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David Zeng, Ph.D. – Frank H. Neff Professor and Chair, Department of Civil Engineering at Case Western Reserve University |
| Friday March 22, 2013 12:30-1:30 p.m. Dampeer Room Kelvin Smith Library Case Western Reserve University Dear Colleagues: The phenomenal growth of natural gas production from hydraulic fracturing of shale is creating new wealth and political conflict, while roiling energy markets. It also has, as an advisory board to the Secretary of Energy put it, “brought questions about whether both current and future production can be done in an environmentally sound fashion that meets the needs of public trust.” Controversies are fed by both fear and distrust. The industry claims its practices are safe but avoids identifying the components of the fluids used in the process. The advisory board “shares the prevailing view that the risk of fracturing fluid leakage into drinking water from fractures made in deep shale reservoirs is remote” but adds that much needs to be learned about best practices; and there are many issues beyond leakage into drinking water. In our area one of the most widely-publicized involves the possibility that disposal of wastewater from fracking can cause earthquakes. I doubt we can settle these issues but we can be much better informed! So we will gladly welcome Xiangwu (David) Zeng, Chair of our Department of Civil Engineering, a leading expert on earthquakes and Director of our Center for Shale Energy Research and Education. All best regards, About Our Guest… Xiangwu (David) Zeng is Frank H. Neff Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at CWRU. Hi is recognized as an internationally renowned expert in geotechnical earthquake engineering, centrifuge modeling, lunar soil mechanics, and offshore wind foundation. He serves as Chair of the Commitee on Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and directs the Shale Energy Research and Education Center at CWRU. Professor Zeng earned his Ph.D and M. Phil from the University of Cambridge, and his Bachelors from Tsinghua University in China. He has been Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University and the Tokyo Institute of Technology, and been PI or Co-PI of 38 research projects, funded by NASA, NSF, OSM, MSHA, DOT and DOE. Parking Possibilities We regret that there is no convenient free parking, especially with the current construction on Bellflower. The closest lot is the Severance garage, which can be entered from East Boulevard. One can avoid going outside the garage by using an entry door to the library that is just northeast of the main parking lot entrance from East Boulevard. It leads to an elevator which goes to the library entrance. You can also go up the stairway or elevator labeled “Thwing Center,” from which it is a short walk to the library. Another possibility is the parking lot of the Church of the Covenant on Euclid, which can be entered from the north side of Euclid Ave, opposite Cornell Road. Visitors would walk west on Euclid, past the Thwing Center, and then follow the walkway to the library entrance. Friday Lunch Upcoming Topics and Speakers: March 29: International Development Assistance in Public Health. Bill Goldman, retired foreign service officer with USAID April 5: Military Ethics and Dehumanizing the Enemy. With Anthony Jack, Assistant Professor of Cognitive Science, Philosophy, and Psychology and Shannon French, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Inamori Professor of Ethics. April 12: The New Cuyahoga County Government: Perspective from the Council. Julian Rogers, Councillor for District 10 April 19: Mass Murder for the Media: The Breivik Case in Norway. Mark Turner, Institute Professor and Professor of Cognitive Science April 26: Advocacy for Children, Who Don’t Vote. Doug Imig, Professor of Political Science, University of Memphis |
