Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering

Faculty

C. M. Eggleston, Professor & Department Head; Ph.D., Stanford University; natural solid materials and their interaction with our environment, focusing on the fundamental processes of adsorption, dissolution/growth, electron transfer, and catalysis.
L. Abu-Lail, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Ph.D., Worcester Polytechnic Institute; unit operations of chemical engineering, water treatment, hydraulics, environmental organic chemistry.   
L. D. Albano, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; performance-based design of buildings, design and behavior of building structures in fire conditions, integration of design and construction.
J. Bergendahl, Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Connecticut; industrial and domestic wastewater treatment, particulate processes in the environment, chemical oxidation of contaminants.  
J. Dudle, Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Amherst; surface water quality, drinking water treatment, public health.
T. El-Korchi, Professor; Ph.D., University of New Hampshire; glass fiber reinforced cement composites, tensile testing techniques, materials durability.  
S. Farzin, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Amherst; architectural design, sustainable building technologies, urban metabolism, net-zero emission neighborhood, building energy simulation, art installation, music.
S. LePage, Instructor, M.S. Worcester Polytechnic Institute; urban and environmental planning, stormwater management, sustainability, climate adaptation
S. Liu, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin; indoor air quality, thermal comfort, building energy efficiency, computational fluid dynamics.
N. Ma, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., University of Pennslyvania; architectural and computation science applied to healthy, resilient, and occupant-centric smart buildings. 
P. P. Mathisen, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; water resources and environmental fluid dynamics, contaminant fate and transport in groundwater and surface water, exchanges across the sediment-water interface.
N. Rahbar, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Princeton University; atomistic simulations, bioinspired design of materials, contact mechanics and adhesion, computational material science.
J. A. Rosewitz, Assistant Teaching Professor and Program Director of Construction Project Management; P.E., Ph.D., Worcester Polytechnic Institute; construction project management, structural bridge design and engineering, computer-aided drafting and design, pre-K and K-12 STEAM outreach. 
A. Sakulich, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Drexel University; sustainability of infrastructure materials, alternative binders, and advanced civil engineering systems.
M. Tao, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University; soil mechanics, geotechnical-pavement engineering, geo-material characterization and modeling.
S. Van Dessel, Director Architectural Engineering (AREN) and Master of Architecture (M. Arch) Programs; Ph.D., University of Florida, Gainesville; architectural engineering, architectural and building materials.
H. Walker, Schwaber Professor of Environmental Engineering, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine; water quality, emerging contaminants, water and wastewater treatment, environmental nanotechnology, membrane processes.

Programs of Study

The Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering (CEAE) offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of master of science (M.S.), master of engineering (M.E.), master of architecture (M. Arch.), and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.). The department also offers graduate and advanced certificate programs. Full- and part-time programs of study are available.

Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy

The graduate programs in civil engineering and environmental engineering are arranged to meet the interests and objectives of the individual student. Through consultation with a CEAE faculty advisor and appropriate selection from the courses listed in this catalog, independent graduate study and concentrated effort in a research or project activity, a well-planned program may be organized. In consultation with a CEAE faculty advisor, students may take acceptable courses in other departments from among those approved for graduate credit. The complete program must be approved by the student’s CEAE faculty advisor and the Graduate Program Coordinator.

The CEAE faculty have a broad range of teaching and research interests. Through courses, projects and research, students gain excellent preparation for rewarding careers in many sectors of engineering including consulting, industry, government and education.

Graduate programs may be developed in the following areas:

M.S. and Ph.D.: Civil Engineering. Specialization areas include (but are not necessarily restricted to) Structural Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Engineering and Construction, and Geotechnical and Transportation Engineering
M.S.: Environmental Engineering
M.Eng.: Civil Engineering
Interdisciplinary M.S.: Construction Project Management
M.Arch.: Architecture. Focus areas include (but are not necessarily restricted to) Structures and Climate Adaptation. 
M.E.: Master Builder and Environmental

Structural Engineering

Courses from the structural offerings, combined with appropriate mathematics, mechanics and other courses, provide opportunities to pursue programs ranging from theoretical mechanics and analysis to structural design and materials research. There are ample opportunities for research and project work in mechanics, structures and construction utilizing campus facilities and in cooperation with area consulting and contracting firms. The integration of design and construction into a cohesive master builder plan of studies is available.

Some current and recent structural engineering research topics at WPI include: structural vibration control; structural health monitoring; design and analysis of smart structures; structures adapted for climate change; structures adapted to use of pre-fabrication and robotics in construction; control and monitoring; three-dimensional dynamic response of tall buildings to stochastic winds; the inelastic dynamic response of tall buildings to earthquakes; evaluation of structural performance during fire conditions; structural design for buildings; finite element methods for nonlinear analysis; finite element analysis of shell structures for dynamic and instability analysis; and new and alternative materials of construction and their structural implications.

