Dr. Robert W. Whalin

Jackson State University

Professor of Civil Engineering; College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Jackson State University (JSU)

Director Emeritus, Engineer Research and Development Center

Education & Workforce Director, Coastal Resilience Center of Excellence, University of North Carolina

Project: Review, Enhance and Stimulate the Coastal Engineering Concentration of MS/PhD Engineering Degree Programs

Project: Ph.D. in Engineering (Coastal Engineering and Computational Engineering) at an HBCU

Robert W. Whalin, Ph.D., P.E., D.CE completed 36 years of exemplary civilian service in the Department of Army including 20 years in the Senior Executive Service as Director, Army Research Laboratory (ARL); Director, United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Waterways Experiment Station; and Technical Director, USACE Coastal Engineering Research Center. The ARL program exceeded $1.1 billion and had a 2,200-person workforce at six primary locations throughout the United States plus small groups in Japan and the United Kingdom.

Dr. Whalin was a recipient of the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, two Meritorious Presidential Rank Awards, Exceptional Civilian Service Award, three Meritorious Civilian Service Awards, two Department of Army Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Equal Employment Opportunity, the Silver Order of the DeFleury Medal and the President’s 2015 High Grant Award.

A registered professional engineer, Dr. Whalin holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Kentucky, a master’s degree in physics from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in oceanography from Texas A&M University. Prior to his service with the USACE, he worked six years in southern California for Tetra Tech Inc., National Engineering Science Co., Interstate Electronics Corporation and Hughes Aircraft Co.

Dr. Whalin is a renowned coastal engineer, widely recognized for pioneering experimental research of wave transformations in convergence zones and for innovative coastal models of long waves and non-linear wave transformations in harbors, bays, lagoons and estuaries. His JSU research since 2003 has focused on coastal natural hazards and engineering education. He has authored/co-authored more than 100 journal, conference or symposia publications and technical reports.

Publications

Hu, Guojing, Lu, Weike; Wang, Feng; and Whalin, Robert, “Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram Based Discrete Transportation Network Design,” Journal of Advanced Transportation, February 2020. DOI: 1155/2020/4951953.
“NSF-PIRE, Coastal Flood Risk Reduction Program, Authentic Learning and Transformative Education,” Volume 1-2015-2017; Edited by Baukje “Bee” Kothius, Yoonjeong Lee and Samuel Brody, March 2018.

Conference Papers, Presentations, Theses

Ebersole, Bruce; Richardson, Thomas and Whalin, Robert, “Minimize Hurricane Surge Penetration into West/Galveston Bays: It’s Crucial!” Proceedings, 11th Texas Hurricane Conference, University of Houston, Houston, TX, Aug. 2, 2019.
Whalin, Robert W., “A PhD in Engineering Degree: Coastal Engineering Emphasis Area,” Proceedings, 126th ASEE Conference, Tampa Bay, FL, June 2019.
Whalin, Robert W., A PhD in Engineering Degree: Coastal Engineering Emphasis Area. Proceedings, 126th ASEE Conference, Tampa Bay, FL, June 2019.
Ebersole, Bruce; Richardson, Thomas W.; Whalin, Robert W., Suppression of Hurricane Surge Forerunner and Peak Surge in Galveston and West Bays Achieved with a Western Segment of the Coastal Spine. 10^th Texas Hurricane Conference, University of Houston, Houston, TX; Aug. 3, 2018.
Ebersole, Bruce; Richardson, Thomas; and Whalin, Robert, W., Surge Suppression Achieved by Different Coastal Spine (Ike Dike) Alignments. 9^th Texas Hurricane Conference, University of Houston, August 4, 2017, Houston, TX.
Whalin RW, Pang Q, Latham J, Lowe LN. Assessment of a Summer Bridge Program: Seven Years and Counting. 2017 ASEE National Conference Proceedings, Columbus, OH, June 24-28, 2017.
Whalin RW. HBCU Engineering Faculty and Graduates: Implications for Race, Retention and Graduation Linkages. NAAAS & Affiliates 2016 National Conference Proceedings, Baton Rouge, LA, published Oct. 2016.
Whalin RW, Pang Q, Latham J, Lowe LN. Assessment of a Summer Bridge Program: Seven Years and Counting. 2017 ASEE National Conference Proceedings, Columbus, OH, June 24-28, 2017.
Whalin RW, Brody SD, and Merrell WJ. The Galveston Bay Region as an International Test Bed for Flood Risk Reduction. 8^th Texas Hurricane Conference, University of Houston, Houston, TX, August 5, 2016.
Ebersole B, Richardson TW, and Whalin RW. Modeling Coastal Storms: Past, Present and Future. 8^th Texas Hurricane Conference, University of Houston, Houston, TX, August 5, 2016
Whalin, Robert, W.; Pagan-Trinidad, Ismael; Villanueva, Evelyn; and Pittman, David, W., A Quarter Century of Resounding Success for a University/Federal Laboratory Partnership. ASEE 123^rd Annual Conference and Exposition, New Orleans, LA, June 26, 2016.
Ebersole, Bruce; Richardson, Thomas; and Whalin, Robert, W., Surge Suppression Achieved by Different Coastal Spine (Ike Dike) Alignments. 9^th Texas Hurricane Conference, University of Houston, August 4, 2017, Houston, TX.