A conversation with Dr. Pinom Ering on prospect of civil engineering

DIMAPUR — Working alongside top global scientists in the field of natural hazards research is a source of inspiration for Dr. Pinom Ering, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.

After completing her B.Tech at North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST) in Itanagar, she went on to do a master’s degree in engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, and a PhD in Civil Engineering from the same institute in 2020.

Hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, she developed a determination to pursue a career in civil engineering. She said watching Indian-born American astronaut and aerospace engineer Kalpana Chawla on television sparked her interest in science and engineering.

Dr. Ering, who is currently doing research on natural hazards as an international visiting scientist in Norway, gives insight into the subject in an exclusive interview with Eastern Mirror:

Can you share with us the fundamental concepts of civil engineering to help students understand it better?

With demands for social and economic development, infrastructure systems such as roads, buildings, bridges, water supply lines etc. have become an integral part of our lives and have transformed the way we live, work, and connect with the world.

The design, construction and maintenance of these systems require scientific and mathematical approaches, which is where civil engineering comes in. Civil engineering comprises different specializations viz. water resources, transportation, structural and geotechnical.

How did you decide on your choice of subjects or determine your next steps within your field of study?

As someone who witnessed the detrimental effects of landslides and earthquakes (geohazards), I became interested in unravelling the science behind these natural geohazards and their interaction with the infrastructure systems.

The question to which I sought an answer was, could the infrastructure systems be so efficiently designed so as to control their damage and failure during the episodes of geohazards?

Hence, I chose geotechnical engineering as it delves into the science of geohazards and their effects on infrastructure systems. In a way, I felt it was my conviction and responsibility to carry out the research on these lines.

What opportunities are available for undergraduate/graduate students to get involved in research projects?

IIT Bombay has undergraduate internship programmes wherein the interns are paid scholarships and work for four to six months on a research project of their interest. You may find this link useful https://ircc.iitb.ac.in/IRCC- Web Page/IITBInternship/. Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore offers a similar internship programme.

Interested candidates should visit the relevant pages and drop a mail to the professor they are interested in working with. Ideally, the internship period overlaps with the winter/summer holidays.

Graduate students can apply for JRF positions under various sponsored research projects. Those of you looking for PhD/SRF positions in geotechnical engineering feel free to contact me. I do have a couple of national/international sponsored research projects.

Do you have any advice on effective study techniques?

Engineering, in its essence, is all mathematics and physics, and involves rational thinking. Hence, efforts should be made to understand concepts clearly. It always helps to self-explain the concepts in simple words.

Rote learning is an absolute no in engineering. From my experience of teaching a couple of undergraduate batches, I can say it is true when they say, ‘Consistency beats talent’. Work hard always, it never goes in vain.

Are there any industry-specific certifications or qualifications that would be valuable to pursue alongside one’s studies?

In India, I would recommend attending certificate courses from NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning). In addition, industrial training courses supported by the parent institutes are a great way to get deep insights into what goes on in the field.

What are the current trends and emerging areas of research in geotechnical engineering?

The emerging areas are geo-environmental which deals with the challenges of ground and ground-water contamination, waste disposal and management, carbon capture and sequestration from the seawaters; ground improvement that aims to make the existing weak ground behave to suit the design requirements; landslides and slope stability studies to understand how and what causes land sliding; soil dynamics and earthquake engineering to study the behaviour of soil and rocks under earthquake loads, vibration loads, blast loads to build infrastructure systems which are safe and/or resilient to these loads.

What are some common misconceptions or challenges students often face in civil engineering, and how can one overcome them?

As I mentioned earlier, technical subjects can be difficult to understand, and the difficulty level only increases exponentially from one semester to another. The key is to clear the concepts consistently instead of making attempts occasionally which can be overwhelming during the exams.

How does research in civil engineering contribute to solving practical problems in the field?

