Dr. Manideep Tummalapudi, assistant professor in the Department of Construction Management and Architectural Studies, spent the summer gaining hands-on experience with Flatiron Dragados teams across Northern California through the Civil Engineering Industry-Faculty Engagement Program, a paid summer 2026 pilot created by the American Society of Civil Engineers and The Beavers. Working at Orinda, Upper San Leandro, Anderson Dam and Concord, he performed intern, field engineer and project engineer duties while learning current industry practices he can bring back to the classroom.

Michael Harding, digital accessibility coordinator in the Office of Digital Accessibility, and co-author Dr. Szymon Machajewski published “The GPS Effect and Higher Education’s Cognitive Capital” in Education Technology Insights. The editorial examines the long-term impact of artificial intelligence on higher education and introduces the concept of “cognitive capital sustainability,” emphasizing the importance of maintaining human reasoning, judgment and critical thinking in an AI-driven era.

Dr. Brad Hyatt, associate dean of the Lyles College of Engineering, authored “Construction Intelligence & Human-AI Collaboration,” which appeared in the September 2026 white paper “Estimating Lunar Construction: The Master Estimating Theory — System-Based Methods for Absolute Minimum Variance to the Predicted State.”

Dr. Melanie Ram, professor of political science, recently published "Bridging Europe’s Divides through Regional Organizations: The Balkans, Brussels and Beyond" with Routledge. Based on research conducted during her Fulbright Fellowship, the book examines regional cooperation in Central and Southeastern Europe, including issues of security, economic development, resource management and organized crime.

Dr. Selena Van Horn, associate professor with the Kremen School of Education, was featured in a Human Rights Campaign video. In the video, she shares how a simple act of affirmation can positively change a student’s entire school experience. You can watch the featured video here.