Environmental Engineering

Return to: Curricula by Department

OFFICE: Engineering 424
TELEPHONE: 619-594-6071
E-MAIL: ccee@sdsu.edu
WEBSITE: http://ccee.sdsu.edu

The College of Engineering undergraduate programs in aerospace, civil, computer, construction, electrical, environmental, and mechanical engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

Chair: Janusz C. Supernak, Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., M.S., Ph.D., Technical University of Warsaw, Poland) 

Graduate Admissions Adviser: Julio R. Valdes, Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering [Senate Distinguished Professor] (B.S.C.E., M.S.C.E., Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology) 

Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty:

Ziad Bayasi, Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., Damascus University, Syria; M.S., South Dakota State University; M.S., Ph.D., Michigan State University)

Temesgen Garoma Ararsso, Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, The Blasker Chair in Environmental Engineering, Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, College of Engineering (B.S., Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, M.S., University of Hannover, Germany; Ph.D., University of California, San Diego)

Janusz C. Supernak, Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., M.S., Ph.D., Technical University of Warsaw, Poland)

Julio R. Valdes, Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering [Senate Distinguished Professor] (B.S.C.E., M.S.C.E., Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology)

Thais da Costa Alves, Associate Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Director of Construction Engineering and Management, The Associated General Contractors (AGC) Paul S. Roel Chair in Construction Engineering and Management (B.S., M.S.,Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil; Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley.)

Robert K. Dowell, Associate Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., San Diego State University; M.S., Ph.D., University of California, San Diego)

Sahar Ghanipoor Machiani, Associate Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., Iran University of Science and Technology, Iran; M.S., Sharif University of Technology, Iran; Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

Alicia M. Kinoshita, Associate Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., M.S., Ph.D, University of California, Los Angeles)

Pantagiotis Mitropoulos, Associate Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Director of Construction Engineering and Management (B.S. University of Patras, Greece; M.S., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Ph.D. Stanford University)

Natalie Mladenov, Associate Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, The William E. Leonhard, Jr. Chair in Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., University of South Florida; M.S., Ph.D., University of Colorado)

Reza Akhavian, Assistant Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., University of Tehran, Iran; M.S., Ph.D., University of California, San Diego)

Christine Dykstra, Assistant Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., University of Central Florida; M.S., Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology) 

Arash Jahangiri, Assistant Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., Iran University of Science and Technology, Iran; M.S., Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

Marta Miletic, Assistant Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., M.S., University of Zagreb, Croatia; Ph.D., Kansas State University)

Hassan Tavakol-Davani, Assistant Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., Beheshti University, Iran; M.S., University of Tehran, Iran; Ph.D., University of Utah)

Matthew Verbyla, Assistant Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (B.S., Lafayette College; M.S., Ph.D., University of South Florida)

Additional Faculty:

Victor Miguel Ponce, Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Emeritus (B.S., Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria; M.S., Ph.D., Colorado State University) 

Lecturers: 

Nensi Lakrori, B.S., Michigan State University, M.S., San Diego State University 

Emeritus Faculty: 

James H. Banks, Ph.D., 1976-2009, Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering 

Fatih Buyuksonmez, Ph.D., 2001-2018, Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering 

Howard H. Chang, Ph.D., 1967-2003, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering 

Fang-Hui Chou, Ph.D., 1969-2003, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering 

Mirat D. Gurol, Ph.D., 1997-2007, The Blasker Chair in Environmental Engineering; Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering 

David T. Hayhurst, Ph.D., 2002-2014, Dean, College of Engineering; Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

Philip E. Johnson, M.S.C.E., 1958-1987, Professor of Civil Engineering 

Govindarajalu Krishnamoorthy, Ph.D., 1968-2003, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering 

Robert D. McGhie, Ph.D., 1967-1997, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Iraj Noorany, Ph.D., 1963-1997, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

M. Nazmi Sharabi, Ph.D., 1981-2004, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Bruce D. Westermo, Ph.D., 1980-2015, Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

The Associated General Contractors (AGC) Paul S. Roel Chair in Construction Engineering and Management

The AGC Paul S. Roel Chair in Construction Engineering and Management is funded with an endowment established by generous gifts from members of the Associated General Contractors in San Diego Chapter. Recognizing the need for expert construction professionals, the local construction community has invested considerable resources in this new degree program. In particular, the endowment is funded by a significant gift from Roel Construction, in honor of Paul S. Roel, the son of the company’s founder and the man responsible for moving the family business to San Diego in 1959. The current appointee to the chair, Dr. Thais da Costa Alves, has been teaching and advising students, researching, and collaborating with construction companies toward the dissemination and implementation of lean, especially in the field of production planning and control at construction sites.

The Blasker Chair in Environmental Engineering

The Blasker Chair in Environmental Engineering was established by an endowment from the Blasker-Rose-Miah Endowment Fund of the San Diego Foundation. The fund was created in honor of Mr. Samuel Blasker who left $8.0 million to the San Diego Foundation. Mr. Blasker was a successful aeronautical engineer and a business man with a vision to nurture and develop unique and innovative discoveries and experiences which may be of benefit to humanity.

The current appointee to the Chair, Dr. Temesgen Garoma Ararsso, is an accomplished scholar with teaching and research emphasis on renewable energy, resource recovery, and water and wastewater treatment.

