Advisors
Dr. Kenneth Lamb
The entire EWB-CPP chapter can agree that Dr. Kenneth Lamb’s cooperation as EWB’s advisor has been quite an eye opening experience. The friendly, loyal and cheerful optimist possesses adept skills in water resource engineering, and in effect has graciously volunteered his time to teach EWB the knowledge behind the field. His interest in the club sparked when he noticed how persistent EWB was in giving back to the community, planning fundraisers, and coordinating events to further their goals in helping out overseas. Lamb states, “This is a stark contrast to many of the other student organizations on campus who may provide service at times, but for whom their main goals lie elsewhere. I could see that if I was involved in EWB, then I could help my students get design experience and develop professionally in a way no other organization can help."
The University of Nevada Los Angeles and Norwich University graduate intends on assisting EWB in solving the water issues of international projects. He also intends on writing a “Water Basics,” manual for non-water engineering students to easily process and understand. His involvement will help EWB members comprehend the benefits of micro-redevelopment in improving the nation’s infrastructure and further the EWB’s goal to reduce the corruption found within redevelopment programs.
In the past, he has helped the student chapter with the Orange Country Brand in Honduras, which involved designing a water distribution system for the city of Julticalpa. Lamb remarked, “At a minimum I want to use EWB as a way to shape my student's attitudes toward engineering design. In school, we see calculations as the objective of many assignments and exams.” He is also involved in EWB's current international project in Chaguite, Nicaragua. His high hopes for the club will allow EWB CPP to succeed at their goals.
The University of Nevada Los Angeles and Norwich University graduate intends on assisting EWB in solving the water issues of international projects. He also intends on writing a “Water Basics,” manual for non-water engineering students to easily process and understand. His involvement will help EWB members comprehend the benefits of micro-redevelopment in improving the nation’s infrastructure and further the EWB’s goal to reduce the corruption found within redevelopment programs.
In the past, he has helped the student chapter with the Orange Country Brand in Honduras, which involved designing a water distribution system for the city of Julticalpa. Lamb remarked, “At a minimum I want to use EWB as a way to shape my student's attitudes toward engineering design. In school, we see calculations as the objective of many assignments and exams.” He is also involved in EWB's current international project in Chaguite, Nicaragua. His high hopes for the club will allow EWB CPP to succeed at their goals.
Dr. Greg Placencia
Dr. Greg Placencia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He is also an Adjunct Research Assistant Professor in Industrial & Systems Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC). He specializes in human factors engineering, human-technology integration, and system safety. He teaches and researches risk reduction, reliability enhancement, and technological integration into complex technological systems, including rail, healthcare, aviation, social system / work and criminal justice.
Greg is involved in several research projects at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) including: the effects of caregivers / parents on the health of their children using invasive therapies in non-clinical environments (CHLA), safety factors in the design of commercial strollers used as low cost alternatives to motorized wheelchairs, and the dynamics of insurance (payers) and their role in patient non-compliance. At Keck Hospital of USC he is researching team dynamics in operating room performance and patient outcomes.
More recently he been investigating how to improve social work and criminal justice outcomes using human factors and systems engineering (e.g. Quantitative Risk Analysis), including early intervention strategies for at – risk youth, preventing wrongful incarceration, safely reducing the incarceration cycle, jail populations and recidivism, and chronic problems with poor health care and non-ADA compliance in prisons. He has personally visited many prisons throughout California – state, federal, and private – as part of this research. He has investigated the implementation of Positive Train Control in the rail industry as part of an FTA grant to USC with the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) / Metrolink. Greg will be presenting some of his research this year at the IISE conference (stroller study) and the Joint Rail Conference (developing a Grand Challenges for the Rail Industry). Over the past few years, he has presented at JRC and AREMA about the potential role of PTC automation in developing High Reliability Organizations and Safety Culture, about the role of psychological and cultural factors in rail accidents, and issues of automation in the rail industry.
Dr. Placencia has also been teaching at the USC’s 62-year old internationally renowned Aviation Safety and Security Program for the past 6 years. He has taught Basic and Advanced System Safety, Human Factors in Aviation Safety, and Damage Assessment for System Safety short courses around the US and Europe including for the US Navy and the Royal Netherlands Air Force; and for private sector organizations link Metrolink. He also teaches classes in human factors, integration of work-technology-organization factors; and simulation modeling at both USC and Cal Poly Pomona.
Greg received a B.S. in Computer Science (1998) at USC. He also completed coursework for an M.S. in Computer Science / Computational Linguistics (2000) before receiving his PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering (2009) from USC.
