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Dr. Pnina Ari-Gur is a professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Western Michigan University. Her research focuses are materials science and engineering. Dr. Ari-Gur earned her doctor of science in Materials Engineering from Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. Dr. Ari-Gur has been
faculty at Western Michigan University since 1985. Her experience also includes R&D in the aerospace industry, post-doctorate at the University of British Columbia, and sabbatical at University of Auckland in new Zealand. She has been working on magnetic shape memory alloys as smart materials and for alternative energy. She has years of experience working on a variety of materials. Her research has been funded by NSF, the Air-Force Office of Scientific Research, NASA, CRDF Global, and industry. Her research
projects also benefit society such as her NSF grants where nano-ceramics were used as photocatalysts for cleaning contaminants from water and air or for developing ferromagnetic alloys for alternative energy. She has used grants from HP and NSF to develop virtual laboratory to enhance student learning. She is also engaged in a number of outreach activities. A regular presenter in math and science events geared
toward females and underrepresented groups of middle and high-school students, Dr. Ari-Gur regularly mentors students from the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center. She has strong ties and outreach programs with community colleges and hosts students from HBCUs in her lab.

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Laboratory supervisor Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

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Dr. Marwa Hassan is the Performance Contractors Distinguished Associate Professor in the Department of Construction Management, College of Engineering, at LSU. She is also the Graduate Coordinator for the department. Her area of expertise is sustainable material laboratory characterization and life-cycle assessment of infrastructure materials and systems. Dr. Hassan employed LCA to determine the impacts of photocatalytic pavements as well as asphalt construction operations including warm-mix asphalt. In 2003, she received the Architectural Research Centers Consortium King Medal for her work on sustainable technology at Virginia Tech. In 2008, she was awarded the Performance Contractors Professorship by the College of Engineering at LSU. Dr. Hassan has more than 17 years of industrial and academic experience in construction engineering and management, material science and characterization, and sustainable engineering. She have established a unique multi-disciplinary research and education program at LSU for undergraduate and graduate students focused on infrastructure sustainability and the use of advanced materials including nanomaterials in construction applications. This program has built a core foundation for sustainable development research and education within her department and LSU’s College of Engineering. Dr. Hassan has attracted research funding that exceeded 2.3 million dollars, and has published with her students 45 refereed journal publications and 60 refereed conference proceedings. She has 10 invited presentations as well as a book chapter. She is currently a member of TRB Committee on Application of Emerging Technologies to Design and Construction, Pavement sustainability subcommittee, as well as the Design and Construction Group Young Member subcommittee (DCG YMS). She is also a member of the Construction Industry Institute academic committee and a friend of the Sustainable Pavement Technical Work Group (SPTWG). She supervised two female Ph.D. student and 8 MS thesis students to completion.

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Mr. Jeff Johnston is an Instructor in the Applied Technology Department of Muskegon Community College. Mr. Johnston worked 25 years as a Product Developement Engineer for suppliers of engine components and heavy duty truck components. During his work as a Product Development Engineer, he worked as an adjunct instructor for 18 years. In his current position, he teaches Engineering Graphics, Engineering Statics, Metallurgy, Industrial Materials, and Mathematics. Mr. Johnston possesses a Masters of Science and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University.

Mr. Johnston would like to thank Dr. Ari-Gur for including him in this project, which will benefit, both students at Western Michigan University and Muskegon Community College.

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