Ocean waves and how they shape and impact natural and built coastal environments will be the topic of Oregon State University – Cascades’ Science Pub on April 16.  

Pedro Lomonaco, a civil engineer and director of OSU’s O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, will discuss ocean waves and how they are generated, and how waves can be considered natural hazards as well as a source of clean energy.

He will also share how the Hinsdale Laboratory, one of the largest and most technically advanced laboratories for coastal research in the world, helps scientists and engineers understand how waves interact with the coast and with built and floating structures. The goal of the lab is to help improve the resilience and sustainability of coastal areas and their infrastructure. 

The 61,000 square-foot lab was founded in 1972. It houses wavemakers, a wave flume and two wave basins where tsunami and other waves are simulated. 

Lomonaco received a master’s degree in coastal engineering from the International Institute of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering in the Netherlands and a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Cantabria, Spain in 1999. He has more than 30 years of experience in theoretical and applied research studies of physical modeling of waves, currents and wind-structure interactions. 

The Science Pub will take place from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. in the Charles McGrath Family Atrium in Edward J. Ray Hall at OSU-Cascades. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for networking and dining with the presentation to follow at 6 p.m.

Registration is required and on-campus parking is free. 

The event is $22 per person, which includes a light, pub-style, pre-lecture dinner. The no-host bar will offer beer, wine, cider and soft drinks.

To register, visit OSUcascades.edu/event-registration. Space is limited to 120 attendees.

OSU-Cascades employees and students should contact events@osucacades.edu for tickets.

For accommodations for disabilities contact 541-322-3100 or events@osucascades.edu.