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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Professor Metin Duran and a postdoctoral student work in the Environmental Biology lab.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is a dynamic scholarly community of undergraduate and graduate students and faculty.

Our professors excel in both the classroom and laboratory in specialties including:   

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Structural Engineering
  • Transportation Engineering
  • Water Resources Engineering
  • Construction Management

All Civil Engineering students are prepared to play vital roles in enhancing quality of life while protecting the environment and improving sustainability.

At a Glance

  • 19 Full-time faculty members (nearly 50% female)
  • 227 Civil Engineering undergraduates (42% female)
  • 59 Master’s students (Civil Engineering)
  • 28 Master’s students (Water Resources and Environmental Engineering)
  • 17 PhD students

The size of our department allows for a variety of hands-on research opportunities and the ability for focused faculty mentorship.

 

OUR RESEARCH

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is closely associated with:

Villanova’s Center for Resilient Water Systems (VCRWS)

VCRWS is home to the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership (VUSP) and several of the nation’s leading experts in the field of stormwater control management and green infrastructure.

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Students at all levels are encouraged to pursue research in the areas of water resources and stormwater management, as well opportunities in:

  • Water Quality/Wastewater Treatment
  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Transportation Systems
  • Structural Engineering

Among its facilities, the department boasts the impressive Richard K. Faris ’69 CE, ’70 MSCE Structural Engineering Teaching and Research Laboratory for testing of full-scale and component size infrastructure elements, and the new Transportation Simulation Laboratory that is part of the Advanced Simulation complex that is shared with the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

Department Chair
Dr. Eric Musselman
Associate Professor

VILLANOVA ENGINEERING

FEATURED FACULTY

ROBERT TRAVER, PHD, PE, D.WRE, F.EWRI, F.ASCE

With internationally-recognized expertise in urban stormwater management, Dr. Robert Traver, director of the Villanova Center for Resilient Water Systems, has distinguished himself as a sought-after speaker, dedicated researcher and inspiring teacher. Among his many honors are the 2019 Environmental and Water Resources Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2016 Villanova University Outstanding Faculty Research Award and the American Society of Civil Engineer’s 2014 William H. Wisley American Civil Engineer Award “for his leadership of ASCE’s Task Committee on Flood Safety Policies and Practices.” MORE...

SERI PARK, PHD

Understanding how people drive under various roadway and environmental conditions is a key step toward a systemic review and analysis of roadway safety and operations. This is the work being done by Villanova transportation engineering expert Dr. Seri Park, who is engaged in a variety of unique projects, including documenting practices for integrated flood prediction and response systems and—with the help of a new state-of-the-art driving simulator —exploring driver behavior to inform the design of transportation infrastructure. MORE...

DAVID DINEHART, PHD

Dr. Dave Dinehart is an expert in structural engineering who goes above and beyond his teaching and advising responsibilities to engage and inspire his students. He leads a biannual Augustine and Architecture summer program in Italy, advises the NovaCANE (Community Action by New Engineers) STEM outreach program, and led service learning experiences in Honduras. His commitment has earned him multiple teaching awards during his distinguished career. MORE...

BRIDGET WADZUK, PHD

Dr. Bridget Wadzuk is an expert in the area of water resources engineering, specifically in environmental fluid mechanics. She serves as lead in the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership and is the recipient of numerous research grants related to stormwater control measures. Her research team calls Villanova’s campus their laboratory—and their newest learning space is The Commons residential complex, which opened in August 2019 and features a highly innovative stormwater design that they will monitor. MORE...

DEPARTMENT NEWS

Decorative - VITAL Story

Faculty Awarded VITAL Minigrants to Improve Engineering Courses and Learning Outcomes

Faculty in the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering have been awarded minigrants from the Villanova Institute for Teaching and Learning to develop and improve new and existing courses for undergraduates and graduate students.

When litter in the river isn’t the only reason the Schuylkill is trashier | WHYY, 10/17/20

When litter in the river isn’t the only reason the Schuylkill is trashier | WHYY, 10/17/20

Drs. Andrea Welker and Robert Traver, stormwater experts in Villanova’s Center for Resilient Water Systems, were interviewed on WHYY radio about the trash in the river. What they noted is that the problem with river health isn’t the trash as much as it is the floodwaters that transport it.

Dr. Bridget Wadzuk Named Daylor Chair in Civil Engineering

Dr. Bridget Wadzuk Named Daylor Chair in Civil Engineering

Committed to “resolving environmental justice issues with resilient engineering solutions,” Professor Bridget Wadzuk looks forward to using the resources of the endowed chair to apply machine learning to stormwater design and integrate stormwater into food-energy-water nexus solutions.