CEEES welcomes two new faculty in fall 2021

Patrick Brewick and Luis Fargier-Gabaldon

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences is delighted to welcome two new members of the faculty.

Patrick Brewick has been appointed as an assistant professor. His research focuses on exploring the connections between data analytics, modeling, and mechanics. This work has applications in health monitoring of traditional civil infrastructure and marine structures, Bayesian model selection and calibration, and computational modeling of heterogeneous material systems such as polycrystalline microstructures.

Brewick completed his undergraduate studies in civil engineering at the University of Notre Dame, and he earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University.

“Patrick, as we like to say it, is returning home,” said Diogo Bolster, professor and department chair.

“After graduating from Notre Dame, he spent several years acquiring a broad skill set during his Ph.D. and postdoctoral studies and as a researcher at the Naval Research Laboratory. He has diverse expertise in areas ranging from structural analysis, applied mechanics, computational optimization and corrosion to name a few — fields that any one young researcher may not typically have expertise in.

His understanding of the academy, government and military will help us to build new and lasting relationships that provide opportunities for both faculty and students.”

Luis Fargier-Gabaldón has been appointed as the Massman Beavers Associate Professor of the Practice of Heavy Civil Engineering.

He has designed and participated in the construction of more than 1 million square feet of bridges and buildings in South Central and North America. He also is a specialist in the design and construction of dams, infrastructure financing, earthquake engineering, and retrofitting of structures. He has served as a faculty member at the Universidad de los Andes, Purdue University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

As part of his appointment, Fargier-Gabaldon will lead the department’s innovative Build, Break, Perfect program, a project-based, hands-on experiential learning program in which students learn to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

“Luis is a rare type of engineering professor who knows what it is to be an academic, a teacher, and a practicing engineer,” said Bolster.

“He has years of experience teaching in Venezuela and the United States at top engineering programs, where students have noted him as an excellent and passionate instructor. He also has a rich career as a practitioner, having designed and retrofit bridges all across the world.

“It is very exciting to know that our students will be able to learn first-hand from his in-depth knowledge as well as from his personal and professional experiences. His engagement with the titans of civil industry will open endless exciting opportunities for our students at Notre Dame and as they enter the working world.”

— College of Engineering