Most cities in India are becoming crowded and roads getting congested. Ever wonder what can be done to manage them? Research in transportation engineering aims to find answers to these problems; everything from managing crowds in congested places, traffic congestion, and exit strategies in the event of fire and disasters to the prevention of stampedes in crowded places are all within its scope.

It involves the likes of game theory to solve the problems. Likewise, research in geotechnical engineering has paved the way for scientific avenues in the early detection of the geohazards, building safe and resilient infrastructure and modifying the ground conditions, if need be, to suit the project requirements.

In a nutshell, research in civil engineering caters to the human and social needs of our nation and the world.

Could you share some of your experiences or challenges when studying civil engineering?

The challenges I faced have many facets to them, including human, social, and scientific aspects. Civil engineering involves the application of physics, mathematics, and chemistry to solve real-life problems. Technical subjects can be very difficult to comprehend at times.

Coming to the human and social aspect, the fact that we had very few female students during BTech and, I was the only female student during the master’s programme in geotechnical engineering at IISc was a challenge. I realised there are certain limitations we set on ourselves and a few others set on us. The latter becomes a reality especially if you study outside the Northeast. Looking back, I would say, be free of both.

Can you share a specific project or experience in geotechnical engineering that you found particularly inspiring or rewarding?

I would say the current international project I am working on in Norway. Collaborating with the best of the world’s scientists on natural hazards research is very inspiring. Given that I come from a place in India which is the epicenter of most geohazards, the research experience is more rewarding. As Arthur Eddington famously said, science helps us transcend national boundaries and brings out the best in humans; life in science, in general, is very rewarding.

What challenges have you faced in your career, and how did you overcome them?

Research in science and engineering can be very demanding, involving trial and error multiple times. There are times your research leads to a dead end, and you will have to start from scratch. You don’t have any prior knowledge of whether your research ideas will work because nobody else in the whole world would have attempted to work on the idea.

However, funding and time for research are finite. It is extremely challenging to complete your research objectives within the stipulated time. I realized time is a crucial factor and to overcome this challenging aspect, I adopted the multiple burner approach in my work. The idea is inspired by the multiple burner gas stove wherein instead of one vessel, multiple vessels are used simultaneously. The trick is to divide your day’s work into multiple assignments instead of focusing only on a single objective. The approach proved beneficial during my PhD days.

Digressing from the scientific aspect, I would say mental and spiritual well-being; especially during PhD is a challenge. While you are pursuing a PhD, a lot will change in the lives of your family and friends because the two timescales never overlap. You must learn to accept this fact and not rush in your research.

What is the most rewarding aspect of teaching civil engineering at a prestigious institution like IIT, and what keeps you motivated in your role?

In India, IIT Bombay gets the best pool of students who come after clearing the prestigious JEE advanced and GATE exams. It is extremely rewarding to teach these brilliant students and engage in academic discussions of high value and to know that this knowledge will be carried forward.

I believe a teacher has significant influence over the choices one can make in one’s career. A good teacher can make you like a difficult subject while a bad teacher can make you hate that subject. This is why I think teaching is a great responsibility because you aren’t just sharing your knowledge but also training them to make the best choices in their career. This motivates me to take my teaching responsibly.

What advice would you give to someone considering a path in civil engineering to help them determine if it is the right fit for them?

The Northeast, with its complex hydro-geoclimatic conditions, is one of the most challenging environments for engineers to work. The engineering practices and thumb rules we follow in the other parts of the country cannot be applied here blindly. We need excellent civil engineers who will have the scientific and technical knowledge of how to solve these perpetual challenges. If it sounds interesting to you, you must think about pursuing civil engineering. If not anything, you will feel good at the end of the day for making efforts to serve your society and country.

Rapid Insights

• Books you have on your bedside table

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl (now), The Bible (always)

• One thing you wish you knew at age 19

Do good to others and never expect anything in return.

• What do you want to be remembered for?

I think my research ideas/contributions because everything else will dissipate but ideas will transcend generations and times.

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