Home / Media / News Stories

  • July

    U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Commander Col. Teresa Schlosser joins a virtual crowd at the monthly Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce luncheon to share stories about the incredible research happening in Vicksburg.

    ERDC commander speaks to Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce

    Since the Waterways Experiment Station got its start nearly 100 years ago, it has been a major player in its home city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. On July 15, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Commander Col. Teresa Schlosser joined a virtual crowd at the monthly Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce luncheon to share stories about the incredible research happening in Vicksburg.
  • Lulu Edwards, a research engineer in the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory, grew up in Starkville, Mississippi, and earned a bachelor’s from Mississippi State University and a master’s from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

    ERDC researchers receive national Women of Color Awards

    From studying how fish can protect Soldiers to supporting tactical military planning, four researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) have been honored with Women of Color (WOC) STEM awards — an annual, national-level recognition of significant contributions to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

  • ERDC Contracting Office selected as USACE Center of the Year

    The Excellence in Contracting Awards Program (ECAP) has selected the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Contracting Office as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Center of the Year. The ECAP recognizes the achievements and contributions of the USACE contracting workforce for their continuing and exceptional commitment to the country. The awards honor those who have singularly and collectively fulfilled the USACE acquisitions mission and demonstrated leadership, contracting expertise, professional development and achieved exceptional successes over the past year.
  • Dr. Ricky Massaro, a U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development physical scientist, received a patent for his “Method of Processing Full Motion Video Data for Photogrammetric Reconstruction." The patent was primarily designed for special operations forces, intelligence community analysis, terrain specialists and those working with geospatial intelligence as a system for photogrammetric analysis of full motion video (FMV), which converts FMV to image files, extracts metadata and produces accurate 2-D and 3-D geospatial images in real time.

    ERDC scientist receives patent for Soldiers’ 3-D terrain support

    Recognizing that accurate and timely terrain models are critical for Soldiers in many areas of the world, scientists at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Geospatial Research Laboratory (GRL) invented a cost-efficient method to generate high-resolution 3-D terrain data using existing unmanned platforms.
  • U. S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Commander Col. Teresa Schlosser, front right, welcomed the five selectees for the 2020 six-month session of ERDC University, sponsored by the Office of Research and Technology Transfer and the Human Capital Office. Participating in kickoff activities March 3-6 were, from left, ERDC U Program Manager and ORTT Technology, Knowledge and Outreach Division Chief Tisa Webb; Civil Engineer Ceyda Polatel, Jacksonville District, assigned to the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory; Natural Resource Specialist Jason Knight, Tulsa District, assigned to the Environmental Laboratory; Cost Civil Engineer Ian Pumo, Seattle District, assigned to EL and the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory; Biologist Aaron McFarlane, St. Paul District, assigned to EL; Geologist David Robison, Louisville District, assigned to Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory; and Human Capital Office Director Dr. Gary Anderton. U.S Army Corps of Engineers division and district participants partner with ERDC subject matter experts to apply and implement technical solutions.

    USACE Jacksonville District hydraulic engineer selected for ERDC U

    Although Dr. Ceyda Polatel first heard about the Engineer Research and Development Center University (ERDC U) through a former U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) employee, it wasn’t until she received an email and advice from her professional colleague, ERDC researcher Dr. Chuck Downer that she applied for the program.
  • Sears Point Wetland Restoration, a project completed in 2016 by Sonoma Land Trust, Ducks Unlimited and many other partners, is an excellent example of using natural and nature-based features to restore a tidal marsh, which helps mitigate flooding in the area, one of the many social, environmental and economic benefits this project delivers. The marsh mounds were used to attenuate wind-wave energy and allow the natural accretion of sediment near San Pablo Bay, north of San Francisco, California

    Knauss Fellow, Engineering With Nature initiative a perfect match

    To Samuel Fielding, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Engineering With Nature (EWN) initiative seemed like a perfect fit. As a prospective John A. Knauss Marine Fellow, Fielding was searching for a host organization where he could utilize his interdisciplinary education in economics, international relations and biology. His doctorate research was focused on the economics of coastal adaption and the socioeconomics of coastal hazards within flood insurance markets.

