Blum, Ginder-Vogel, Wang promoted during 24-25 academic year

Three civil and environmental engineering professors have been promoted, with two gaining tenure in the process, for the 2024-25 academic year. The civil and environmental engineering department promoted Matthew Ginder-Vogel from associate professor to professor, and Hannah Blum and Bu Wang both from assistant professor to associate professor with tenure.

Blum’s research focuses on next-generation steel structure design and improved structural resilience for changing climates. Blum has implemented innovative teaching methods using augmented and virtual reality for her students and has drawn upon industry partnerships to enhance research opportunities and establish the new Consortium for Holistic Steel Systems. She’s won numerous awards for her work, including the McGuire and Terry Peshia awards. Blum is the Alain H. Peyrot Associate Professor.

Ginder-Vogel researches the movement of nutrients and contaminants through the environment and how those processes interact with crucial resources such as clean groundwater. Some of Ginder-Vogel’s work has focused on rising radium levels in Wisconsin’s groundwater or how oil spills can trigger the release of natural pollutants in groundwater. Among other recognition for his work, Ginder-Vogel has won a National Science Foundation CAREER award.

Wang leads the Sustainable Materials Innovation Lab, which focuses on ways to develop sustainable materials needed for civil engineering. Some of Wang’s work includes researching ways to reduce or even reverse the carbon footprint of cement production, which is one of the largest single sources of human-produced carbon emissions. Wang won a 2019 Grainger Institute for Engineering Faculty Scholar Award to support his research.