: The interaction of tires and pavement
creates a significant amount of noise, especially at speeds typical of
arterials and highways. Thus,
tire/pavement noise is the leading contributor to the total observed noise
levels that can affect neighborhoods located near roadways. Because a sound barrier wall can cost
more than $2 million per mile and may be limited in effectiveness,
increasingly critical attention is being given to characterizing
tire/pavement noise and identifying more cost-effective noise mitigation
strategies. Although many noise
measurement methods exist, one that has emerged as a likely national
standard is the On-Board Sound Intensity (OBSI) method. The OBSI method allows for noise
measurements at the tire/pavement interface, and thus allows for
characterization of such noise at any vehicle location. This research will consist of a detailed
literature review, procurement of an OBSI system, and the design of a
field data collection study to characterize a variety of pavements for
selected roadway classes (i.e., interstate, principal arterial,
etc.). Graduate research assistants
will: perform the literature review, assist in procuring and assembling
the OBSI instrumentation, conduct field data collection in accordance with
the draft AASHTO/ASTM standard applicable to OBSI measurements; conduct
quality assurance of the data; analyze the data to produce an empirical
characterization of tire/pavement noise levels for different types of
pavements and operating conditions; develop recommendations as to the use
of these data to improve modeling; and document the results of this work
in a final technical report. The major
skills that a student must have or develop in this project include: (a) working with the OBSI system both in
the laboratory and in the field to properly calibrate, install, and
operate the instrument in order to produce high quality data; (b) operate
highway vehicles during data collection (must have a driver’s
license); (c) conduct quality assurance of the field data using standard
protocols; (d) develop and apply methods for analyzing data, including
statistical methods and “physically-based” methods derived
from first principles in order to create models of tire/pavement noise as
a function of pavement type and other conditions; (e) statistical methods
for regression, time series, and principle components analysis; (f)
geographic information systems modeling techniques; and (g) work with the
project team to use the data to develop models and recommend how the new
data should be incorporated into national databases and models. An environmental, mechanical, chemical,
or electrical engineering background is most suited to this type of work,
although students from other engineering disciplines or from science
disciplines that emphasize physics may be considered.
To be eligible for these
research assistantships, students must be accepted into the graduate program in
Water Resources and
Environmental Engineering in the Department
of Civil Engineering at North Carolina State
University. Graduate
school admission application materials may be submitted online..
Research assistantships include a monthly
stipend, health insurance, and waiver of out-of-state tuition costs.
Outstanding applicants may be eligible for supplemental fellowships offered by
the
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