Integration of Teaching and Research

Student Participation in Research Projects: Dr. Zaman employs both undergraduate (25 so far including UROP) and graduate (60 so far) students regularly on externally funded research projects. This practice is particularly helpful to undergraduate students, who begin to recognize the need for research early in their college life. The geotechnical engineering field has undergone significant changes over the last two decades and has become essential that students be exposed to these changing technologies while at school. Many students who participated in research projects and are now working with Dr. Zaman have found their undergraduate research experience very valuable.

Success of Former Students: Dr. Zaman’s goal of producing quality graduates has drawn attention within the industry. All of his former graduate students are very well placed in Oklahoma and elsewhere. A geotechnical engineering firm in California (American Geotechnical) and another in Dallas, Texas (Gee Consultants, Inc.) each has hired two of Dr. Zaman’s students. CH2M Hill, a major consulting firm in the nation, hired two of Dr. Zaman’s Ph.D. graduates for its California office and has expressed interest to hire another. Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) hired two M.Sc. and two Ph.D. graduates. The Traffic Engineering Division at Oklahoma Department of Transportation was led by a former doctoral student of Dr. Zaman. Six of his former students are faculty members at academic and research institutions in the U.S. and abroad and three are presidents of companies.

Implementing Research Products to Teaching: Dr. Zaman makes special efforts to revise his courses to include relevant research findings. For example, the computer program FEABAS developed as a part of the Bridge Approach Settlement Project (ORA 125-6074) is now used by students in CE 5343 (Advanced Soil Mechanics) to analyze consolidation settlements due to bridge embankment construction using more advanced concepts (soil-pore water interaction). A comparison of this analysis with the more conventional approach (one-dimensional consolidation theory) provides an appreciation for new theories. In CE 5343, using laboratory data from a conventional triaxial device and a cubical device (described earlier) provides a better appreciation for innovations in laboratory testing.

Implementation of Computer Applications in Teaching

Dr. Zaman emphasizes computer applications in a number of his courses. This has been necessary due to changing technology within the geotechnical engineering area. Computer-based geotechnical analysis techniques currently play a major role in many areas of practice and research as tools for the solution of significant engineering problems. Dr. Zaman has developed software packages and used them in the following classes: CE 5413: Soil-Structure Interaction, CE 5343 Advanced Soil Mechanics, CE 5443: Constitutive Laws of Engineering Materials, and CE 5020: Theory of Plasticity.
Some of the software packages, developed by Dr. Zaman and his students are listed below:
FEABAS: Finite element analysis of consolidation settlement due to bridge approach embankment.
SiTEX: An expert system for finding remedial measures for sanding problems.
PYPILE: Analysis of single piles including pile-soil interaction using the p-y curve concept.
PILEGR: Analysis of pile groups using the Hrennikoff's method.
PILE3D: Analysis of pile groups using the extended Hrennikoff's method for 3-D idealization.
BEAME: Analysis of beams on elastic foundation problems.
SETTLET: Analysis of settlement due to time-varying load.
PHASEP: Foundation vibration analysis using the phase plane approach.
MATGRID: Mat foundation analysis by the finite grid method.

Guest Speakers and Field Trips

Since engineering is a people serving profession, Dr. Zaman emphasizes “practice-oriented education.” To relate engineering concepts to applications, he invites practitioners to speak to his classes. Also, he arranges appropriate field trips to give students an opportunity to see construction practices in the field (e.g., soil compaction, pile driving, pavement overlay, roadway construction, etc.). Such field trips often make the learning process enjoyable.

Comprehensive Lecture Notes

In majority of the undergraduate and graduate courses taught, Dr. Zaman incorporates materials developed by him and others that are not available in traditional textbooks. Whenever feasible, he has incorporated design and application examples from current literature and sponsored research projects in comprehensive lecture notes. Xerox copies of notes are given to students. Comprehensive lecture notes are currently available for the following courses: ENGR 2113 Rigid Body Mechanics; CE 3363 Soil Mechanics; ENGR 2153: Strength of Materials; CE 5333: Foundation Engineering; CE 5413: Soil-structure Interaction: CE 5353: Soil Dynamics; CE 5020: Advanced Foundation Engineering; CE 5020: Dynamic Soil-structure Interaction, and CE 5020: Theory of Plasticity.

All TA Training Programs

Since 1997 he has conducted two lecturing sessions each year for the all TA Training Program. The primary goal of this session is to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each participant, and to provide them with tips to become a better instructor.

Undergraduate Research Experience (REU) Through Funded Projects:
So far 21 undergraduate students have gained research experience through Dr. Zaman’s externally funded projects.