  • June

    A Gamma Portable Radar Interferometer and a Robotic Laser Theodolite sit on top of a large pressure ridge near a U.S. Navy ice camp on the Beaufort Sea, March 4, 2020. The Gamma Portable Radar Interferometer continuously measures precise distances from itself to an array of reflectors deployed around the camp and runway. It is able to detect small movements of the reflectors in relation to each other, and can tell researchers how the ice is expanding and contracting. The radar interferometer in an alternate method to accomplish a similar goal, sending out radar pulses that reflect off of various ice surfaces and records the reflected signal.

    ERDC researchers study arctic sea ice

    The U.S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) collaborated with the U.S. Navy during the annual Sea Ice Dynamics Experiment (SIDEx) from February through March 2020 by predicting potential breaks in sea ice.
  • Employees from across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attend the USACE unmanned aerial systems training course at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi. The training program has been extremely beneficial to the USACE Aviation Program. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo)

    Unmanned aerial system training with Hinds Community College a boost to USACE

    It’s not often that someone is credited with advancing an entire program within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), but Jenny Laird, the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) lead for the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory (EL), did just that by establishing the USACE UAS training program at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi, in conjunction with the ERDC Graduate Institute.
  • Photo of Dr. Kent Newman.

    ERDC researcher honored by University of Southern Mississippi

    Dr. Kent Newman of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) received a distinguished honor from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) – the 2020 Outstanding Alumni Award from the College of Arts and Sciences – in the spring of 2020.
  • Photo of Joe Bush

    CERL employee named USACE’s ‘Mechanical Engineer of the Year’

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer (USACE) recently named Joseph Bush, a mechanical engineer with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) headquarted in Champaign, Illinois, the 2020 “Mechanical Engineer of the Year.”
  • Predictive Environmental Modeling System co-inventor Dr. Jonathon Brame, formerly with the U.S. Army Research and Development Center’s Environmental Laboratory as a research environmental engineer, received a U.S. Patent in September 2019. Brame is now based in London, England, with the U.S. Army Combat Capability Development Command as the basic and applied research team lead for Combat Capability Development Command -Atlantic.

    ERDC’s patented tool designed to save millions, speed acquisitions

    A trio of researchers from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory (EL) created a unique tool that can be used by acquisition representatives and material developers to decrease acquisition costs and increase the likelihood of materials moving quickly through the acquisition process.
  • The Ship Tow Simulator at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory aides in testing and improving navigation channel design. The Navigation Research, Development and Technology (RD&T) program is part of the ERDC’s overall civil works mission.

    Civil Works Research Area Review Groups go virtual during COVID-19 pandemic

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recently overcame the hurdle of conducting its annual Environmental, Navigation and Flood Risk Management Research Area Review Groups (RARGs) virtually due to physical distancing considerations related to COVID-19. The RARG meetings, typically held over the course of a few days in April, are the cornerstones of the present USACE civil works research and development (R&D) process, facilitating review and ranking of research needs submitted by districts, divisions, centers of expertise and researchers across the organization. During typical in-person RARGs, the meetings also facilitate team-building, technology transfer and hands-on learning about facilities, emerging products and methods.
  • Led by Research Physical Scientist David “Keith” Wilson, Ph.D., third from left, his research team with CRREL’s Signature Physics Branch received a patent for their “System for Modeling Intelligent Sensor Selection and Placement” awarded July 2019. Team members included, from left, Rachel Romond, postdoctoral student; Jordan Bates, research computer scientist; Wilson; John Gagnon, retired civil engineering technician; Lauren Waldrop, computer scientist; and Matthew Kamrath, research physical scientist.

    ERDC inventors earn patent for sensor planning software

    Inventors at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) recently received a patent for sensor planning software tools designed to assist the U.S. Soldiers’ need to identify effective placement locations for sensors to accomplish their mission. Led by Research Physical Scientist Dr. David “Keith” Wilson, the research team, consisting of CRREL’s Signature Physics Branch, received the patent for their “System for Modeling Intelligent Sensor Selection and Placement” in July 2019.
  • Capt. Carolyn N. Ortiz-Merced discusses the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chicago District’s COVID-19 projects while serving as the battle captain in the district’s Emergency Operations Center during the fight against COVID-19.

    ERDC Soldiers serve in the fight against COVID-19

    Although the vast majority of employees with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) are Department of Defense civilians, the select few U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the ERDC are making a significant impact during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, Soldiers from across the ERDC have deployed around the country to aid in the fight against the disease, many mobilizing to “hotspots” to confront the unique challenges of fighting an unseen enemy.

