Research Projects

Funded Research Portfolio

Active Projects

NSF: Systems Thinking and Data Analytics in Civil Engineering Education

National Science Foundation | 2022-2024 | $298,894

Award #: [NSF Award Number]

Role: Principal Investigator (with 4 co-PIs)

Objective: Transform undergraduate civil and environmental engineering education by integrating systems thinking and data analytics across the curriculum.

Key Activities:

• Developing innovative pedagogical approaches for teaching complex systems
• Creating hands-on analytics modules for core civil engineering courses
• Measuring student learning outcomes and competency development
• Building transferable curriculum materials for nationwide adoption

Impact: Preparing 21st-century engineers with skills to tackle interconnected infrastructure challenges using data-driven approaches.

Status: Ongoing through 2024

Major Completed Projects

EPA: Right-Sizing Tomorrow’s Water Systems

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 2016-2021 | $1,989,000 (Total); $25,000 (Manhattan University)

Award #: R836890

Partners: Purdue University (Lead), Michigan State University, San José State University

Objective: Develop integrative hydraulic-water quality predictive tools for residential building water systems to support efficiency, sustainability, and public health.

Major Contributions:

• Integrated modeling framework: Developed coupled hydraulic and water quality models for premise plumbing systems
• Full-scale validation: Field testing in actual residential buildings
• Predictive capabilities: Tools to forecast water age, temperature, and contaminant levels
• Design guidance: Recommendations for right-sizing building water systems

Key Publications:

• Palmegiani, M. A., Whelton, A. J., Mitchell, J., Nejadhashemi, P., & Lee, J. (2022). New developments in premise plumbing: Integrative hydraulic and water quality modeling. AWWA Water Science.
• Ryan, J., Palmegiani, M., Lee, J., Whelton, A., & Mitchell, J. (2023). Modeling water age in a full-scale residential plumbing system. AWWA Water Science.

Impact: Changed industry understanding of building water systems; informed ASCE and AWWA standards.

California Water Service Company: Water Infrastructure Analytics Partnership

Cal Water | 2014-2019 | $450,000

Objective: Lead collaborative research between university students and utility technical staff to address critical challenges in drinking water infrastructure management.

Seven Major Research Thrusts:

1. Enterprise Decision Support System for Water Mains Integrity

• Developed spatiotemporal failure prediction models
• Created hot spot analysis tools for proactive maintenance
• Integrated business risk exposure into decision-making

Publications:

• Martínez García, D., Lee, J., Keck, J., Yang, P., & Guzzetta, R. (2019). Spatiotemporal and deterioration assessment of water main failures. AWWA Water Science. [2020 AWWA Best Paper Award]

2. Multi-Objective Water Distribution System Optimization

• Energy cost minimization
• Greenhouse gas emissions reduction
• Water quality improvement
• System reliability enhancement

Publications:

• Güngör-Demirci, G., Lee, J., & Keck, J. (2020). Optimizing pump operations: energy cost, greenhouse gas emissions, and water quality. Water and Environment Journal.

3. Optimal Well Rehabilitation Strategy

• Risk-based decision framework (J100 methodology)
• Cost-benefit analysis for rehabilitation vs. replacement
• Performance-based management tools

Publications:

• Güngör-Demirci, G., Keck, J., & Lee, J. (2021). Effective well management using the J100 framework. AWWA Water Science. [2022 AWWA Best Paper Award]

4. Hydraulic Transients Impact Analysis

• Pressure surge modeling and mitigation
• Infrastructure protection strategies
• Service line vulnerability assessment

5. Real-Time Water Distribution System Monitoring

• Sensor network optimization
• Continuous water quality tracking
• Early warning systems

6. Optimal Flushing Program Development

• Targeted flushing strategies
• Water quality improvement protocols
• Cost-effective maintenance scheduling

7. Performance Assessment Using Data Envelopment Analysis

• Benchmarking utility performance
• Efficiency frontier analysis
• Resource allocation optimization

Publications:

• Güngör-Demirci, G., Lee, J., Keck, J. (2018). Assessing the performance of a California water utility using two-stage data envelopment analysis. ASCE Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management.

Overall Impact: Established model for industry-university partnerships; trained 15+ graduate students; produced 20+ publications.

