Academics

Radlinska receives Hartz Family Career Development Professorship in Engineering

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Aleksandra Radlińska, assistant professor of civil engineering at Penn State, was recently awarded the Hartz Family Career Development Professorship in Engineering from the College of Engineering.

The purpose of this award is to provide recipients with critical financial support and encouragement as they begin their academic career. In addition to recognizing current achievements, this professorship demonstrates a belief in the recipient’s potential. The Hartz Family Career Development Professorship in Engineering allows young faculty members to direct their initial energies to the classroom, establishing a commitment to teaching. It also provides startup funds for new areas of research and offers early recognition for outstanding accomplishments. 

Radlińska said she was intimidated when she found out she received the award because it’s a big recognition, but she is excited because it will provide additional funding toward her research.

“It's a great distinction and resource because the funding is not restrictive,” said Radlińska. “I can use this funding where the need is. … It's the transition between an existing project and the next that often requires seed funding or that extra student that can now join the group because there is a little bit of flexibility in the funding.”

Her research focuses on cement and concrete in sustainable design; durability, shrinkage and cracking of concrete; reliability-based analysis of the behavior of construction materials; and using alternative cement binders with reduced CO2 emissions. More recently, she has begun developing 3-D concrete printing methods for structures.

Radlińska said the Hartz Family Career Development Professorship in Engineering came at just the right time because she was looking for additional funding for her 3-D concrete printing research.

“This research can really change the way we think about buildings, the way we design them, and the way we utilize them,” said Radlińska. “If we were able to 3-D print infrastructure components, then our thinking about infrastructure would really change because we wouldn't have many of the constraints and limitations we face right now.”

Radlińska was one of seven faculty members in the College of Engineering who were appointed to early career and development professorships. The faculty members will hold their respective professorships for a three-year term.

Last Updated March 27, 2018

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