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  • March

    A robotic system known as the Dambot operates near closure gates at Blue Mountain Dam, Arkansas in October 2020. Dambot takes the human element out of a dangerous but necessary U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintenance task. The cutting-edge technology has been successfully tested and stands poised to change the course of closure gate assessments, while also safeguarding USACE team members. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo)

    Dambot takes the lead on dangerous assessments

    A U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center team is designing robotic systems to keep humans out of harm’s way. Sounding more like the plot of an action movie than a research and development project, a robotic system known as Dambot takes the human element out of a dangerous but necessary U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintenance task. The cutting-edge technology has already been successfully tested and stands poised to change the course of closure gate assessments, while also safeguarding USACE team members.
  • Members of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Emerging Leaders Group meet virtually with Dr. David Pittman, ERDC director, Jan. 27, 2021. The competitive program is aimed at identifying and fostering new leaders within ERDC. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo)

    ERDC invests in future leaders with Emerging Leaders Group

    The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is home to more than 2,000 professionals across dozens of disciplines and backgrounds, and in order for the organization to be successful, its workforce needs strong leadership. Since 1999, the ERDC has sought to identify and train new leaders through its Emerging Leaders Group (ELG), a three-year program focusing on how to lead people and programs. In 2015, the ERDC Directorate of Human Capital took oversight of the program, which then grew significantly from eight to 25 members each year.
  • Blasting excavation activities take place at Chickamauga Lock in Chattanooga, Tenn. on March 17, 2018. Similar blasting activities will take place between 2021-2022 at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, MI to construct the New Lock at the Soo.

    Corps lowers impact to fish spawning near Soo Locks

    SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (March 5, 2021) - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) officials will use dry blasting during New Lock at the Soo construction to avoid or drastically minimize impacts to fish larvae and adult fish spawning near the Soo Locks. The Soo Locks on the St. Marys River allow vessels to navigate the 21 ft elevation change between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. A new Poe-sized lock being built will provide necessary redundancy in the Great Lakes Navigation System’s critical infrastructure. To build the New Lock, deepening the channel on the upstream side (west) of the Poe lock is necessary. Dredging is scheduled to occur in 2021-2022. Drilling and blasting are required to fragment the bedrock and concrete for dredging.

  • February

    Dr. Igor Linkov, senior science and technology manager at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, has been selected by the Department of Defense (DoD) as Laboratory Scientist of the Year for the second quarter of fiscal year 2020. During that timeframe, Linkov led the development of a model series to predict DoD and Federal Emergency Management Agency COVID-19 mission-critical needs in multiple jurisdictions.(Photo by Igor Linkov)

    ERDC scientist earns top DoD award for achievements in risk, resilience science

    VICKSBURG, Miss. – Dr. Igor Linkov, senior science and technology manager at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), was recently selected by the Department of Defense (DoD) as the Laboratory Scientist of the Year for the second quarter of fiscal year 2020.
  • Collaborators of U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), including Dr. Jinelle Sperry, wildlife biologist at the CERL’s Threatened and Endangered Species Program, install towers for automated radio-telemetry of fruit-eating birds in Oahu, Hawaii, July 24, 2015. This research demonstrates the importance of certain non-native species as dispersers of native, endangered plants on Hawaii military installations. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo)

    Threatened, Endangered Species team creates win-win situations for military

    The role of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), Threatened and Endangered Species (TES) program is to identify and understand areas of targeted endangered species management and conservation. Why is this important? The presence of TES on military lands can result in military training restrictions, but effective management and conservation has the potential to substantially deconflict military training and endangered species mandates. In many cases, this presents a win-win scenario where endangered species thrive on installations while military operations maintain flexibility. 
  • Dr. David W. Pittman became the Director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), headquartered in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in March 2017. As Director, he manages one of the most diverse research organizations in the world – seven laboratories located in four states, with more than 2,100 employees, $1.2 billion in facilities, and a $1 billion annual program.

    ERDC’s Pittman honored with FLC’s Laboratory Director of the Year award

    Dr. David Pittman, director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), has been chosen for the 2021 Director of the Year award by the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC).
  • Tim Pangburn adds his portrait to the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) Gallery of Distinguished Employees in Hanover, N.H., Dec. 3, 2002. Panburn started working for CRREL in 1978 as a civil engineering technician, until his retirement in 2017 as a director for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Remote Sensing/Geographic Information Systems Center of Expertise. The CRREL Gallery of Distinguished Employees was established in 1986 as part of the laboratory’s Silver Jubilee Year. The first distinguished employee recognized in the gallery is W. Keith Boyd, the first CRREL technical director. Boyd facilitated the 1961 establishment of CRREL in Hanover, and his leadership enhanced CRREL’s stature and reputation as a leader in cold regions research throughout the world. (U.S. Army Photo by David Marquis)

