Welcome to the Department of Civil Engineering and Geological
Sciences at the University of Notre Dame. As the new chair of the department, I would like to share with you the rich traditions upon which this department is based, as well as the exciting things that are happening here.

In 1873 the University responded to the burgeoning need for surveyors and designers of railroads, bridges, and roads by adding a program in civil engineering to the curriculum, and Notre Dame became the first Catholic university in the country to offer formal courses in engineering.

Today we are still responding to the needs of society. Blending traditional disciplines of engineering and science, we offer outstanding educational programs for our students — undergraduate and graduate alike — so they may become the future leaders in the design, construction, and protection of our civil infrastructure and in the understanding, management, and remediation of the environment.

The areas upon which we focus are natural hazard assessment and mitigation, environmental geochemistry and mineralogy, environmental hydrology, and environmental treatment and remediation. Much of our activity involves a reliance upon modeling, ranging from the molecular to the global scale; an underpinning based upon knowledge of the behavior of complex materials — such as colloids, minerals, rocks, bacterial surfaces, cement matrix, composites, soils, etc. — under a wide range of environmental conditions; and utilization of advanced information technologies — such as algorithm development, embedded sensors, detectors, communications, etc. — to support research and education.

Our interdisciplinary approach to environmental issues provides novel opportunities for faculty and student research throughout the University. Most recently, through a $5.5-million grant from the National Science Foundation, we established the Environmental Molecular Science Institute. The institute blends the environmental science and engineering expertise and facilities of the University with those of Argonne, Sandia, and Oak Ridge National Laboratories. Its mission is to determine the effects of nano- and micro-particles on heavy metal and actinide transport in geologic systems.

We hope that the expertise and excitement in the department is reflected in our Web site. If you are a prospective student or faculty member, feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments. If you are a current student, an alum, or current faculty member, we hope that you continue to work with us in support of our mission to have global reach and impact in education and research and to promote positive contributions to society in the Catholic tradition.

Peter C. Burns

Peter C. Burns
Massman Chair of Civil Engineering
and Geological Sciences and Professor

156 Fitzpatrick Hall
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Phone: (574 )631-5380
Fax: (574) 631-9236

E-mail: pburns@nd.edu