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Bulletin Archive

This archived information is dated to the 2011-12 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Emeriti: (Professors) James Douglas, Joseph B. Franzini, Helmut Krawinkler*, Gilbert M. Masters*, Perry L. McCarty*, Henry W. Parker, George A. Parks, Martin Reinhard*, Haresh C. Shah, Robert L. Street*, Clyde B. Tatum*, Paul M. Teicholz

Chair: Stephen G. Monismith

Associate Chair: Sarah Billington

Professors: Ronaldo I. Borja, Craig S. Criddle, Gregory G. Deierlein, Martin A. Fischer, Lynn M. Hildemann, Mark Z. Jacobson (on leave Autumn), Anne S. Kiremidjian (on leave Spring), Peter K. Kitanidis, Jeffrey R. Koseff, Kincho H. Law, James O. Leckie (on leave Winter), Raymond E. Levitt (on leave Autumn), Richard G. Luthy, Stephen G. Monismith, Leonard Ortolano, Alfred M. Spormann

Associate Professors: Alexandria B. Boehm, Sarah L. Billington, David L. Freyberg, Oliver B. Fringer, Eduardo Miranda

Assistant Professors: Jack W. Baker (on leave Autumn), Jennifer Davis, Michael D. Lepech, Ram Rajagopal

Courtesy Professors: Peter M. Pinsky, David D. Pollard

Courtesy Associate Professor: Margot G. Gerritsen

Courtesy Assistant Professor: Karen L. Casciotti

Lecturers: Cassiana Aaronson Wright, Montgomery Anderson, Deborah Ballati, John H. Barton II, Thomas Beischer, Cathrine D. Blake, Stanley F. Christensen, Charles Debbas, Nicholas de Sieyes, Derek Fong, Renate Fruchter, Robert R. Groves, Andrew G. Hudacek, Glenn Katz, Karl Knapp, Nelson A. Koen Cohen, Erik Kolderup, Royal J. Kopperud, Drew Krafcik, John C. Kunz, Amy Larimer, Ashby Monk, Kimberly Null, Ryan J. Orr, Alexander P. Robertson, Peter Rumsey, Raphael Sperry, Mark Sarkisian, Patti J. Walters, Christopher S. Wasney

Consulting Professors: Vladimir Bazjanac, James E. Cloern, Angelos N. Findikakis, Gary E. Griggs, Robert F. Hickey, Thomas L. Holzer, Michael C. Kavanaugh, Mark R. Kroll, Francis L. Ludwig, Martin W. McCann, Jr., Paul K. Meyer, Piotr D. Moncarz, Wayne R. Ott, Ingo Pinnau, Harry F. Ridgway, Benedict R. Schwegler, Jr, Avram S. Tucker, Antonio L. Vives, Michael W. Walton

Consulting Associate Professors: William J. Behrman, Robert D. Bornstein, Edward S. Gross, Charles S. Han, Jonathan G. Koomey, Gloria T. Lau, Lisa V. Lucas, Colin Ong, Joel N. Swisher, Jie Wang, Jane Woodward

Consulting Assistant Professors: Cristina L. Archer, Murray D. Einarson, Calvin K. Kam, Neil E. Klepeis, Michael L. MacWilliams, Pooya Sarabandi

Shimizu Visiting Professor: Tissa H. Illangasekare

UPS Visiting Associate Professor: Peter J. Vikesland

* Recalled to active duty.

Department Offices: Yang and Yamazaki Building (Y2E2), Rooms 314/316

Zip-Mail Code: 94305-4020

Phone: (650) 723-3074; Fax: (650) 725-8662

Web Site: http://cee.stanford.edu

Courses offered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering are listed under the subject code CEE on the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Stanford conducts basic and applied research that advances the civil and environmental engineering professions, educates future academic and industry leaders, and prepares students for careers in professional practice. Civil and environmental engineers work to sustain the natural environment while creating and maintaining the built environment. Civil and environmental engineers are essential to providing the necessities of human life, including water, air, shelter, the infrastructure, energy, and food in increasingly more efficient and renewable ways.

The department focus is on the theme of engineering for sustainability, including three core areas: the Built Environment, Environmental and Water studies, and Atmosphere and Energy. The built environment includes creating processes, techniques, materials, and monitoring technologies for planning, design, construction and operation of environmentally sensitive, economically efficient, performance-based buildings and infrastructure, and managing associated risks from natural and man-made hazards. The water environment includes creating plans, policies, science-based assessment models and engineered systems to manage water in ways that protect human health, promote human welfare, and provide freshwater and coastal ecosystem services. Atmosphere and Energy includes studying fundamental energy and atmospheric engineering and science, assessing energy-use effects on atmospheric processes and air quality, and analyzing and designing energy-efficient generation and use systems with minimal environmental impact.

