Tiana Robinson

As a kid growing up in Washington, D.C., Tiana Robinson had a knack for building things.

“I was fascinated by construction sites,” she says. “The concept of building something from beginning to end and making your design a reality has always intrigued me.”

So, when a guest speaker came to her school to talk about civil engineering, she said to herself, “That’s it. That’s what I want to do!”

Now a senior civil engineering major at UMass Lowell with a minor in business administration, Robinson is working with the city of Lowell to help inspect and monitor the city’s aging roadways and bridges under the supervision of Prof. TzuYang Yu. 

“Civil infrastructure systems are an investment and asset in any city,” Robinson says.

She views roads, bridges and sidewalks as more than just part of a transportation network; she believes they are the foundation for a strong economy that must be monitored and maintained.

“All structures can deteriorate over time. Thus, conducting regular inspection and maintenance helps ensure their structural integrity as well as the safety and well-being of the public from hazardous failures,” she says.

For her part, Robinson conducted ultrasonic testing of sidewalk concrete slabs to check their thickness and condition and to identify any structural issues.

According to Robinson, being part of the project has helped her to gain hands-on research training in the field, build her résumé and hone her problem-solving and team-building skills. The experience has fit well with her career plans.

“I chose UMass Lowell because it has a great civil engineering program and faculty, lab research and internship opportunities and a bachelor’s-to-master’s program in structural engineering,” she says. “I’m proud to say that I couldn’t have made a better choice.”

Robinson was also awarded a full undergraduate scholarship by UMass Lowell through its DC-CAP Scholars Program, which is dedicated to helping minority students from Washington, D.C.-area high schools to attend college and earn their degrees.   

“I’m pursuing my master’s degree at UMass Lowell starting this fall and will continue my path to become a professional structural engineer,” she says.

For her master’s thesis, Robinson is investigating the structural stability of 3D printing materials for bridge design and construction. 

“I decided to research this topic because I want to do something that no one has done before, and I’m passionate about exploring alternative materials that may be useful in structural design other than concrete and steel,” she says. 

Unlike steel, concrete cannot be salvaged, recycled or repurposed for other applications, according to Robinson.

“Furthermore, the production of cement to manufacture concrete is responsible for generating 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making the cement industry a major producer of carbon dioxide. Thus, I want to highlight other options – specifically, 3D materials that are eco-friendly and reusable,” she says.