Her book, Collaborations in Architecture and Engineering (Clare Olsen, co-author), was published by Routledge in 2014. She also recently co-authored book chapters in The Design Build Studio; Crafting Meaningful Work in Architecture Education edited by Toyla Stonorov. Routledge, 2017 and Green, Hidden and Above – The Most Exceptional Tree-houses edited by Sibylle Kramer. Braun Publishing 2015.

As a structural engineer, she collaborates with colleagues and students on design and design build projects, and this work has been recognized by design awards from the American Institute of Architects, the American Collegiate Schools of Architecture, and the Mayor of New York City.

Mac Namara co-led a study abroad course Mexico City: Myth Mechanics and Modernity to study the engineering of Felix Candela and the modern architecture of Luis Barrigan in 2011. In 2009, she was awarded an NSF grant: Innovations in Engineering Education, Curriculum, and Infrastructure; to research how well architectural pedagogical paradigms can merge with civil engineering education.

• 1980 Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
• 1973 Masters of Science in Civil Engineering, IIT Roorkee, India.
• 1971 Bachelor of Civil Engineering, IIT Roorkee, India.

Research interests:

• Use of synthetics and natural products in mitigating soil erosion and soil
• Dewatering and containment of dredged sediments and waste
• Use of recycle materials in civil infrastructures
• Women in science and engineering

Current Research:

Dr. Bhatia’s current research efforts focus on the testing, development, design, and innovative use of sustainable natural and polymeric materials for the protection of water quality. In the area of soil erosion, a significant issue that can negatively impact surface water quality, Dr. Bhatia has worked extensively to develop methods to reduce stream bank erosion, evaluate the properties and performance of erosion control products, and develop new, innovative products to minimize soil erosion. Using a multidisciplinary collaborative approach, Dr. Bhatia has worked closely with manufacturers, national and international agencies, and research centers in the development of sustainable solutions for soil erosion issues. Recently, Dr. Bhatia worked on a research project to assess stream restoration methods to reduce stream bank erosion in the Catskill Mountains. Dr. Bhatia has also performed research to evaluate the technical, political, and cultural aspects of the use of natural erosion control materials (coir and jute) in India and the United States. Dr. Bhatia has also established unique testing facilities at Syracuse University to test erosion control products.

Dr. Bhatia has also worked extensively on the development of sustainable materials and methods to dewater dredged sediment, a significant and urgent issue in the US and around the world. Dr. Bhatia is currently investigating the dewatering performance of twenty-five different dredged sediments from water bodies in the US using polymeric and natural flocculants and polymeric and natural fiber geotextiles. Bench-scale, pilot-scale, and large-scale tests will be conducted to evaluate the interaction between sediments, flocculants, and geotextiles. Unique testing facilities have been developed at Syracuse University to characterize the sediments and flocculants. A model will be developed incorporating the sediments, flocculants, geotextiles, and filter-cake characteristics to predict geotextile performance. The systematic study will explore the use of environmentally-friendly flocculants and geotextiles in dewatering and containing dredged sediments and also provide a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of chemically-conditioned sediment dewatering using geotextile tubes. The wealth of data that will be generated will allow for the thorough evaluation of existing test methods, the development of new test standards (in consultation with an industrial advisory board), and the creation of a model to verify results. Dr. Bhatia is also working extensively with industry and international researchers on the development of geotextile tubes for dewatering fly ash.

Dr. Bhatia has also been extensively involved in engineering education. She is co-director of the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) initiative at Syracuse University. She is a Co PI of the National Science Foundation funded project SUADVANCE.

Teaching Interests:

• Design of earth dams and levees
• Soil behavior and design of earth structures for earthquakes
• Geosynthetics and their application
• Sustainability and geotechnical engineering

Professor Varshney has two broad areas of current research. The first deals with fusion of information from a variety of heterogeneous sources, and the second area deals with cognitive networks where network throughput is to be maximized via active sensing and control under a number of system constraints. Professor Varshney also leads the Sensor Fusion Lab in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, where he is currently working with a group of students on drone use research.

Varshney also serves as an Adjunct Professor for the Department of Radiology at Upstate Universiry. He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Professor Zhang’s research ranges multi-scale BES from nano/micro-scale in porous media to buildings and urban environment and involves engineering, architectural design, human health, and performance. His research interests include air purification and ventilation, indoor air quality, building energy and environmental systems, and intelligent buildings.

Zhang is involved in a variety of major ongoing research projects, including the Virtual Design Studio, which involves close collaboration between engineers and architects to develop a designer-oriented software tool for performance-based building system design. Professor Zhang also leads an international group in developing methods and tools for combined heat, air, moisture and pollutant simulations (CHAMPS) for building systems.

Professor Zhang has authored/co-authored over one hundred peer-reviewed journal papers and refereed conference papers, one book, 2 ASTM and 1 ANSI/BIFMA Standards. He serves on the Editorial Boards of several international journals: “Energy and Buildings,” HVAC&R Research,” “Ventilation,” “Building Simulations,” “High-Rise Buildings,” and “Frontiers of Architectural Research.”

He also examine effects on wetlands, the Great Lakes, urban ecosystems, coastal waters and the open ocean. Over the past 35 years, he has advanced new analytical techniques, established and maintained long-term measurements and experiments, and developed a series of research and predictive models that simulate transformations of major chemical elements in forest vegetation, soil and surface waters in response to air pollution, climate and land disturbance. Beyond theory, he is interested in testing ‘in situ’ strategies to reverse the damaging effects of acid rain and mercury contamination and eutrophication. Current research includes using models, field experiments and measurements to examine: ecosystem effects of changing climate and acidic, nitrogen and mercury deposition; the effectiveness of “green” water infrastructure in storm water management; and ecosystem restoration.