In honor of Donald Biggar Willett, the Willett Research Initiatives in Engineering funds term professorships, undergraduate and graduate student research and related research activity. Willett studied civil engineering at the University of Illinois and started his career working for his family business, Suburban Coal and Supply. In 1994, the Willet Research Initiatives Fund was established after his widow, Elizabeth Marie Willett, willed her entire state to the College of Engineering.
Since joining faculty in 2005, Dr. Cai continues to excel in the field of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering. He is a registered professional engineer (Maryland since 2002) and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Geographic Union and International Water Resources Association. Most recently, Dr. Cai was named the Ven Te Chow Faculty Scholar in Water Resources in the CEE Department.
Dr. Cai’s research interests include large-scale system optimization, river basin planning and management, drought management, water resources economics and policy, geographic information system and spatial statistics, and international water resources development.
The current Donald Biggar Willett Scholars in the College of Engineering at Illinois:
- Tarek Abdelzaher, CS
- Joanna Austin, AE
- Ximing Cai, CEE
- Ioannis Chasiotis, AE
- Jianjun Cheng, MatSE
- Brian DeMarco, Physics
- Elizabeth Hsaio-Wecksler, MechSE
- Olgica Milenkovic, ECE
- Angelia Nedich, ISE
- Matthias Grosse-Perdekamp, Physics
- Moonsub Shim, MatSE
- Chengxiang Zhai, CS