  • May

    U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory Research Associate Army 1st Lt. Eoghan Matthews walks across the Brooklyn Bridge on his way to work at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New York District, March 26, 2020. Matthews was activated to assist the USACE New York District with completing site assessments, which are provided to local, state and federal partners, so that decisions can be made about where and when alternate care facilities are constructed as additional support to hospitals during the COVID-19 outbreak.

    Answering the Call

    In late March 2020, Army 1st Lt. Eoghan Matthews, a Soldier assigned to the U.S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Cold Region Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), received a call. The instructions were cryptic but direct: “Pack a bag, and be ready to go somewhere in the Northeast.”
  • The screenshot illustrates the May 22 debut of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Susceptible Exposed Infected Recovered (ERDC-SEIR) model on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website. The ERDC-SEIR is one of 16 models featured on the CDC’s COVID-19 model ensemble website, and the ERDC COVID-19 Modeling and Analysis Team will continue to provide results to the CDC going forward.

    ERDC COVID-19 model debuts on CDC website

    The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) COVID-19 Modeling and Analysis Team (C-MAT) developed a COVID-19 model that debuted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website, May 22. The ERDC model, also referred to as the ERDC-SEIR (Susceptible Exposed Infected Recovered) model, is one of 16 models featured on the CDC’s COVID-19 model ensemble website.
  • The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Team developed a three-step process for assessing regionally adjusted COVID-19 outcomes in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.

    ERDC researchers model COVID-19 for the Nation

    VICKSBURG, Miss. – When the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Dr. Brandon Lafferty sleeps these days, he dreams about predictive models. That’s because since mid-March, Lafferty, a researcher from the ERDC Environmental Laboratory, has been helping lead ERDC’s Modelling and Simulation Team develop the ERDC Susceptible Exposed Infected Recovered ⸺ or SEIR ⸺ model for COVID-19, and it’s an intense effort.
  • U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Commander Col. Teresa Schlosser, front right, welcomed the five selectees for the 2020 six-month session of ERDC University, sponsored by the Office of Research and Technology Transfer and the Directorate of Human Capital. Participating in kickoff activities March 3-6 were, from left, ERDC-U Program Manager and ORTT Technology, Knowledge and Outreach Division Chief Tisa Webb; Civil Engineer Ceyda Polatel, Jacksonville District, assigned to the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory; Natural Resource Specialist Jason Knight, Tulsa District, assigned to the Environmental Laboratory; Cost Civil Engineer Ian Pumo, Seattle District, assigned to the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory; Biologist Aaron McFarlane, St. Paul District, assigned to EL; Geologist David Robison, Louisville District, assigned to Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory; and Directorate of Human Capital Director Dr. Gary Anderton. Corps division and district participants partner with ERDC subject matter experts to apply and implement technical solutions.

    Tulsa District Natural Resource Specialist Knight selected for ERDC University

    VICKSBURG, Miss. — After learning that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) manages outdoor recreation at more than 400 lake and river projects in 43 states, a career as a USACE outdoor recreation planner appealed to Mississippi native Jason Knight. Now with the USACE Tulsa District, the natural resource specialist is a participant in the 2020 Engineer Research and Development Center University (ERDC U).
  • Dr. Tim Rushing of the Geotechnical and Structures Lab at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center was recently honored with the 2020 Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Department’s Distinguished Fellow Award at his alma mater, the University of Alabama.

    ERDC researcher awarded top honor from University of Alabama

    Dr. Tim Rushing of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has earned one of the top awards at the University of Alabama — the 2020 Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Department Distinguished Fellow Award.
  • Lacey Duckworth and Jason King of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Information Technology Laboratory chat at the kickoff for the 2019 Directorate of Human Capital Mentoring Program. The program, which began in 2016, focuses on talent development of ERDC employees.

    U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s mentoring program develops leaders while fostering friendships

    For nearly five years, leadership from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Directorate of Human Capital has focused on talent development with the ERDC mentoring program. For Pam Simpson, the ERDC training program coordinator, the key to being successful in the workplace is a strong foundation; and she credits hers to a good mentor who saw her potential more than three decades ago.  So, when the ERDC Directorate of Human Capital announced their plans for a mentoring program, Simpson was one of the first to volunteer.