Dear Distinguished AAWE Members,
It is with great honor that I start my term as President of this important professional and research association. First, I would like to acknowledge the work contributions of the Past President, Professor Dorothy Reed, who graciously agreed to serve two times in this role in recent years; her work and dedication to AAWE have been remarkable and have contributed to the promotion of the various activities under the umbrella of the association. Second, I want to pledge my commitment to serving the association for the upcoming year.
This is a very important time for wind engineering. Our society is facing many challenges associated with the rapid changes of urbanization, the intensification of extreme wind events often leading to structural and infrastructure damage and losses of property and human life. We see these challenges in the form of hurricane threats along the coastal regions of the North American continent as well as severe thunderstorm events (e.g., tornadoes, downbursts). It is imperative that we continue our research and professional work for applications such as buildings, bridges, and infrastructure. I also note that wind load effects are currently encompassing a wider category of applications, by equally acknowledging the wind load analysis of energy systems (e.g., wind turbines, solar panels, harvesting devices). Finally, environmental aspects of wind engineering cannot be overlooked.
After careful consideration, I have identified two directions for our organization: (i) a special consideration for activities originating from young researchers and graduate students; and (ii) promoting collaborations among AAWE members and beyond, involving the exchange of ideas with other international wind engineering researchers or groups in a “connected” and global society scenario.
I pledge to serve with humility, dedication and careful attention. I welcome any comments, contributions or ideas that you have. Please do not hesitate to get in contact with me through email, LinkedIn, etc. and let me know how I can be of assistance. I look forward to working with you.
Yours Sincerely,
Luca Caracoglia
Professor, Northeastern University, Boston, MA (USA)
Email: luca.caracoglia@AAWE.org
Research website: https://coe.northeastern.edu/people/caracoglia-luca/