The department also hosts the School of Engineering undergraduate major in Architectural Design and the undergraduate major in Atmosphere/Energy; both of these programs lead to a B.S. in Engineering.

Mission of the Undergraduate Program in Civil Engineering

The mission of the undergraduate program in Civil Engineering is to provide students with the principles of engineering and the methodology needed for civil engineering practice. This pre-professional program balances the fundamentals common to many specialties in civil engineering and allows for concentration in structures and construction or environmental and water studies. Students in the major learn to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and civil engineering to conduct experiments, design structures and systems to creatively solve engineering problems, and communicate their ideas effectively. The curriculum includes course work in structural, construction, and environmental engineering. The major prepares students for careers in government and industry, and further graduate study.

Mission of the Undergraduate Program in Environmental Engineering

The mission of the undergraduate program in Environmental Engineering is to equip students with the problem solving skills and knowledge necessary to assess and develop solutions to environmental problems impacting the biosphere, land, water, and air quality. The Environmental Engineering major offers a more focused program in Environmental and Water Studies than the Environmental and Water Studies concentration in the Civil Engineering degree program. Courses in the program are multidisciplinary in nature, combining fundamental principles drawn from physics, chemistry, geology, engineering, and biology. Students learn about the analytical methods necessary to evaluate environmental changes and to design strategies to remediate problems that inevitably may have resulted from human activities. The program prepares students for careers in consulting, industry, and government, and for graduate school in engineering.

Learning Outcomes

The department expects undergraduate majors in the program to be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are used in evaluating students and the department's undergraduate program. Students are expected to demonstrate:

  1. understanding of engineering principles as well as the analytical, problem solving, design, and communication skills necessary to succeed and continue learning in diverse careers.
  2. preparation for successful engineering practice with a longer term perspective that takes into account new tools such as advanced information technology and biotechnology, and increasingly complex professional and societal expectations.
  3. sufficient breadth and depth for graduate study in engineering or other professional fields.
  4. the awareness, background, and skills necessary to become responsible citizens and leaders in service to society.

Graduate Programs in Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), in collaboration with other departments, offers graduate degrees structured in three degree programs.

For detailed information on these programs and degree designations, see the "Programs of Graduate Study in Civil and Environmental Engineering" section of this bulletin.

Admissions and Financial Aid

Applications require online submission of the application form and statement of purpose, followed by three letters of recommendation, results of the General Section of the Graduate Record Examination, and transcripts of all courses taken at colleges and universities. See http://gradadmissions.stanford.edu. Policies for each of the department's programs are available by referring to http://cee.stanford.edu. Successful applicants are advised as to the degree and program for which they are admitted. If students wish to transfer from one CEE program to another after being accepted, an application for the intradepartmental change must be filed within the department; they will then be advised whether the change is possible. If, after enrollment at Stanford, students wish to continue toward a degree beyond the one for which they were originally admitted, a written application must be made to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

The department maintains a continuing program of financial aid for graduate students. Applications for financial aid and assistantships should be filed by December 6, 2011; it is important that Graduate Record Examination scores be available at that time. Applicants not requesting financial assistance have until February 7, 2012 for the online submission. Teaching assistantships carry a salary for as much as half- time work to assist with course offerings during the academic year. Up to half-time research assistantships also are available. Engineer and Ph.D. candidates may be able to use research results as a basis for the thesis or dissertation. Fellowship and scholarship awards or loans may supplement assistantships and other basic support. Continued support is generally provided for further study toward the Engineer or Ph.D. degree based on the student's performance, the availability of research funds, and requisite staffing of current research projects.

Facilities

Research work and instruction under the three programs are carried out in these facilities: Building Energy Laboratory; Environmental Engineering and Science Laboratory; Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (EFML); Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory; Structural Engineering Laboratory; and water quality control research and teaching laboratories. The John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center conducts research on earthquake engineering including advanced sensing and control, innovative materials, and risk hazard assessment. Research and advanced global teamwork education is conducted in the Project Based Learning (PBL) Laboratory. In collaboration with the Department of Computer Science, the Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE) employs advanced CAD, artificial intelligence, communications concepts, and information management to integrate participants in the facility development process and to support design and construction automation. The Collaboratory for Research on Global Projects (CRGP) is a multi-school, multi-university research program aimed at improving the performance of global engineering and construction projects, with a special focus on sustainable infrastructure in developing countries.

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