Forrest J. Masters, PhD, P.E.
Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Facilities, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida
Hosted by U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering James R. Martin II and the Organizational Innovation Lab
Presentation 1
War Rooms, Blue Teams, and the Paradox of the Red Queen: Optimally Supporting the Diverse Needs of Faculty in Hyper-Competitive Funding Environments
Monday, March 25, 2019, 10:00-11:15am
102 Benedum
Hall
RSVP:http://pi.tt/researchdevelopment
Live stream: http://pi.tt/rdlive
Abstract: As engineering colleges and schools continue to diversify faculty expertise and ultimately broaden their sponsor base, the needs of the faculty have grown commensurately. The presentation will share insights about the valuable
role that institutions play in helping research-oriented faculty members position their programs for success, pursue high value contracts and grants, and earn repeat business – taking into account career stage/progression and the synergistic benefit
of working in multidisciplinary teams. Central to that discussion will be maximizing situational awareness, building social network and infrastructure capacity (i.e. force multipliers), and executing on strategy. These insights will serve as a lens
to study the current state of research development in the academic setting, and where opportunities exist for improvement.
Presentation 2
Opportunities for Convergence Research in Natural Hazards Engineering
Monday, March 25, 2019, 2:00pm -3:00pm
702 Benedum Hall
RSVP:http://pi.tt/theoryu
Live stream:http://pi.tt/theoryulive
Abstract: Current trends signal that the design, construction, and operation of civil infrastructure will rapidly advance during the next few decades because of exponential growth in technology. Robotics, machine learning, and other non-traditional
tools are transforming how we tackle complex problems and contemplate big questions. This presentation will explore one key aspect of this changing landscape, specifically how we study natural hazards in the field and the laboratory within the context
of tropical cyclones and the built environment.
About Dr. Masters: Forrest Masters, PhD, P.E. is a Professor of Civil and Coastal Engineering in the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment at the University of Florida. His research interests primarily focus on the hurricane boundary layer and its effect on the built environment. He is one of several ‘full-scale’ academic researchers in the international wind engineering community, having
conducted experiments in (1) extreme wind events to study wind, wind-driven rain and structural loading and (2) the laboratory, where full-scale building systems are subjected to realistic simulations of fluctuating wind load and rain conditions to
evaluate their performance. Dr. Masters has received support from more than 40 grants from state, federal and private sources, including the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) and Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) programs. He
also leads one of the seven NSF Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) experimental facilities.
Dr. Masters has published more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings and given more than 100 invited presentations. He serves on the Board of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes and recently served on the NIST National Advisory
Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction. In 2014, Dr. Masters was awarded the junior International Association of Wind Engineering award, which is the highest award in his field that recognizes significant and original contributions to research
by an individual under the age of 40. He was also honored with the Outstanding Achievement Award in Mitigation at the National Hurricane Conference.
In 2015, Dr. Masters began serving as Associate Dean for Research and Facilities in the
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. In that role, he serves on the Executive Committee for one of the largest engineering colleges in the AAU (15 degree programs, ~700 faculty/staff, ~10,000 students),
leading efforts to foster a vibrant research culture that values advancement, strategic collaboration, and faculty well-being. He currently overseeing a 20+ member team covering a broad range of services that range from export control to large proposal
development.