Environmental Engineering

The Environmental Engineering program is designed to meet the needs of engineers and scientists in the environmental field. Coursework provides a strong foundation in both the theoretical and practical aspects of the discipline, while project and research activities allow for in-depth investigation of current and emerging topics. Courses are offered in the broad areas of water quality and waste treatment. Topics covered in classes include: water quality and water resources, hydraulics and hydrology; physical, chemical and biological treatment systems for water, wastewater, hazardous waste and industrial waste; modeling and design for contaminant transport and transformations.

Current research interests include microbial contamination of source waters, microbial treatment processes, surface and interface chemistry, physiochemical treatment processes, disinfection, pollution prevention for industries, treatment of hazardous and industrial wastes, hydraulic and environmental fluid dynamics and coastal processes, contaminant fate and transport in groundwater and surface water, exchanges between surface and subsurface waters, and storm water quality control. Research instrumentation is housed in the Environmental Laboratory. Additional opportunities are possible through collaborative research projects with Alden Research Laboratory, a nearby independent hydraulics research laboratory with large-scale experimental facilities. An online option is available for the MS in Environmental Engineering. 

Engineering and Construction

Designed for the development of professionals knowledgeable in the design/ construction engineering processes, labor and legal relations, and the organization and use of capital. The program has been developed for those students interested in the development and construction of large-scale facilities. The program includes four required courses: CE 580, CE 584, CE 587 and FIN 500. (FIN 500 can be substituted by an equivalent 3-credit-hour course approved by the department.) It must also include any two of the following courses: CE 581, CE 582, CE 583 and CE 586. The remaining courses include a balanced choice from other civil engineering and management courses as approved by the CEAE faculty advisor. It is possible to integrate a program in design and construction to develop a cohesive master builder plan of studies. Active areas of research include integration of design and construction, models and information technology, cooperative agreements, and international construction. Also, note the Interdisciplinary MS in Construction Project Management. 

Geotechnical and Transportation Engineering 

Course offerings in soil mechanics, geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering may be combined with structural engineering and engineering mechanics courses, as well as other appropriate university offerings. Research in this area includes geopolymers as well as geotechnical aspects of climate change adaptation.

With available coursework in traffic and planning, along with a range of research options, it is possible to form a tailored transportation engineering graduate program  for the engineers who will design, build, and conduct cutting-edge research on transportation infrastructure. 

Some of the more active research areas being pursued in the transportation engineering program include micro/nano mechanics of construction materials, synthesizing "greener" cementitious materials (geopolymers) from industrial wastes, understanding fundamental behavior of granular materials, use of geosynthetics, pavement smoothness and ride quality measurement, and implementation of innovation in transportation management and other transportation-related topics.

Interdisciplinary Master of Science Program in Construction Project Management

The interdisciplinary M.S. in Construction Project Management combines offerings from several disciplines including civil engineering, environmental engineering, management science, business, and economics. An online option is available.

For the interdisciplinary M.S. in Construction Project Management, students with degrees in areas such as Architecture, Management Engineering, and Civil Engineering Technology are normally accepted to this program. Students who do not have the appropriate undergraduate background for the graduate courses in their program may be required to supplement the total semester hours with additional undergraduate studies. For example, Management Engineering students may be required to complete up to one year of undergraduate Civil Engineering courses before working on the interdisciplinary M.S.

Master of Engineering

The M.E. degree is a professional practice-oriented degree. The degree is available both for WPI undergraduate students who wish to remain at the university for an additional year to obtain both a bachelor of science and an M.E., as well as for students possessing a B.S. degree who wish to enroll in graduate school to seek this degree. The M.E. program is offered in the following two areas of concentration:

Master Builder

The master builder program is designed for engineering and construction professionals who wish to better understand the industry’s complex decision-making environment and to accelerate their career paths as effective project team leaders.
This is a practice-oriented program that builds upon a project-based curriculum and uses a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving for the integration of planning, design, construction and facility management. It emphasizes hands-on experience with information technology and teamwork.

Environmental

The environmental M.E. program concentrates on the collection, storage, treatment and distribution of ­industrial and municipal water resources and on pollution prevention and the treatment and disposal of industrial and municipal wastes.

Master of Architecture

The Master of Architecture (M. Arch.) is a professional degree program that prepares graduates for the practice of architecture. The program balances core disciplinary competency with design practice to explore creative architectural and engineering solutions that address societal and environmental concerns in the built environment. Emphasis is placed on the completion of a design thesis where students learn to synthesize social, environmental, and technical thinking through informed design practice. The thesis project is supported by coursework in a concentration area that emphasizes the broadening of technical and theoretical exploration of design and supporting topics. Students develop a tailored curriculum in close collaboration with a faculty advisor.