The J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management Program 

The J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management Program is supported by an endowment established by a generous gift from Jane E. and Jack R. Filanc in memory of their daughter, Julia L. Filanc, a graduate of San Diego State University. Jack Filanc founded what would become J.R. Filanc Construction Company in 1952. The endowment supports faculty and students in the program, as well as the biannual J.R. Filanc Lecture in Construction Ethics. J.R. Filanc Construction Company specializes in the construction of water treatment and wastewater treatment plants, pump stations, and other water-related facilities for cities and municipal agencies throughout the Southwest. Functioning as a pure general contractor, the company self-performs 70% of the work on its construction projects.

The William E. Leonhard, Jr. Chair in Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

The William E. Leonhard, Jr. Chair in Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering is funded with an endowment created by generous gifts from William G. Leonhard, Jr. and his parents, William E. and Wyllis M. Leonhard. After Bill Leonhard graduated from San Diego State in 1964, he entered a career in the Air Force, rising to the rank of colonel. In January 1990, he retired from the Air Force, spent the next several years in private industry, and retired again in 1998.

The current chair, Dr. Natalie Mladenov, promotes excellence in undergraduate education, research in environmental engineering, and conducts scholarly activities on the topic of water quality in environmental engineering.

Mission of the Department

The mission of the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering is to ensure student success by providing a high-quality education through focused instruction, research, and continuing professional development for the benefit of the engineering profession, the environment, and society.

The objective of the program is to give the student a basic knowledge of civil, construction, and environmental engineering, as well as the interdisciplinary background and skills to meaningfully participate in and contribute technical advances toward this profession. The program integrates technical aspects with studies in the social sciences and humanities to ensure appropriate sensitivity to socially related problems.

Instruction is given both at the undergraduate level, leading to the bachelor’s degree, and at the graduate level, leading to the master’s or doctoral degrees. The undergraduate program builds upon concepts of mathematics, physics, chemistry and basic engineering with specialized study in civil, construction, and environmental engineering. Engineering design is emphasized, particularly in conjunction with computer utilization and practical engineering problems. Aspects of safety and engineering ethics are woven throughout the program. Breadth and depth of social science and humanities studies is assured by department approved courses. Completion of the under-graduate degree prepares the student for an entry-level professional position in addition to informal or formal graduate studies.

Many students who complete the undergraduate programs of the department choose to continue their formal studies on a full- or part-time basis at San Diego State University or at another institution. (See the Graduate Bulletin for additional information.)

The civil, construction, and environmental engineering programs are enhanced through cooperation with the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Public Works Association, the Associated General Contractors, the Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society, and other national organizations who sponsor student chapters to further aid the student’s professional development. The chapters at San Diego State University have won many awards in regional and national competition with other schools throughout the country.

Program Educational Objectives

Graduates of the environmental engineering program will (1) be successful engineers in their respective fields of work; (2) be continually progressing in their chosen careers through formal and informal professional development; and (3) be contributing to their profession for the betterment of society and the environment.

Transfer Credit

No credit will be given for upper division engineering coursework taken at an institution having an engineering program which has not been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, unless the student successfully completes the first 12 units of engineering work attempted at this university. At that time, and upon recommendation of the department, unaccredited work will be evaluated for full or partial credit.

The Major

Environmental engineering involves the identification and design of solutions for environmental problems. Society’s most crucial environmental problems, such as providing safe drinking water, treatment and proper disposal of wastes, water and air pollution control, remediation of sites contaminated with spills or improper disposal of hazardous substances, are handled by environmental engineers. Environmental engineers are technical professionals who possess the scientific knowledge to identify, design, build and operate systems that protect the environment from the impact of human activities, and as such make modern society possible.

The environmental engineering field and environmental engineering education are multidisciplinary. The B.S. degree provides a solid foundation in the fundamentals of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering design that are needed to practice the profession or to pursue a graduate degree. Environmental engineering education also includes a range of other disciplines, such as biology, computer science, ecology, economics, geological sciences, and public health. To be able to address the spectrum of issues facing the environment, environmental engineers are broadly educated, as well as technically trained.

Environmental engineers are needed in both the private and public sectors. They are employed by engineering consulting firms that work in environmental pollution control, industries that need to comply with pollution emission and discharge regulations, private and municipal agencies that supply drinking water, treat and dispose wastes, government agencies that monitor and regulate waste discharges and air emissions, private and government laboratories, and universities that conduct environmental research, international agencies that transfer knowledge to the developing world, and public-interest groups that advocate environmental protection.

Retention Policy

The engineering program expects all majors will make reasonable academic progress toward the degree. Engineering premajors who have either (1) completed major preparatory courses, earned 60 units, but have less than a 2.7 cumulative GPA or (2) earned 60 units but have not completed major preparatory courses and/or have less than a 2.7 cumulative GPA may be removed from the premajor and placed in undeclared.

Impacted Program

The environmental engineering major is an impacted program. To be admitted to the environmental engineering major, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Complete with a grade of C (2.0) or better: CIV E 225 ; CHEM 202  (or CHEM 200 ); MATH 150 , MATH 151 ; PHYS 195 , PHYS 196 . These courses cannot be taken for credit/no credit (Cr/NC);
2. Have an overall cumulative GPA of 2.7.

To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements for the major described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into the premajor at SDSU (assuming continuous enrollment).

Major Academic Plans (MAPs)

Visit http://www.sdsu.edu/mymap for the recommended courses needed to fulfill your major requirements. The MAPs website was created to help students navigate the course requirements for their majors and to identify which General Education course will also fulfill a major preparation course requirement.

Programs

• Environmental Engineering, B.S.

Return to: Curricula by Department