Graduate Student Spotlight

The 2022-2023 CEE Leadership and Culture Committee has created the Graduate Student Spotlight project as part of their yearly priorities.  We are excited to share the outstanding research and experiences of Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Students. Please check back monthly as we continue to provide updates on our extraordinary students!

Want to be spotlighted?

Are you passionate about sharing your graduate school experience with current and prospective CEE students? If yes, here is an opportunity to featured on the new CEE's Graduate Student Spotlight Website. The Graduate Student Spotlight is a platform aimed at showcasing the research of CEE grad students and highlighting their experiences so far. It also provides an opportunity for prospective students to connect with current students. A student will be featured each month on the spotlight website. Please complete the Graduate Student Spotlight Questionnaire if interested.

Submit the Questionnaire

May 2023 Graduate Student Spotlight: Katherine Cheng

  • by Miranda Jacqueline Cortez

Katherine Cheng is a Ph.D. candidate at UC Davis.

Read on to learn about Katherine's adventures up and down the West coast and her passion for machine learning in earthquake engineering.

April 2023 Graduate Student Spotlight: Ivan Xiao

  • by Margery Ho

Ivan Xiao is a Ph.D. student at UC Davis. 

Read on to learn some words of wisdom from Ivan regarding the challenges of graduate school. 

    Tell us about yourself in few words?

My name is Ivan Xiao. I come from Guangzhou, China. I studied Transportation Engineering for my Bachelor's degree at Southeast University and completed my Master's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at UC Davis. Currently, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in CEE.

March 2023 Graduate Student Spotlight: Mohammad Rahman

  • by Margery Ho

Mohammad Rahman is a Ph.D. candidate at UC Davis working as a Graduate Student Researcher at the University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC). 

In this month's Graduate Student Spotlight, we'll be learning more about Mohammad and his research at UC Davis.

February 2023 Graduate Student Spotlight: Patrick Cunningham

  • by Margery Ho

Patrick Cunningham (he/him) has been studying at UC Davis for 5 years, first completing his MS degree and now completing his Ph.D. 

In this month's Graduate Student Spotlight, we'll learn more about Patrick and his research at UC Davis.

Tell us about yourself in a few words.

Currently, I'm doing research in Berlin, DE. I love cooking and I am fascinated by the towering role of concrete in our global society.

January 2023 Graduate Student Spotlight: Samantha Sharp

  • by Margery Ho

Samantha Sharp (she/her) is a fifth-year Ph.D. Student in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus on Water Resource Engineering. 

In this Graduate Student Spotlight, we'll learn more about Samantha's journey and her research at UC Davis. 

December 2022 Graduate Student Spotlight: Sampat Kedarisetty

  • by Margery Ho

Sampat Kedarisetty (he/him) is a sixth-year Ph.D. student in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus on Pavement Management.

In this Graduate Student Spotlight, we'll learn more about Sampat's journey and his research at UC Davis. 

Tell us about yourself.

I'm originally from India and came to UC Davis for my Ph.D. I'm also newly married to the love of my life who I met here and am a cat-dad.

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