California Water Service Company: Water Demand Analysis

Cal Water | 2011-2014 | $100,000

Role: Principal Investigator

Objective: Analyze impacts of water meter installation on residential water consumption in California.

Key Findings:

• Quantified water savings from meter installation
• Analyzed price elasticity of water demand
• Evaluated low-income rate assistance programs

Publications:

• Tanverakul, S., & Lee, J. (2015). Impacts of metering on residential water use in California. JAWWA.
• Lee, J., & Tanverakul, S. (2015). Price elasticity of residential water demand in California. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology – AQUA.

Impact: Informed California water policy during drought; guided utility conservation programs.

NSF: Integrating Sustainability into Engineering Education

National Science Foundation | 2009-2011 | $149,957

Role: Principal Investigator (with 3 co-PIs)

Objective: Develop and assess methods for integrating sustainability concepts into lower-division engineering core courses.

Innovations:

• Created sustainability modules for foundational courses
• Measured student learning and attitude changes
• Disseminated materials to other institutions

Publications:

• Lee, J., Okamoto, N., Chung, R., & Anagnos, T. (2011). Integrating sustainability into lower division core engineering courses. Frontiers in Education Conference.

Emergency Response Research

Paradise Irrigation District: Camp Fire Recovery

Paradise, CA | 2019 | $4,500

Context: Following the devastating 2018 Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise, California

Role: Expert consultant on drinking water contamination and recovery

Objective: Provide technical guidance on widespread drinking water distribution network contamination caused by wildfire.

Key Contributions:

• Hydraulic analysis of contamination pathways
• Recovery strategy recommendations
• Public health risk assessment
• Infrastructure reconstruction guidance

Publications:

• Proctor, C. R., Lee, J., Yu, D., Shah, A. D., & Whelton, A. J. (2020). Wildfire caused widespread drinking water distribution network contamination. AWWA Water Science. [Highly cited - pioneering wildfire-water research]

Impact: Established new understanding of wildfire impacts on water systems; influenced emergency response protocols nationally.

Consulting & Technical Advisory Projects

HomeServe USA: Service Line Failure Analysis

2015

• Developed failure prediction models for water service lines
• Created best management practices for different pipe materials
• Informed national infrastructure investment decisions

Related Publication:

• Lee, J., & Meehan, M. (2017). Survival analysis of water service lines utilizing nationwide failure dataset. JAWWA. [2018 AWWA Best Paper Award]

South Korea Advanced Water Management Program

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport | 2014

• Developed Micro Water Grid (MWG) pilot platform for green buildings
• High-rise building hydraulic analysis
• Optimal building water system design

Research Philosophy

My research approach emphasizes:

✓ Real-world impact: Partnering with utilities and agencies to solve practical problems
✓ Interdisciplinary innovation: Integrating AI, optimization, and traditional engineering
✓ Student training: Every project involves mentoring graduate and undergraduate students
✓ Knowledge dissemination: Publishing in top journals and presenting at major conferences
✓ Open collaboration: Building networks across academia, industry, and government

Research Metrics

• $1.3+ Million in external funding secured
• 20+ graduate students trained and mentored
• 40+ undergraduate students involved in research
• 50+ publications directly resulting from funded projects
• 4 Best Paper Awards from major professional societies
• Multiple industry adoptions of research tools and methods

Future Research Directions

Seeking funding and partnerships for:

• Digital twins for water infrastructure: Real-time system optimization and control
• AI for climate adaptation: Predictive models for extreme events and long-term change
• Equity in water systems: Analytics to identify and address infrastructure disparities
• Cybersecurity: Protecting smart water infrastructure from emerging threats
• Circular water economy: Decentralized systems and resource recovery

Collaboration Opportunities

For funding agencies: I welcome opportunities to develop proposals addressing critical water infrastructure challenges.

For utilities and agencies: Interested in research partnerships that translate academic innovation into operational practice.

For prospective students: Multiple funded graduate research assistantships available for qualified candidates interested in AI, analytics, and water infrastructure.

For industry partners: Open to collaborative projects, technical advisory roles, and sponsored research.

Contact

Dr. Juneseok Lee
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Manhattan University

📧 juneseok.lee@manhattan.edu
📞 718-862-7318

“Research is most valuable when it moves from publication to practice—solving real problems for real communities.”