    CRREL inducts Pangburn into Gallery of Distinguished Employees

    The Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) honored its researchers, scientists and engineers during an awards ceremony in Hanover, New Hampshire, in December 2020. The final award, the Distinguished Employee Award, recognized the lifelong contributions made by Tim Pangburn, who started working for CRREL in 1978 as a civil engineering technician. He retired in 2017 as a director for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Remote Sensing (RS)/Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Center of Expertise.
  • U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Fire Officer Ernest “Lee” Williams points out safety features to Vicksburg Fire Department Chief Craig Danczyk, Assistant Chief Tim Love, ERDC Safety and Environmental Management Office’s Bobby McComas, Deputy Fire Chief Trey Martin and Fire Inspector/Investigator Nathaniel Williams during a pre-planning site visit at the Information Technology Laboratory in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Jan. 28, 2021

    Synergy for safety: ERDC partners with local fire department for increased protection

    When it comes to emergency response, it’s said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. For the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and the City of Vicksburg Fire Department (VFD), the old adage is more than just a saying, it’s a blueprint for success. Until the mid-1990s, ERDC was home to its own fire department on the Waterways Experiment Station. After that, fire protection was transferred over to the City of Vicksburg.

  • January

    Students from the U.S. Army Prime Power School repair a spliced electrical cable during one of many electrical outage scenarios incorporated in the Prime Power Capstone Training Exercise at the Contingency Basing Integration Training and Evaluation Center (CBITEC) in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Aug. 11, 2020. Prime Power School students are tested at the CBITEC on the knowledge, skills and abilities they gained over the year-long course to become prime power specialists. CBITEC is a U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory facility that supports the operational energy continuum and safely trains the warfighter to tackle the nation’s power challenges.

    Contingency Basing Integration Training, Evaluation Center tests U.S. Army Prime Power School students

    The Contingency Basing Integration Training and Evaluation Center (CBITEC), in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, provides U.S. Army Prime Power School students with testing facilities throughout their year-long training program. While the students encounter a variety of course challenges, the hands-on training provided and facilitated by the CBITEC is considered the most demanding. CBITEC is a U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) facility that supports the operational energy continuum and safely trains the warfighter to tackle the nation’s power challenges.
  • The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center announces Jan. 25, 2021, a three-year research collaboration with the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) to create oyster reef habitat in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

    ERDC partners with University of Southern Mississippi to maximize Gulf oyster habitat restoration

    The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has announced a three-year research collaboration with the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) to create oyster reef habitat in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

  • December

    A Kansas City District track-hoe on a barge work boat took part in hydrodynamic dredging operations on the Missouri River November 11, 2020. The hydrodynamic dredge head is mounted on the bucket and the arm directs the flow the desired area of concern to be affected. The Engineering Research and Development Center brought the system to Kansas City District from Vicksburg, Miss., to assist in clearing shoals that developed on the Missouri River due to damages from flooding to the river control structures. The device enabled the combined team to redirect sandy material back into suspension in the current of the river and away from the built-up areas that impede navigation on the river.

    U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center assists Kansas City Corps with hydrodynamic dredge

    In a demonstration of collaboration and innovation, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center deployed an experimental asset and team of experts to the Missouri River in the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to assist in dredging shallow areas called shoals in the navigation river channel.
  • The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Office of Small Business Programs was recognized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during a virtual ceremony for the 2020 USACE Small Business Awards, Dec. 4, 2020.

    ERDC Small Business Office recognized with USACE 2020 Small Business Award

    The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Office of Small Business Programs was recognized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) during the 2020 USACE Small Business Awards held virtually Dec. 4, 2020.
  • A vehicle at ERDC covered in holiday lights.

    ERDC announces annual ERDC Under the Lights community event

    For the fourth consecutive year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center (ERDC) will open its gates to the public for a drive-by holiday light display on its 700-acre installation in Vicksburg on Dec. 17, 18 and 19 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. The entrance will be at the main gate located at 3909 Halls Ferry Road.
  • Dr. Burton Suedel, a research biologist with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Environmental Laboratory, is recognized by ASTM International for leading a diverse group of individuals from public companies, trade groups, government agencies and environmental consultancies to develop a guide for risk-based corrective action for contaminated sediment sites. The ASTM International’s Distinguished Service Award was bestowed upon Suedel Oct. 28, 2020.