EWB is excited to have Dr. Placencia on board, and we are looking forward to all of the wonderful accomplishments and experiences that await.
Greg is involved in several research projects at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) including: the effects of caregivers / parents on the health of their children using invasive therapies in non-clinical environments (CHLA), safety factors in the design of commercial strollers used as low cost alternatives to motorized wheelchairs, and the dynamics of insurance (payers) and their role in patient non-compliance. At Keck Hospital of USC he is researching team dynamics in operating room performance and patient outcomes.
More recently he been investigating how to improve social work and criminal justice outcomes using human factors and systems engineering (e.g. Quantitative Risk Analysis), including early intervention strategies for at – risk youth, preventing wrongful incarceration, safely reducing the incarceration cycle, jail populations and recidivism, and chronic problems with poor health care and non-ADA compliance in prisons. He has personally visited many prisons throughout California – state, federal, and private – as part of this research. He has investigated the implementation of Positive Train Control in the rail industry as part of an FTA grant to USC with the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) / Metrolink. Greg will be presenting some of his research this year at the IISE conference (stroller study) and the Joint Rail Conference (developing a Grand Challenges for the Rail Industry). Over the past few years, he has presented at JRC and AREMA about the potential role of PTC automation in developing High Reliability Organizations and Safety Culture, about the role of psychological and cultural factors in rail accidents, and issues of automation in the rail industry.
Dr. Placencia has also been teaching at the USC’s 62-year old internationally renowned Aviation Safety and Security Program for the past 6 years. He has taught Basic and Advanced System Safety, Human Factors in Aviation Safety, and Damage Assessment for System Safety short courses around the US and Europe including for the US Navy and the Royal Netherlands Air Force; and for private sector organizations link Metrolink. He also teaches classes in human factors, integration of work-technology-organization factors; and simulation modeling at both USC and Cal Poly Pomona.
Greg received a B.S. in Computer Science (1998) at USC. He also completed coursework for an M.S. in Computer Science / Computational Linguistics (2000) before receiving his PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering (2009) from USC.
EWB is excited to have Dr. Placencia on board, and we are looking forward to all of the wonderful accomplishments and experiences that await.
Advisory Board
Dr. Monica Palomo, M.S and PhD. - Civil Engineering
Specialties: Dr. Palomo teaches Environmental Engineering, Water Treatment, and Wastewater Treatment.
Dr. Palomo was Co-Advisor for EWB
Specialties: Dr. Palomo teaches Environmental Engineering, Water Treatment, and Wastewater Treatment.
Dr. Palomo was Co-Advisor for EWB
Sandy Williamson - Hydrology and Construction
Specialties: Retired 34 years USGS -Worked in 49 states plus Pakistan, India, Nepal, Afghanistan. Volunteer lead in well-drilling / development and construction in Chile, Peru, Nicaragua, and Mexico (20+ trips). Sandy is currently assisting EWB-CPP with our current International Project in Chaguite, Nicaragua.
Specialties: Retired 34 years USGS -Worked in 49 states plus Pakistan, India, Nepal, Afghanistan. Volunteer lead in well-drilling / development and construction in Chile, Peru, Nicaragua, and Mexico (20+ trips). Sandy is currently assisting EWB-CPP with our current International Project in Chaguite, Nicaragua.
Dr. Soorgul Wardak, P.E. - Civil Engineering
Specialties: Hydraulics, Hydrology, Water Quality Modeling, Water Resource Modeling, and Groundwater Engineering
Specialties: Hydraulics, Hydrology, Water Quality Modeling, Water Resource Modeling, and Groundwater Engineering
Dr. Yasser Salem, P.E. - Construction Engineering Technology
Specialties: Design of Structures with Base Isolation & Damping Devices, Soil-Struction Interaction, Structural Dynamics and Vibration Analysis
Dr. Salem assissted CPP-EWB with our Pump House Project.
Specialties: Design of Structures with Base Isolation & Damping Devices, Soil-Struction Interaction, Structural Dynamics and Vibration Analysis
Dr. Salem assissted CPP-EWB with our Pump House Project.
Neal H. Lynch - Civil Engineering, Concrete Mix Design
Specialities: 34 years experience in the Ready Mixed Concrete industry including responsibilities in production, sales, quality control, and technical services
Lynch has helped EWB-CPP in the past with our Costa Rica Project.
Specialities: 34 years experience in the Ready Mixed Concrete industry including responsibilities in production, sales, quality control, and technical services
Lynch has helped EWB-CPP in the past with our Costa Rica Project.