Brett Q. Tempest, Ph.D., ’04, ’07, ’10
Outstanding Young Alumnus Award
It is obvious to fellow faculty and students that Brett Tempest has a passion for teaching. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNC Charlotte, having not only successfully taught core courses throughout the curriculum, but also developing and offering entirely new and innovative courses, including Sustainable Design, Engineering for Development Workers, and Green Building and Integrative Design. He has also served as advisor to the campus chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
Brett is an expert on reuse applications of power generation derived from fly ash, a particularly pressing environmental problem in North Carolina. His research is related to the development and performance evaluation of concrete and masonry construction materials, particularly from the standpoint of sustainability.
He is also principal investigator of the Integrated Network for Social Sustainability, which engages an international group of academics and practitioners seeking to understand how the built environment impacts social sustainability.
After earning his Bachelor’s degree in International Studies at UNC Chapel Hill, Brett became a proud 49er, earning three degrees in civil engineering: a Bachelor’s of Science in 2004; Master’s of Science in 2007, and a Doctorate in 2010.
Says classmate Brian Zapata of Zapata Incorporated, “Brett is above all else, a humanitarian.” Whether it was working as a civil engineer helping rebuild Sumatra after the devastating 2004 tsunami; touring with AmeriCorps to help impoverished regions in the United States; working with the Charlotte office of Habitat for Humanity; or taking UNC Charlotte students to Peru to help build three pedestrian-safe bridges for farmers, he has used his knowledge and passion to help those in need. In recognition of his service, the Foundation for the Carolinas awarded Brett the Nish Jamgotch Student Humanitarian Award in 2007.
Even in his home life, Brett shows a heart for serving those within his reach. When they are not caring for their full host of wildlife – 4 cats, a dog, 12 chickens, and 150,000 bees – he and his fiancé Tina have worked on establishing a hostel in southwest Virginia to serve hikers of the Appalachian Trail.
He is also active in engineering education research related to building student diversity and integrating service learning into the engineering curriculum. “Brett is caring, practical, knowledgeable, skilled, and incredibly capable,” states Zapata. “I believe that the lessons imparted by a teacher are inseparable from their own character. As such, I know that Brett is one of the best teachers that engineering students at UNC Charlotte will encounter. Our alumni-to-be are lucky to have him as a professor and mentor”.