Dr. Michael E. Kalinski, assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, has received a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation. The award, part of the NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program, offers NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of the early career-development activities

of those teacher-scholars who are most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century. CAREER awardees are selected on the basis of creative proposals that effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization.

“The Department of Civil Engineering is very proud of Dr. Kalinski and his accomplishments,” said Department Chair Issam Harik. “Dr. Kalinski is a superb teacher. He has earned the respect of his

students and colleagues. The NSF Career Award is a testament to his outstanding research ability and is an honor not only for him, but also for the Department and College.”

The proposal submitted by Kalinski to NSF concerns understanding and prediction of dynamic behavior of mine tailings dam materials. Tailings dams are constructed to contain waste materials produced as a result of mining activities. Over the past 40 years, approximately 15 tailings dams worldwide have failed due to liquefaction of fine refuse due to shaking from earthquakes.