The project provides meaningful, high-impact research opportunities for undergraduate students. Participants will develop skills in fabrication, experimental design, Python- based data analysis, and research communication. These experiences help students secure competitive internships and offer compelling material for professional portfolios. Because the project trains newcomers, its benefits extend to students who may not otherwise have research access, strengthening equity in undergraduate research participation. For JMU as an institution, this project has the potential to elevate the university’s reputation in sustainable engineering and origami-inspired structural innovation. Demonstrating that JMU students are actively contributing to environmentally responsible construction techniques enhances the university’s public profile and supports recruitment efforts. The project also lays the groundwork for future external support (e.g., through the many NSF sustainability funding opportunities or the American Concrete Institute’s foundation), as the findings could seed subsequent proposals in sustainable materials and structural innovation. The results from this project could be disseminated through a variety of channels. First, undergraduate researchers could share their work through posters at regional conferences, such as the Virginia Academy of Science Undergraduate Research Meeting or the Council on Undergraduate Research Meeting. Additionally, the work could be shared at national conferences, such as the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Engineering Mechanics Institute Meeting or the American Concrete Institute Concrete Convention. Our results would also be shared in peer-reviewed journals, such as Structural Concrete, the International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials, or the American Concrete Institute Structural Journal. This project additionally opens avenues for collaboration with other researchers in the nation. For example, should the small-scale tests be successful, large-scale testing could be conducted at the University of Michigan (the PI’s alma mater) with Dr. Evgueni Filipov or Virginia Tech with Dr. Alexander Brand, using their strong-wall apparatuses. Furthermore, internal collaboration with concrete researchers at JMU, such as Dr. Daniel Castaneda or Dr. Heather Kirkvold, could expand the project further. Taken together, the project strengthens JMU culturally, academically, and strategically. It offers direct experiential benefit to students, contributes to pressing global sustainability challenges, and positions the university as a creative leader in engineering research and education.
Madison Trust 2026 Project Proposal
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