M.Arch. Program Director: Steven Van Dessel

Faculty Core M. Arch Program

Shichao Liu, Nancy Ma, Soroush Farzin, Steven Van Dessel, Navneet Anand, Clyde Robinson

Associated Faculty M. Arch Program

Leonard Albano, Nima Rahbar, Mingjiang Tao, Tahar El-Korchi, Carrick Eggleston, Suzanne LePage, Jessica Rosewitz, Aaron Sakulich, Jeanine Dudle, Paul Mathisen, Leila Abu-Lail, Hal Walker, John Bergendahl, Laureen Elgert. Sarah Strauss, Melissa Malouf-Belz, Katherine Foo, Stephen McCauley, Rob Krueger, Lisa Stoddard, Derren Rosbach, David Samson, Joseph Cullon

Admission Requirements

For the M.S.

An ABET accredited B.S. degree in Civil Engineering (or another acceptable engineering field) is required for admission to the M.S. program in Civil Engineering. Applicants are expected to have the necessary academic preparation and aptitude to succeed in a challenging graduate program. Students who do not have an ABET accredited B.S. degree may wish to enroll in the inderdisciplinary M.S. in construction project maangement. For the Environmental Engineering program, a B.S. degree in civil, chemical or mechanical engineering is normally required. However, students with a B.S. in other engineering disciplines as well as physical and life sciences are eligible, provided they have met the undergraduate math and science requirements of the civil and environmental engineering program. A course in the area of fluid mechanics is also required. All graduates of this option will receive an M.S. in environmental engineering.

For the Interdisciplinary M.S. program in Construction Project Management, students with degrees in areas such as architecture, management engineering and civil engineering technology are normally accepted to this program. Management engineering students may be required to complete up to one year of undergraduate civil engineering courses before working on the M.S.

For the M.E.

A B.S. degree in Civil Engineering (or another acceptable engineering field) is required for admission to the M.E. program in civil engineering.

For the M. Arch.

Admission to the M. Arch. program is decided by the program committee on a case-by-case basis. The M. Arch. is offered in 2 tracks, corresponding to an applicant’s educational preparation and experience. For the combined BS AREN/ M. Arch. program, students must have earned a BS in Architectural Engineering from WPI, and complete complementary courses to round out their backgrounds. Otherwise, the standard M. Arch track is intended for those that have earned a baccalaureate degree from other majors at WPI or from other institutions.

For the Ph.D.

Ph.D. applicants must have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Applicants will be evaluated based on their academic background, professional experience, and other supporting application material. As the dissertation is a significant part of the Ph.D., applicants are encouraged, prior to submitting an application, to make contact with CEE faculty performing research in the area the applicant wishes to pursue.

CEAE Laboratories

The CEAE department has several dedicated engineering laboratories to support projects and research. These include the Environmental Lab, Geotechnical Lab, Materials/Structural Lab, and others), plus three computer laboratories located within Kaven Hall. The CEAE laboratories are used and shared by all civil and environmental engineering students and faculty. There is no lab space devoted to only one faculty member and their students. The computer laboratories are open to all WPI students and faculty. Uses for all laboratories include formal laboratory classes, student projects, and research projects.

Computer Laboratories

The CEAE Department has a number of computer laboratories that are located in Kaven Hall and connected to WPI’s network. The computer laboratories contain up-to-date computers, network connections, and presentation systems. They are used for courses, group project work and research.

Fuller Environmental Laboratory

The Fuller Laboratory is designed for state-of-the-art environmental analyses, including water and wastewater testing and treatability studies. Major equipment includes an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, total organic carbon analyzer, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, particle counter, an ion chromatograph, and two gas chromatographs. Along with ancillary equipment (such as a centrifuge, autoclave, incubators, balances, pH meters and water purification system), the laboratory is equipped for a broad range of physical, chemical and biological testing. The laboratory is shared by graduate research projects, graduate and undergraduate laboratory courses and undergraduate projects.

As an extension of the Fuller Environmental Laboratory, a second lab room is available and knows as the geo-water resources laboratory that provides bench-top space for soil and water quality analyses, working with larger lab configurations that cannot be placed on bench-top space for preparing equipment and supplies for field investigation. Laboratory equipment includes fully automated stress-path-control triaxial testing system, flexible wall permeameter, and other devices for determining basic soil properties.  Field equipment includes flowmeters, groundwater sampling equipment, multiparameter water quality monitoring, and other equipment for hydrologic monitoring and water quality testing.  

Materials/Structural Laboratory

The Materials/Structural Laboratory is set up for materials and structures testing. The laboratory is utilized for undergraduate teaching and projects, along with graduate research. The laboratory is equipped for construction materials processing and testing. Materials tested in this lab include portland cement, concrete, asphalt, and fiber composites including more recent materials designed to be carbon-negative concrete alternatives materials. The laboratory has several large-load frames mechanical testing. The Structural Mechanics and Impact Laboratory is a teaching and research laboratory. The impact laboratory is used to explore the behavior of materials and components in collisions, and contains an Instron Dynatup 8250, Impact Test System, data acquisition including high-speed camera system, drop tower, and software.