UNL engineer wins prestigious NSF CAREER award

University of Nebraska-Lincoln civil engineer Yong-Rak Kim has won a Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation.

CAREER is one of NSF's most prestigious and competitive grant programs. The awards are given to junior faculty who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization. "I'm very excited," Kim said. "A CAREER award can be a solid foundation on which to build your own research program."

Kim will use the $402,000 grant to develop models to predict what mechanical processes cause a roadway to crack and break down over time. His findings may help engineers develop more durable materials for roadways and bridges.

David Allen, dean of the College of Engineering, said Kim is working on an approach to predicting the lifespan of asphalt pavement that is at the leading edge of research.

"I believe that in the not-so-distant future, he will be considered the No. 1 researcher in the world on this subject," Allen said.

Kim earned his master's and doctoral degrees in civil engineering at Texas A&M University (1999, 2003). Allen, formerly a professor in A&M's aerospace engineering department, knew Kim as a student there and recruited him to UNL as a research associate. He was promoted to assistant professor in 2005.

Kim has played an instrumental role in developing UNL's research area in geotechnical and materials engineering. In addition to his CAREER grant, Kim has been the principal investigator of nine other grants totaling $1.78 million. His funding agencies are NSF, Nebraska Department of Roads, Texas A&M Research Foundation and Western Research Institute. In April, he also received a Faculty Research and Creative Activity Award from the engineering college.

Mohammed Dahab, chair of civil engineering, said the department is proud of Kim's accomplishments.

"Dr. Kim's CAREER project is well-integrated within the short-term and long-term research and education plan of the civil engineering department," he said.

CONTACTS: Yong-Rak Kim, Asst. Professor, Civil Engineering, (402) 472-1727
Ashley Washburn, Communications Specialist, Engineering, (402) 472-0451