Assistant Professor Gerarda M. Shields


Title: P.E.
Year joined the college: 2005

Degrees Earned:
Manttattan College Civil B.S.
Manttattan College Civil M.S.
City College of New York - Ph.D. (in progress)

Professional Experience and Research
Ms. Shields joined Hardesty & Hanover, a leading bridge engineering consulting firm, in 2001. Serving as a Project Engineer, Gerarda was responsible for various structural and hydraulic engineering projects. Ms. Shields is particularly interested in scour engineering, a specialized division of hydraulic engineering. Scour is the erosive action of water on soil which effects the stability of bridge piers in both tidal and riverine waterways. Ms. Shields has experience with monitoring bridges classified as "scour critical" and has partaken in the development of the Scour Monitoring Program Manual for Long Island Bridges (2nd Edition) and in NCHRP Synthesis research on fixed scour monitoring instrumentation.

Courses
Soil Mechanics, Hydraulics, Statics and Strength of Materials I, Elements of Structural Design - Steel and Concrete Design, and Construction Management I.

Professional Affiliations, Members, Committees
American Society of Civil Engineers; Associate Member 2002-present, Younger Member Group & NY Metropolitan Section Member, 2003-present; Student Outreach Coordinator, 2003-present; Scholarship Committee Member, 2005-present; Dinner Dance co-chair, 2007-present.
Society of Women Engineers; Member, Member, 1999-present; Special Interest Group Core Member, 2003-2004; New York Section Student Liaison, 2005 - 2007.
New York State Engineering Technology Association; Member and Institutional Representative, 2005-present.

Professional Development
ASCE, Excellence in Civil Engineering Education Fellowship and Training, 2006
USACOE, Stream Investigation, Stabilization and Restoration, 2004
AREMA, Stream Stability and Scour at Railroad Bridges, 2002
PADI, Open Water, 2001; Dry Suit, 2004; Advanced Open Water, In Progress
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Boating Skills and Seamanship, 1997

Publications, Courses and Awards
GeoCongress, "Scour of Bridge Foundations" Short Course, February 26, 2006
ERWI, "Scour Monitoring", Abstract, May 16, 2007
ASCE Met Section Young Government Civil Engineer of the Year Award, 2007
JUMP, "Soil Mechanics" and "Construction Management", short course, 2005- present
BuildingWorks, "Fluid Mechanics", short course, 2007-present