This is a historic year on the Klamath River, where the biggest dam removal in the U.S. is underway. The hope for the monumental engineering project is that it will restore some balance to a damaged ecological system. We hear from Mark Bransom, who is overseeing the demolition and restoration, about why and how it’s happening and some of the challenges of the project. Bonus content: Video: Mark Bransom heads the historic dam removals Clean Water Showcase: May 21-22, 2024. Join us at the 2024 Clean Water Showcase hosted by Oregon State University to learn more about innovative and leading work to protect this precious resource through talks by keynote speakers, panel discussions, student presentations, and professional development activities. Video: Sowing Seeds Series: Episode 4 with Brook Thompson

Will swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles be able to aid humans in wildland firefighting or package delivery? Research summarized in a new paper in Field Robotics represents a big step towards realizing such a future. In this interview, Professor Julie A. Adams describes the research showing that one person can supervise more than 100 autonomous ground and aerial robots.

The final episode of the season occupies a time of transition, as spinoff company Espiku ramps up. We get an update on two systems that received patents and a third that could provide an environmentally benign technology for extracting lithium. We also hear from four graduating students who reflect on their experiences. Bonus content: Tapping technology to ensure the world has enough clean water OSU-Cascades spinout is semifinalist in $4 million federal lithium extraction contest

The pandemic didn’t stop Bahman Abbasi’s desalination research. In this third episode, we learn about the successful lab-scale demonstration of his team’s technology and the next steps toward its commercialization. Plus, the team takes on a new project to clean up wastewater from oil and gas production. Bonus content: Espiku, OSU spin-off company Turning freshwater into saltwater, Bend Source article

In the second episode of this four-part season, we travel to Bend, Oregon to visit the Water and Energy Technologies Laboratory and meet the team that is inventing a new technology to desalinate water. Bahman Abbassi, associate professor of mechanical engineering, talks about building the lab from the ground up, and graduate student Mohammed Elhashimi demonstrates their system to desalinate water. Bonus content: Quest for Clean Water (story, video) Water and Energy Technologies Laboratory

Can turning seawater into drinking water be a cost-effective way to provide clean, fresh water for the growing numbers of people facing water scarcity? Bahman Abbasi, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is taking up that challenge with a mobile, modular, solar-powered, desalination system. This is the first episode in a four-part season. Bonus content OSU-Cascades researcher awarded $2 million for research turning salt water into drinking water Department of Energy Solar Desalination program Energy Systems Engineering — OSU-Cascades

What is Oregon doing to prepare for earthquakes, tsunamis, and wildfire? Researchers at Oregon State University are working with the state Legislature to help them make informed decisions about how to prepare for natural hazards. BONUS CONTENT: “A Song for Japan” project Japan 2011 Earthquake Japan quake: Infrastructure damage will delay recovery. BBC News, March 17, 2011 Mar 11, 2011 CE: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, National Geographic 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami: Facts, FAQs, and how to help, World Vision Earthquake and tsunami Oregon Resilience Plan, Supporting documents Oregon should make itself resilient for a big quake, by Yumei Wang, Jay Raskin and Edward Wolf, The Oregonian, Jan. 9, 2011. Will the Cascadia Earthquake be the Worst Disaster North America’s Ever Seen? | Weathered (PBS Terra video) Partners Preparing for the Big One, S4E5, Engineering Out Loud The Tsunami Could Kill Thousands? Can They Build and Escape? OSU Newport facility built vertically for earthquake, tsunami (KOIN) Oregon State University president affirms decision for new marine studies building location Preparing for an Earthquake, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wildfire Senate Bill 762 Oregon’s work to minimize wildfires gets a boost from federal legislation, Oregon Capital Chronicle, November 17, 2021 As Oregon’s wildfire season fades, new approaches to managing risk need to take hold, Oregon Capital Chronical, October 6, 2021. Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires, United Nations report. Protect your Property from Wildfires, Federal Emergency Management Agency https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/preparing-for-natures-worst

Can plants fortify Oregon’s coastal dunes against storm surge? Meagan Wengrove, assistant professor of coastal and ocean engineering, built scale versions of dunes in one of the world’s largest wave flumes to find out. BONUS CONTENT: Protecting coastal regions with natural defenses New faculty members bring expertise in wave energy, structural and coastal engineering Four College of Engineering faculty win early-career investigator awards https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/dune-erosion-solutions-s11e7

After a major disaster, hidden amid the rubble and debris are precious clues about the extreme forcesstructures were subjected to, and exactly what caused them to fail. How can researchers collect this perishable data before it’s swept away? Michael Olsen, professor of geomatics and technical director of the NHERI RAPID Facility, talks about a major effort to get crucial technology into the hands of reconnaissance experts quickly, wherever disaster strikes. https://beav.es/URn BONUS CONTENT: RAPID Facility website Natural Hazards Reconnaissance with the NHERI RAPID Facility (Frontiers in Built Environment) A new laser-toting disaster lab aims to save lives by saving data (Fast Company) https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/rapid-reconnaissance-capturing-data-aftermath-disaster-s11e6

What will it take for Oregon to recover after a magnitude 9.0 Cascadia subduction zone earthquake? Among other things, it will need a major airport to receive the tons of relief supplies from around the world. Prof. Armin Stuedlein and a research team from Oregon State University conducted crucial testing that guided engineers with big plans to make sure one of the runways at Portland International Airport survives the shaking. BONUS CONTENT: Video: Blast-induced liquefaction tests at PDX Preparing for an earthquake Cascadia Lifelines Program https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/saving-pdx-s11e5

