Letter from the Department Head

Welcome from the Department Head

Welcome to the website for the Penn State Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). Established in 1881, the department is internationally recognized for excellence in learning, discovery, and engagement.

For more than 140 years, our faculty, staff, and students have provided leadership to the civil and environmental engineering profession and beyond.  

The department has made many significant advancements this year. We have hired six outstanding new faculty members: Andisheh Ranjbari in transportation engineering, Sayed Soleimani in structural engineering and mechanics, Ahmed Khalafallah in construction engineering and management, Roberto Fernandez and Christine Kirchhoff in water resources engineering (Dr. Kirchhoff with a primary appointment in the School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs), and Kaleigh Yost in geotechnical and materials engineering. We have an ongoing faculty search in our environmental engineering area, which will be a co-hire appointment with the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment. Our Undergraduate Program Committee is completing a multi-year effort to modernize the undergraduate curriculum to better serve both students and faculty. At the graduate level, the department is working with Penn State World Campus to create new online master’s degree programs and make advanced Penn State degrees available to distance learners. Many new research grants have been received by our faculty, particularly from the National Science Foundation, and the Larson Transportation Institute continues to conduct outstanding research on transportation infrastructure and integrated asset management though our University Transportation Center.  

Additionally, the department is completing a fundraising campaign to create a $3 million endowment to reestablish and permanently support a program in construction engineering and management (CEM). We have made great progress with over $2.5 million raised, including a large gift from The Beavers Charitable Trust and Allan Myers, Inc., and commitments from fourteen other construction companies as stakeholders. As mentioned above, we hired Dr. Khalafallah as the area’s new faculty member and began the CEM program on schedule this fall semester. The first meeting of the stakeholder companies as the new CEM advisory board was held in State College in October. This CEM program is a true university-industry partnership and will strongly contribute to the impact of our department.  

Thank you for your interest in our department. This website provides detailed information about our programs, people, facilities, and research activities. Please contact us if you would like additional information or to arrange for a campus visit. We also encourage you to read our latest annual report to learn more about the latest advances in the department. 

Sincerely,

Patrick J. Fox, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE
Department Head
John A. and Harriette K. Shaw Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

headshot of a man

Patrick J. Fox, Department Head

2021 CEE annual report

2021 CEE Annual Report

 
 

About

The Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, established in 1881, is internationally recognized for excellence in the preparation of undergraduate and graduate engineers through the integration of education, research, and leadership.

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

212 Sackett Building

The Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA 16802-1408

Phone: 814-863-3084