UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1209

Submission information
Submission Number: 1209
Submission ID: 20641
Submission UUID: 913ceea4-fb5a-4f0d-9ff0-4a6c28d8af57

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
Primary Research Mentor Name Pedro Fernandez-Caban
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns
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
Headshot (optional)
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above)
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific?
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated)
Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable)
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific?
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated)
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
Please add any additional information here (if applicable):
Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable? No
Roundtable times and Zoom links
Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation Yes
Materials Grant Yes
UROP Poster Presentation Yes
Year 2025
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