Wildfires that devastate mountain communities have the potential to foul the water distribution system running underneath residential structures. But knowing which water pipes have been affected is challenging. Erica Fischer, assistant professor of structural engineering, is working with a team of engineers and scientists to develop and test sensors that can easily indicate if water pipes need to be replaced following a fire. BONUS CONTENT: Oregon State University fire expert panel: Oregonians’ mindset needs to expect, accept wildfires Science Pub: Fires in the West Study of destructive California fire finds resilience planning must account for socially vulnerable https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-disasters/what%E2%80%99s-water-after-wildfire-s11e4

How do engineers fight wildfires? With fire. David Blunck, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is trying to better understand and predict the behavior of embers that spread blazes. To do this, he has to burn a few of his own. BONUS CONTENT: Firebrands: How to protect your home from wildfires’ windblown flaming debris, by David Blunck (The Conversation) National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise USA website https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-hazard-impacts/burning-learn-s11e3

What happens to bridges, buildings, and pipelines when the soil holding them up behaves like a liquid? Ben Mason, associate professor geotechnical engineering, has traveled the world doing post-earthquake reconnaissance to find out and make us better prepared for impending earthquakes. BONUS CONTENT: At Work: Ben Mason (Seismological Society of America) General Information Cascadia Subduction Zone (Oregon.gov) Earthquake Hazards (USGS) Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance Association (GEER) Op-eds Napa earthquake argues for better education in Oregon: Guest opinion (Oregonian) Education is our best ally for earthquake and tsunami preparedness (Gazette Times) News articles A Pacific Northwest Earthquake Could Cause Thousands of Landslides (Newsweek) Earthquake study could make Pacific Northwest safer (Tillamook Headlight Herald) Napa quake spurs advice for earthquake preparedness in Oregon (quiz) (Oregonian) https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-disasters/when-earth-moves-s11e2

The long-feared 9.0 magnitude Cascadia subduction zone earthquake, which seismologists say is inevitable, will damage or destroy large swaths of Oregon’s electrical grid. How long will it take to get the juice flowing again? Weeks? Months? Professor Ted Brekken and his team are applying high-powered simulations to find out and to identify which parts of the system should be hardened against the quake at any cost. BONUS CONTENT: Oregon Resilience Plan NSF Award: Earthquake Resilience of the Western Power Grid Powering Back up in the Aftermath of the Big One https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-natural-disasters/day-lights-go-out-oregon-s11e1

How do you manage a COVID-19 surge? When intensive care units are beyond capacity, health care workers are stretched thin, and life-saving equipment is in short supply, there are a lot of tough choices to be made, and quickly. Joe Agor, assistant professor of industrial engineering, is gathering the data on how hospitals prepared and responded to the pandemic, as well as how their patients fared, with the goal of helping to better manage surge capacity for future pandemics or disasters. https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-10-pandemic-puzzles/documenting-surge-s10e5

How can we get a more diverse group of young people interested in computer science? Focus on equity, says Jill Hubbard, instructor of computer science and co-principal investigator of a multi-university project to change how computer science is taught in high school, funded by the National Science Foundation. Over 40 schools are part of a program to make computer science more welcoming to underrepresented groups. BONUS CONTENT: Website: Computer Science for All in Oregon Video: Democratizing Computer Science at Oregon State Story: Changing course https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/changing-culture-computer-science-education-s10e4

Can middle schoolers learn computer science concepts using tabletop games? How about during a pandemic, when classroom interaction takes place remotely? Researchers in computer science and education are working closely with teachers to develop an innovative curriculum designed to broaden participation in computer science classes. BONUS CONTENT: Learning Computer Science Through Tabletop Games in a Dual Language Immersion Middle School: description of NSF grant featured in the podcast. Board Game Language (BoGL): programming language used in the course curriculum described in the podcast. Once Upon an Algorithm: book by Martin Erwig, Stretch Professor of Computer Science. Ain’t We Got Fun in the College of Engineering: video collaboration of musicians in the College of Engineering, recorded remotely. https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-10-pandemic-puzzles/using-games-teach-computer-science-remotely-s10e3

What can wastewater tell us about the spread of disease? Could the coronavirus’ signature RNA sequence tip public health officials to where the next COVID-19 outbreaks will occur? In this episode, we’ll talk to two researchers who are leading the effort to monitor Oregon’s wastewater streams for coronavirus, in partnership with treatment facilities throughout the state. BONUS CONTENT: Watcher in the wastewater (Nature) Wastewater sampling proves useful in tracking coronavirus (Oregonian) TRACE Community (Oregon State) https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-10-pandemic-puzzles/tracing-virus-through-sewers-s10e2

What’s life like for long-haul truck drivers in a COVID-19 world? We’ll get behind-the-wheel perspectives from driver (and musician) Paul Marhoefer and from Associate Professor Sal Hernandez who’s looking into how drivers have adapted to demanding conditions caused by the pandemic and the resiliency of the nation’s freight system. BONUS CONTENT: Music by Paul Marhoefer (aka Long Haul Paul) Over the Road: Stories of American Truckers Podcast: The National Truck Parking Shortage https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-10-pandemic-puzzles/trucking-through-covid-s10e1

Self-driving cars and planes are in our future. What are we doing to make them safe? Assistant Professor Houssam Abbas uses tiny race cars to test autonomous driving systems. And Oregon State graduate Robert Rose is using his past experience with SpaceX to develop a safe system to automate existing aircraft. BONUS CONTENT Beyond the Books - Autonomous Racing (video) Running in the real world (feature story about Houssam Abass) Explained: Neural networks, MIT News Reliable Robotics (website) https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-9-robotics-and-ai/age-autonomous-vehicles-s9e7