    ERDC researcher impacts international contaminated sediment standards

    When Dr. Burton Suedel, a research biologist with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Environmental Laboratory (ERDC-EL), heard about the ASTM International project to develop a guide for risk-based corrective action for contaminated sediment sites, he saw it as an opportunity for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to inform international contaminated sediment standards and policy.
  • Army first responders can now use multi-faceted software to identify key geolocations for disaster support allocations and mitigation efforts. This inventive software was developed at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Geospatial Research Laboratory as the patented System for Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, later transitioned to the Army Geospatial Center and includes the Geo-centric Environment for Analysis and Reasoning.

    ERDC researcher excels as emergency responder software inventor

    As an intern and later a full-time research engineer at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Geospatial Research Laboratory (GRL), Dr. Michelle Hamilton invented a system for Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, which was patented in September 2020 for emergency responders’ use in prioritizing key geolocations for support allocations and mitigation efforts.
  • Soldiers deploy the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Ready Armor Protection for Instant Deployment, or RAPID, full armor configuration at the Maneuver Support, Sustainment and Protection Integration Experiments 2020 (MSSPIX20).

    Patented expedient protection structure impresses users

    With decades of inventions protecting Soldiers and civilians from hostile forces, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL) continues developing life-saving innovations as one of the seven world-class laboratories of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
  • ERDC Headquarters building with lit lights.

    ERDC to host 6th annual Tree Lighting

    The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is kicking off the holiday season with its annual Tree Lighting ceremony Dec. 3 at 5:30 p.m. Featuring a welcome from ERDC Commander Col. Teresa Schlosser and a holiday message from Director Dr. David Pittman, the event will culminate with the lighting of a 24-foot outdoor tree at the Halls Ferry Road entrance to the ERDC installation.
  • A U.S. Army Landing Craft Utility 2000 offloads equipment to a Trident Pier at Anmyeon Beach on the west coast of the Republic of Korea during exercise Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (LOTS) 2015. CJLOTS 2015 is an exercise designed to train U.S. and ROK service members to accomplish vital logistical measures in a strategic area while strengthening communication and cooperation in the U.S.-ROK alliance.

    Modeling the dynamics of the Modular Causeway System

    In contingency operations, the Modular Causeway System (MCS), an assembly of floating modules, is often used for loading and unloading supplies and equipment from ship to shore. The U.S. Transportation Command has enlisted the help of researchers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) to numerically model the MCS and provide data that will aid in expanding the guidance to increase safety and efficiency for the warfighter.

  • November

    Inventors from two laboratories at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center received a 2020 patent for their Electro-active Vitreous Enamel Coated Dowel Bar, which stabilizes concrete segments and reduces repair costs.

    ERDC multi-disciplinary, multi-laboratory team earns cost-saving coated dowel bar patent

    Combining multi-disciplinary talents from two laboratories at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), a three-person team earned a U.S. patent in July 2020 for the inventive Electro-active Vitreous Enamel Coated Dowel Bar, which stabilizes concrete segments and reduces repair costs.
  • Dr. Rebekah Wilson of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) was honored with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Researcher of the Year Award at a virtual ceremony held Nov. 12, 2020. Other ERDC award winners at the ceremony included Joseph Bush, also of CERL; the ERDC contracting office; the COVID-19 Model and Analysis Team; the Harmful Algal Bloom Interception, Treatment, and Transformation System Team; Lyle Seethaler; Dr. Guillermo Riveros; and the Horseshoe Bend Delivery Team.

    ERDC wins big at USACE National Awards Ceremony

    The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) brought home eight awards from the annual U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) National Awards Ceremony, held virtually Nov. 12, 2020. Employees of the ERDC Construction Research and Engineering Laboratory (CERL) claimed two of the top honors at the ceremony. Dr. Rebekah Wilson was named USACE Researcher of the Year and Joseph Bush won USACE Mechanical Engineer of the Year.
  • Dr. Sarah J. Becker, a physical scientist at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Geospatial Research Laboratory (ERDC-GRL), posed in Colombia where she and other ERDC-GRL personnel collected ground-based hyperspectral data on native plants to determine if spectrally separable signatures between the different plants could be determined.

    ERDC scientist creates algorithm to distinguish the forest from the trees

    When people think about the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), there are many innovative solutions that come to mind — from blast-proof wallpaper used to protect employees at the Pentagon to the rover wheels created for landing on the moon.
  • U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center researchers manipulate the Robotics for Engineer Operations, or REO, vehicle and quickly capture pertinent data to use for engineer operations during the Maneuver Support, Sustainment and Protection Integration Experiments-2020, or MSSPIX-20, in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Sept. 16, 2020. The REO employs a set of robotic platforms to remotely characterize a site by fusing multiple sensing modalities on a fully autonomous unmanned ground vehicle to capture critical information for engineer missions.

