UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1209 | Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement

Submission information

Submission Number: 1209

Submission ID: 20641

Submission UUID: 913ceea4-fb5a-4f0d-9ff0-4a6c28d8af57

Submission URI: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal

Submission Update: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=gnaeZX0w7GfSuoZjPtmuhNO7vO3YeGVNt2ruMaq4nNU

Created: Sun, 08/17/2025 - 09:03 PM

Completed: Sun, 08/17/2025 - 09:03 PM

Changed: Mon, 08/25/2025 - 12:46 PM

Remote IP address: 73.118.84.108

Submitted by: Anonymous

Language: English

Is draft: No

Webform: UROP Project Proposal Portal

Submitted to: UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal

Research Mentor Information

Primary Research Mentor Name Pedro Fernandez-Caban

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When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific? Dr.

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) plfernandez@eng.famu.fsu.edu

Position Title Faculty

FSU College (if applicable) FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation Florida State University

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Additional Research Mentor(s)

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Overall Project Details

Title of the Project ML-Assisted Structural Optimization of Onshore Flexible Structures Under Hurricane-Induced Wind and Wave Loading

Project Keywords optimization, machine learning, structures, wind, wave, hurricanes

Are you currently looking for research assistants? Yes

Number of Research Assistants Needed 2

Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) Open to all majors (but Computer Science preferable).

Project Location: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? FSU Bus (Seminole Express)

Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): Partially Remote

Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? 10

Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)

Overall Research Project Description During hurricane events, extreme wind and storm surge conditions constitute the main environmental forces impacting civil infrastructure in coastal regions. In particular, lightweight, tall, and slender structures (e.g., transmission/communication towers, light poles, etc.) are sensitive to the variable and dynamic nature of wind and wave action. Therefore, predicting and optimizing the performance of such structures remains an ongoing challenge. This UROP project seeks to investigate the application of novel ML-assisted optimization strategies that consider the combined effects of wind and wave, and how they interact with coastal structures.

Research Tasks -Literature Review
-Code Development and Validation (Python)
-Numerical Analysis of Wind and Wave Loading
-Preliminary Structural Optimization Experiments

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: -Programming (Python)
-Statistical Data Analysis
-Experience using Machine Learning models (preferable)

Mentoring Philosophy My role as an undergraduate mentor is to facilitate opportunities to enhance the technical and professional skills of mentees. I continuously tailor research tasks based on my conversations with students to ensure such tasks align with skills the mentees want to develop further (e.g., technical writing, data analysis, programming, etc.). I've also found it helpful to share my own research experience through the years, from my undergraduate days to my current role as a faculty member. In particular, mentees often relate to stories from my early research experiences that highlight common challenges faced by undergraduate researchers and how best to address them.

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable): https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=nzBOhdoAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

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Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable? No

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UROP Program Elements

Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication Yes

UROP Performance Evaluation Yes

Materials Grant Yes

UROP Poster Presentation Yes

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Year 2025

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