Rowan University visits CRREL, cementing partnership

By Justin Campfield, public affairs specialist

U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

“It’s been a gamechanger.”

That’s how Dr. Yusuf Mehta describes the partnership between the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC), and the organization he leads, Rowan University's Center for Research & Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering Systems (CREATES).

That partnership reached a whole new level this past summer when more than 20 Rowan faculty, staff and students visited ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, New Hampshire, laboratory for two days of learning and networking.

The meeting kicked off with CRREL’s Acting Director Dr. Ivan Beckman and Dr. Mehta providing respective program overviews and continued with a collection of break-out sessions where ERDC subject matter experts paired up with Rowan visitors to discuss project-specific topics, ranging from pavement materials and frost-depth prediction, to internship coordination and field demonstration preparation, and more. Additional activities included a poster session – featuring 15 Rowan research projects – and a facility tour. A contingent of research civil engineers from ERDC’s Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory in Vicksburg, Mississippi, also took part in the event.

While the trip from Rowan’s Glassboro, New Jersey, campus required more than 15 hours of roundtrip travel, it was well worth it, according to Dr. Mehta.

“It was critical for our team to visit and see what the researchers at CRREL are doing on-site,” said Dr. Mehta, CREATES director. “The on-site visit gave us a deep understanding on the impact of their work on the mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This also gave us an immense appreciation and understanding how the work from our partnership complements the work being done at CRREL and the impact the work at Rowan-CREATES has on the mission of ERDC and CRREL.”

Rowan University and ERDC: Partnership in Action

During a research partnership that began eight years ago, the organizations have co-published more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and technical reports, in addition to over 30 conference presentations. They have also completed two field demonstrations at CRREL's Farmer’s Loop Permafrost Test Site in Fairbanks, Alaska, and collaborated on projects utilizing CRREL’s Heavy Vehicle Simulator, housed at Rowan since 2016, which can simulate truck and aircraft loading on pavement test sections more than 10,000 passes in one day.

“Our work with Rowan showcases ERDC’s ability to work closely with academic institutions,” said Danielle Kennedy, a CRREL research civil engineer and partnership project manager who coordinated the visit. “ERDC researchers meet virtually with the Rowan research teams monthly to discuss project status and plans, and meet in person once a year at Rowan to see project tools being manufactured, review full-scale test placements, and discuss program deliverables.”

The partnership has been so beneficial for both sides, that it has been expanded twice in the past year. First, the organizations signed a five-year, $30 million contract to design and evaluate new construction technologies and materials that withstand the challenges present by extreme cold conditions. That was followed by Rowan and ERDC signing a formal education partnership agreement, which will further promote collaboration by increasing access to equipment, personnel and training opportunities.

"I think the fact that we keep finding more and more ways to work together speaks volumes about how much we value Rowan and its faculty and staff," said Dr. Ivan Beckman, CRREL’s acting director. "We've had a great experience working with them and are looking forward to building upon that relationship."

For Rowan, the partnership with ERDC-CRREL and the subsequent launch of CREATES supports the university's high-level strategic goals, according to Dr. Giuseppe Palmese, dean of the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering. In addition to projects and internships for undergraduates, more than 40 master’s and doctoral students in the college are pursuing CREATES-related research.

“As Rowan moves to becoming an R-1 university we are counting on the continued growth of CREATES,” said Palmese. “The Center started with a focus on pavements and construction materials, and the partnership has served as a catalyst for faculty to initiate and expand their research program in those areas and beyond.”

For ERDC-CRREL, the benefits are numerous. 

“Partnerships like this boost the DOD’s capabilities to meet mission requirements by expanding testing and field-scale experiments onto Rowan’s campus,” said Kennedy. “And not only does ERDC get to team up with subject matter experts in various academic fields, but also work closely with undergraduate and graduate students, which can lead to future internships and full-time careers for students graduating through the program.”

With the first visit in the books, Dr. Mehta hopes to continue bringing Rowan students to CRREL.