    ERDC researchers demonstrate reconnaissance-enhancing technologies with Soldiers, civilians

    The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and the U.S. Army Futures Command, Futures and Concepts Center, in partnership with the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence (MSCoE), successfully completed the second phase of the Maneuver Support, Sustainment and Protection Integration Experiments-2020, or MSSPIX-20, in the fall of 2020.
  • Dr. Igor Linkov, U.S Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Risk and Decision Science Team lead, wears an example of the protective masks being used in the COVID-19 pandemic.

    ERDC researcher uses lessons learned from historic pandemics to address COVID

    COVID-19 proved to be unexpected to many people in the world, but Dr. Igor Linkov, Risk and Decision Science (RaDS) Team lead at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Environmental Laboratory, found himself on familiar ground.
  • U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), mechanical engineer Jon Goebel briefs the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment Bryan Gossage at the ERDC Forward Operating Base- Laboratory, or EFOB-L, in Champaign, Ill., Oct. 30, 2020. Goebel discussed the research and development of hybrid power system capabilities.

    CERL hosts senior Army installation, energy, environment leadership

    Leadership from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) discussed ongoing projects and innovative technologies with the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (PDASA) for Installations, Energy and Environment (IE&E) Bryan Gossage, during his visit to the CERL campus Oct. 30.
  • Mariely Mejas-Santiago of the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory poses with her computer between sessions during RD20, a virtual collaborative event that was hosted Oct. 27-30 by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. More than 755 people attended the four-day, online event.

    RD20 fosters collaboration

    With scientists, engineers and other professionals spread across seven laboratories and multiple fields sites across the country, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) network is vast. But last week, ERDC hosted a virtual symposium – RD20 – with the goal of further connecting researchers scattered in various laboratories and locations throughout the country to enhance the organization’s ability to solve the nation’s toughest engineering challenges.
  • Ruth Osburn, a nurse in Health Services at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, poses with David Allen, chief executive officer of Mississippi Blood Services, at a 2018 ceremony where Osburn was recognized as the State of Mississippi Blood Drive Chairperson of the Year for her work in organizing four drives at ERDC.

    Giving back by giving blood: ERDC sees continued success in annual blood drives

    Before becoming a nurse in Health Services at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Ruth Osburn spent 30 years working in hospital intensive care units. There, she saw firsthand how important blood transfusions can be to patients, and in her current role at ERDC, she works to meet that need. With four major blood drives hosted on the Vicksburg station each year, ERDC has become a major player in supporting Mississippi Blood Services.

  • October

    Dr. David Pittman, director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, answers questions from members of the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce at their October meeting held virtually, Oct. 23, 2020. Pittman also provided an update on the current status of the organization and stressed the importance of the “Power of ERDC” to the local community.

    ERDC Director addresses Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce

    Dr. David Pittman, director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), virtually addressed Vicksburg and Warren County community leaders during the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce meeting Oct. 23.
  • Contractors work build a new sidewalk near the Information Technology Laboratory at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Miss. in September 2020. The work is part of the ERDC Master Plan, developed by the Installation Operations Division with a goal of enhancing quality of life and safety on all ERDC properties.

    Installation Operations Division paves the way for ERDC properties

    Tucked away in a third-floor office suite in the headquarters building, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Installation Support Division (ISD) is charged with making ERDC properties a better and more efficient place for all employees.
  • A new podcast series tells the stories of how, over the last 10 years, a growing international community of practitioners, scientists, engineers, and researchers across many disciplines and organizations are working together to combine natural and engineering systems to solve problems and diversify infrastructure value by applying the principles and practices of Engineering With Nature®.

    Collaborating with academia to develop future practice and practitioners

    In this episode of the Engineering With Nature® (EWN®) Podcast, guests are Dr. Brian Bledsoe, director of the University of Georgia’s Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS), and Dr. Todd Bridges, senior research scientist for environmental science with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and national lead of the EWN Initiative and the sponsor of this podcast. They discuss a new partnership, the Network for Engineering With Nature (N-EWN), to promote new practices and expertise and to foster the drive and passion for delivering nature-based solutions for infrastructure in the next generation of scientists, engineers, business leaders and decision-makers.
  • Dr. David Pittman, director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, stands with Dr. William “Bill” Martin and Dr. Reed Mosher, the newest inductees to the Waterways Experiment Station Gallery of Distinguished Employees at a ceremony, Oct. 15, 2020.

    Martin, Mosher inducted into Waterways Experiment Station Distinguished Gallery

    Dr. William “Bill” Martin and Dr. Reed Mosher are the two newest inductees to the Waterways Experiment Station (WES) Gallery of Distinguished Employees at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) after a ceremony held Oct. 15.