Associated Faculty and Researchers
Jim Hanson
Dr. Jim Hanson is a Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in the College of Engineering. He has a B.S. and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from University of Wisconsin, Madison and M.S. in Geo-Engineering from University of Minnesota. His research interests are in geotechnical engineering and geoenvironmental engineering; thermal analysis of landfills; characterization of geomaterials; ground improvement; large-scale testing and field monitoring; and innovation in engineering education. Dr. Hanson's teaching interests include geotechnical engineering, geoenvironmental engineering, geosynthetics engineering, and ground improvement. He served as the Chair of the Civil Engineering Division of ASEE and serves on various committees of ASCE, ASTM, and TRB. He is active internationally, serves on ASCE Geo-Institute International Activities Council, conducts educational research with international university and industry partners, and serves as co-chair of the tri-annual U.S.-Japan Geoenvironmental Engineering Workshop.
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Dan Jansen
Dr. Dan Jansen is an Associate Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in the College of Engineering. He has a B.S. in Structural Engineering from University of California, San Diego and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University. His research interests are in reinforced and prestressed concrete; reuse of waste products as construction materials; high performance concretes; advanced mechanical testing of materials; and application of computer vision systems to displacement field measurements. Dr. Jansen's teaching interests include civil engineering materials, reinforced concrete design, prestressed concrete design, and advanced civil engineering materials laboratory. He serves as the Chair of the ACI Committee 555 on Recycled Materials and is active in various additional committees of ACI.
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Tryg Lundquist
Dr. Tryg Lundquist is an Assistant Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in the College of Engineering. He has a B.A. in Environmental Science and M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, all from University of California, Berkeley. His research interests are in natural wastewater treatment technologies such as ponds and wetlands; evaluation of algae-to-biofuel processes; San Joaquin Valley pollution issues including selenium-contaminated agricultural drainage, animal waste, and water quality in wildlife refuges; physico-chemical treatment including oil field produced water and Title 22 reclamation; nutrient removal and recovery; anaerobic bioreactors; and point-of-use and emergency water treatment devices. Dr. Lundquist’s teaching interests include wastewater reclamation, water treatment, water chemistry, animal waste management, and capstone design. He serves as a Cal Poly Biodiesel Club advisor and is a member of SuRGE, a faculty group promoting the teaching and implementation of resource-conserving designs and practices at Cal Poly.
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Derek Manheim
Mr. Derek Manheim is a Research Associate at GWRI. Derek joined GWRI after graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2012 with an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a B.S. in Environmental Engineering. Derek’s educational and research background include water and wastewater treatment and design, bioremediation, air quality engineering and monitoring, and algal biofuel production in conjunction with wastewater treatment. Currently, Derek’s research with GWRI focuses on investigation of surface texture characteristics of a variety of natural and engineered materials using an optical interferometer. Specifically, he is involved in characterizing surface texture of soil particles including sand and gravel and various geosynthetics including geomembranes and geotextiles. He is establishing testing procedures and developing correlations between surface texture characteristics and engineering response. Derek also provides assistance with the use of the interferometer to graduate and undergraduate students across campus. He greatly enjoys partnering with the students to advance their research.
Yarrow Nelson
Dr. Yarrow Nelson is a Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in the College of Engineering. He has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of California, Berkeley and M.S. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, both from Cornell University. His research interests are in bioremediation of groundwater contaminants, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides and nitrate; biological interactions affecting trace metal transport in aquatic environments; biogeochemistry; phytostimulation of bacterial hydrocarbon degradation; storm water treatment; and biodiesel production from algae in conjunction with agricultural wastewater treatment. Dr. Nelson’s teaching interests include environmental engineering, water chemistry, pollution prevention, mass transfer, and biochemical engineering. He serves as faculty advisor to Cal Poly Society of Environmental Engineers, Cal Poly SurfRider Foundation Student Chapter, and the Zero Waste Club.
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Jay Singh
Dr. Jay Singh is a Professor in the Industrial Technology Program in the Orfalea College of Business. He has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Poona University, India and M.S. and Ph.D. in Packaging Science, both from Michigan State University. His research interests are in package design and integrity; product-package compatibility; biodegradable packaging; testing including static and dynamic response, thermal properties, and fragility; distribution environment measurement and simulation; Radio Frequency Identification (RFID); and solid modeling and rapid prototyping. Dr. Singh’s teaching interests include packaging dynamics, machinery, materials and systems, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). He is the Director of the Cal Poly Packaging Program and serves on various national and international packaging related organizations.
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Tracy Thatcher
Dr. Tracy Thatcher is an Associate Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in the College of Engineering. She has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of California, Davis and M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, both from University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests are in indoor air quality; air pollution; and experimental investigation of physical processes governing the movement of gases and aerosols. Dr. Thatcher’s teaching interests include environmental engineering, environmental air quality, air pollution, and air quality measurements. She serves on the California Air Resources Board Research Screening Committee and has served as advisor to Cal Poly Society of Environmental Engineers.
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Sam Vigil
Dr. Sam Vigil is a Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in the College of Engineering. He has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from University of California, Berkeley and M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Texas A & M University and University of California, Davis, respectively. His research interests are in solid waste management; water and wastewater treatment; sustainability; and environmental engineering design. Dr. Vigil’s teaching interests include environmental engineering, solid waste management, and sustainability. He is the co-author of the widely used text Integrated Solid Waste Management: Engineering Principles and Management Issues (McGraw-Hill, 1993). Dr. Vigil is a Registered Civil Engineer, Board Certified Environmental Engineer (American Academy of Environmental Engineers), and LEED Accredited Professional (US Green Building Council).
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Nazli Yesiller
Director
Global Waste Research Institute
California Polytechnic State University
1 Grand Ave.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Tel: 805-756-2932
Fax : 805-756-6330
Email: nyesille@calpoly.edu