AI in CEE – Infrastructure Research Group

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) is a collaborative research effort involving Dr. Amekudzi-Kennedy, Dr. Jorge Macedo, and others to explore how AI is changing CEE education and practice.

The research team includes:

	Dr. Jorge Macedo \| Jorge Macedo, Ph.D., P.E. is an Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Dr. Macedo received B.S (2007) and M.S (2011) degrees in civil engineering and soil mechanics, respectively, from the Peruvian National University of Engineering and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Geoengineering in 2014 and 2017 from the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of California Berkeley. Dr. Macedo’s research combines performance-based engineering and reliability tools with advance numerical modeling (e.g. FEM, FDM, MPM) to support the implementation of risk and hazard assessment in geo-hazards engineering, which can lead to a more sustainable design of geotechnical systems.
	Dr. Adjo Amekdudzi-Kennedy \| Adjo Amekudzi-Kennedy studies complex real world systems with a focus on the integrated built, natural and social environments. She creates decision support tools to improve infrastructure performance and enhance community quality of life for all. Her research currently focuses on the development and application of systems methods to promote smart and resilient development. Dr. Amekudzi-Kennedy is co-founder of the Global Engineering Leadership Minor at Georgia Tech. She has served on the Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment (National Research Council) and the Transportation Asset Management Committee of the Transportation Research Board for over 10 years. Kennedy is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a member of the National Academy of Construction.
	Dr. Rachael Panik \| Rachael Thompson Panik, AICP, PhD is a transportation safety researcher. Rachael’s research is motivated by one of the most pressing public health crises in the United States: each year, ~40,000 people die preventable deaths from traffic crashes. A disproportionate number of these deaths are people biking and walking — the most accessible and climate-friendly means of transportation. These unacceptable realities of traveling in the U.S. direct Rachael’s research agenda towards preventing roadway crashes in a system that is socially and physically complex.
	Dr. Chenying Liu \| Dr. Chenying Liu is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he also earned his Ph.D. through the joint program in Computational Science and Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering. His research focuses on machine learning, AI-driven, and physics-informed approaches for extreme events engineering and performance-based design, with applications in the design and condition assessment of critical infrastructure. Dr. Liu has published over 30 articles in leading journals and conferences and has received several awards, including the Earthquake Spectra Outstanding Reviewer Award and the Outstanding Geomaterials Research Award from Georgia Tech.
	MacGyver Rawson \| 2nd Year Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Student \| MacGyver is an undergraduate Environmental Engineering student at Georgia Tech with an anticipated minor in German. He seeks to use his education to explore climate resiliency solutions, sustainability, environmental impact assessment, and environmental equity in order to dedicate his career to climate resiliency and catastrophic climate change risk management. In his free time, MacGyver enjoys composing music, cooking, and playing his instruments.
	Noelle Watkins \| 5th Year Environmental Engineering and ALIS Undergraduate Student \| Noelle is an undergraduate student at Georgia Tech majoring in Environmental Engineering and Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies with a concentration in Korean. Her interest in sustainability and walkable infrastructure grew during high school, where she learned about infrastructure adaptability and affordable housing. She is an active member of the Georgia Tech National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Korean Traditional Dance Team. In her free time, Noelle enjoys dancing, singing, learning languages, and crocheting.
	Sonal Pandya \| 4th Year Industrial Systems Engineering \| Sonal is an undergraduate student in ISYE at Georgia Tech. She is drawn to problems that require both logic and nuance, whether it’s cleaning messy datasets, interpreting regression diagnostics, or modeling systems. She has experience as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for the course CS 1301 (computer science for non-engineers).

	Dr. Jorge Macedo \| Jorge Macedo, Ph.D., P.E. is an Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Dr. Macedo received B.S (2007) and M.S (2011) degrees in civil engineering and soil mechanics, respectively, from the Peruvian National University of Engineering and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Geoengineering in 2014 and 2017 from the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of California Berkeley. Dr. Macedo’s research combines performance-based engineering and reliability tools with advance numerical modeling (e.g. FEM, FDM, MPM) to support the implementation of risk and hazard assessment in geo-hazards engineering, which can lead to a more sustainable design of geotechnical systems.
	Dr. Adjo Amekdudzi-Kennedy \| Adjo Amekudzi-Kennedy studies complex real world systems with a focus on the integrated built, natural and social environments. She creates decision support tools to improve infrastructure performance and enhance community quality of life for all. Her research currently focuses on the development and application of systems methods to promote smart and resilient development. Dr. Amekudzi-Kennedy is co-founder of the Global Engineering Leadership Minor at Georgia Tech. She has served on the Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment (National Research Council) and the Transportation Asset Management Committee of the Transportation Research Board for over 10 years. Kennedy is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a member of the National Academy of Construction.
	Dr. Rachael Panik \| Rachael Thompson Panik, AICP, PhD is a transportation safety researcher. Rachael’s research is motivated by one of the most pressing public health crises in the United States: each year, ~40,000 people die preventable deaths from traffic crashes. A disproportionate number of these deaths are people biking and walking — the most accessible and climate-friendly means of transportation. These unacceptable realities of traveling in the U.S. direct Rachael’s research agenda towards preventing roadway crashes in a system that is socially and physically complex.
	Dr. Chenying Liu \| Dr. Chenying Liu is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he also earned his Ph.D. through the joint program in Computational Science and Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering. His research focuses on machine learning, AI-driven, and physics-informed approaches for extreme events engineering and performance-based design, with applications in the design and condition assessment of critical infrastructure. Dr. Liu has published over 30 articles in leading journals and conferences and has received several awards, including the Earthquake Spectra Outstanding Reviewer Award and the Outstanding Geomaterials Research Award from Georgia Tech.
	MacGyver Rawson \| 2nd Year Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Student \| MacGyver is an undergraduate Environmental Engineering student at Georgia Tech with an anticipated minor in German. He seeks to use his education to explore climate resiliency solutions, sustainability, environmental impact assessment, and environmental equity in order to dedicate his career to climate resiliency and catastrophic climate change risk management. In his free time, MacGyver enjoys composing music, cooking, and playing his instruments.
	Noelle Watkins \| 5th Year Environmental Engineering and ALIS Undergraduate Student \| Noelle is an undergraduate student at Georgia Tech majoring in Environmental Engineering and Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies with a concentration in Korean. Her interest in sustainability and walkable infrastructure grew during high school, where she learned about infrastructure adaptability and affordable housing. She is an active member of the Georgia Tech National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Korean Traditional Dance Team. In her free time, Noelle enjoys dancing, singing, learning languages, and crocheting.
	Sonal Pandya \| 4th Year Industrial Systems Engineering \| Sonal is an undergraduate student in ISYE at Georgia Tech. She is drawn to problems that require both logic and nuance, whether it’s cleaning messy datasets, interpreting regression diagnostics, or modeling systems. She has experience as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for the course CS 1301 (computer science for non-engineers).