Overview of Research in the Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences

The Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences is modest in size, as compared to departments
of civil engineering or geology in many public universities. The Department has identified research focus areas
for building and sustaining support, and will strive to be amongst the best in the U.S. within these areas. The
focus areas are (1) Natural Hazard Assessment and Mitigation (NATHAZ), (2) Environmental Geochemistry,
Mineralogy, and Petrology (EGM), (3) Environmental Hydrology (EH), (4) Environmental Treatment and Remediation (ETR).

Three overarching aspects of research exist within the department that transcend the research focus areas:
(1) a reliance upon modeling, ranging from the molecular to global scale, (2) an underpinning based upon
knowledge of the behavior of complex materials (colloids, minerals, rocks, bacterial surfaces, cement matrix,
composites, soils, etc.) under a wide range of environmental conditions, and (3) utilization of advanced
information technologies (algorithm development, embedded sensors, detectors, communications, etc.) to
support research and education. These overarching interests shall be nurtured, and constitute a common
basis for the diverse group of faculty that form the Department.

The Department has assumed the leadership role in environmental research and education in the University.
The unique combination of engineering and science in the Department provides novel opportunities for
interdisciplinary environmental research, both within the Department and throughout the University, and will
provide a model of such collaborations University-wide. As one example of the strength of the Department in
environmental research, CE/GEOS is the home department of a newly funded Environmental Molecular Science
Institute (EMSI) involving $5.5 million from the National Science Foundation.

Despite the recent success and leadership of CE/GEOS in environmental research, CE/GEOS will only realize its
full potential in interdisciplinary environmental research by significantly diminishing the traditional barriers between
engineering and science. CE/GEOS enjoys varying degrees of national recognition in four distinct research focus
areas (NATHAZ, ETR, EGM, EH), and has developed a realistic strategic plan for further developing each of these
areas, as well as significantly enhancing the overlap and synergisms between each focus area. Recognition of the
importance of overarching aspects of research in the Department will guide in the development of each focus area,
while ensuring that the Department becomes more cohesive overall.