JANUARY 10, 2022 – Dr. Ibukun Awolusi—Assistant Professor of Construction Science and Management in the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design’s (Klesse College) School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Construction Management (CECM)—was recently awarded the Don B. Daily Safety Grant by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) Foundation and the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA). This is the second consecutive year in which Dr. Awolusi has been selected for this award.
The receipt of this year’s award will allow Dr. Awolusi and his student researchers to continue their project on the evaluation of IoT-based Wearable Sensing Devices (WSDs) that can be implemented in steel manufacturing plants. Research findings from last year’s award unearthed pioneering information that can guide future investigation into the application of these technologies for reducing the occurrence of illnesses, injuries, and accidents in steel manufacturing plants. This year’s award will see Dr. Awolusi continue to investigate recommended interventions and refine recommendations for the successful implementation of these emerging technologies for workers’ safety and health management in the steel manufacturing industry.
With partnership and support from CMC Steel Texas, last year’s project provided steel industry process knowledge and applied research experience to four student researchers—one graduate student pursuing civil engineering and three undergraduate students in the construction science and management program who worked on the project under Dr. Awolusi’s supervision. “This year’s project is expected to generate findings that stakeholders and practitioners can use for the successful implementation of these cutting-edge technologies to improve the safety and health performance of workers in the steel manufacturing industry,” said Dr. Awolusi. “We are grateful to the AIST Foundation and SMA for their continued support and particularly, for providing this unique experiential learning opportunity for our students.”
The Don B. Daily Safety Grant is awarded to commemorate the life and industry service of Don B. Daily, who focused on the safety of employees working in the steel industry.