Two CETA Professors Awarded Travel Grants for International Research

Professor of Mechanical Engineering Ivana Milanovic and Associate Professor of Architecture Theodore Sawruk were each awarded a grant from the Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation to support international travel for their respective research projects.  

Professor Milanovic will travel to the United Emirates and Spain to work with colleagues at NYU Abu Dhabi and University of Valladolid. Her goals are to harness the power of computational simulations to both illustrate and help solve complex engineering problems and to prepare mechanical engineering students to meet the challenges of the profession in the age of digital engineering. Collaborating with peers who teach undergraduate mechanical engineering in three countries on three continents, she anticipates this project will enhance her classroom instruction; help her integrate simulations, application building, and the inquiry-based learning in undergraduate mechanical engineering curricula; and help her move students from successfully accomplishing highly structured tasks to navigating unstructured tasks.

Professor Sawruk will travel to Bhutan to explore the relationship between cultural values and environmental design. Bhutan leads the way in the pursuit of holistic, inclusive and truly environmentally sustainable development and it has pioneered the concept of “Gross National Happiness.” This means that the government strives towards equitable socio-economic development along with the preservation of historic and sacred sites. Professor Sawruk believes that this trip abroad will greatly enhance his understanding of contemporary preservation initiatives and further his understanding of ecological architecture and planning.

The University of Hartford’s Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) assists principal investigators with securing and managing grants, subawards, and contracts. For more information, or for assistance with a grant or contract, please contact OSP at ospgrants@hartford.edu.