Published on Duke Civil and Environmental Engineering Department (http://www.cee.duke.edu)
Departmental Information

From the Chair

John Albertson, Ph.D.These are exciting and dynamic times for Duke’s CEE department. Our education, research, and service activities are increasingly at the fore of the University’s priorities and directly aligned with the greatest needs of the country at large.

The signature of Duke’s university-wide strategy is “Knowledge in the Service of Society.” This is also the essential core of what civil and environmental engineers do everyday. It is quite clear that we in CEE have a central role to play in the assent of Duke as a major international hub for advancing the state of society. And the needs are great at this time. Not since the efforts to pull the country from the depths of the Great Depression has there been such a clear and sustained call for leadership by the profession of civil and environmental engineers. We are being looked to for progress on green technologies, meeting the challenge of climate change, re-imagining our transportation system, modernizing and securing our infrastructure, meeting the food, water, and hygiene needs of the developing world, and developing sustainable energy sources – just to name a few.

I am excited to say that we have an extraordinarily talented team in CEE and some clear advantages over our competitors as we race to lead the research into developing new technological solutions and to train a talented and creative cadre of new engineers to tackle these problems.

CEE 2009 NewsletterThe department’s leadership stature is evidenced in its contribution to both identifying the problems and developing the solutions. Earlier this year our school hosted the Summit on the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges,

where leading scholars and practitioners were brought to Durham to articulate and focus attention on the greatest challenges faced by society today and the most promising approaches toward meeting them. Prominent among the challenges discussed are: Energy and the Environment; Access to Clean Water; and Restoring and Improving Urban Infrastructure. The department is wasting no time in its race toward solutions. For example, during this past year a team led by CEE Professor Mark Wiesner won a $14 million grant from the NSF and EPA to create at Duke the Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT), which is dedicated to elucidating the relationship between a vast array of nanomaterials and their potential environmental exposure, biological effects, and ecological consequences.

Members of the CEE team continue to win awards and attract broad attention. For example, Assistant Professor Claudia Gunsch has won the NSF CAREER award; Professor Miguel Medina has been elected President of the American Institute of Hydrology; Professor Henry Petroski has been elected to the Distinguished Member level of the American Society of Civil Engineers; and, Professor Roni Avissar has just been appointed Dean of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami. We are sad to see Roni leave Duke, but we also recognize that as our team’s accomplishments become increasingly important and visible so too will other schools be increasingly drawing their future leaders from our team.  This summer we welcome Associate Professor Lee Ferguson to the CEE faculty. Lee expands the reach of our Environmental Engineering efforts, with his outstanding program of teaching and research centered on the fate and effects of contaminants in environmental systems. We are also strengthening our ties to the Nicholas School of the Environment with this appointment, as Lee’s position is jointly housed between CEE and the Nicholas School.The department continues to expand its support for our students’ service to society as well. Many of our CEE undergraduates are working to improve the lives of people living in developing countries. Our students are also honing their skills in design competitions focused on real world problems. These experiential education opportunities are a true hallmark of our approach to training tomorrow’s engineering leaders.I invite you to learn much more about our activities by exploring our website.Sincerely,John D. AlbertsonW.H. Gardner Jr. Department Chair Department History The School of Engineering traces its history back to 1851 when the catalogue for Normal College, the forerunner of Trinity College and Duke University, advertised a Classical course which included surveying in the sophomore year as well as architecture and engineering for seniors. Similar offerings characterized instruction in engineering throughout the 73 year period of the institution's operation as Trinity College. With the change of name to Duke University in 1924, engineering underwent a period of vigorous development. Several milestones are noted below, particularly for civil engineering. With the first doctoral degree in civil engineering offered in 1964, the mission of the department began to evolve from that of teaching towards placing greater emphasis on research. 1927 Civil and Electrical Engineering departments were established. Mechanical Engineering instruction was given through the department of civil engineering 1931 Mechanical Engineering department established. 1937 Departments of CE, EE, & ME were administratively grouped to form the Division of Engineering after rapid growth of all departments. 1939 The University incorporated the Division of Engineering into the College Of Engineering, and a Dean is appointed. 1948 College of Engineering moved to West Campus and begins classes in new Engineering Building (Old Red), now Hudson Hall. 1957 Through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering began offering work leading to the Master of Science degree in all three fields. 1963 The local chapter of Chi Epsilon, the Civil Engineering Honor Society, was established. 1964 Doctor of Philosophy degree first offered in Civil Engineering. 1966 College of Engineering changed to School of Engineering. 1969 BSCE, BSEE, & BSME degrees changed to BSE degrees. 1972 Engineering Annex Building opened. Several labs within civil engineering primarily hydraulics, ocean engineering and structural engineering relocated to the annex. 1982 Department of Civil Engineering changed to Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. 1987 Department of Civil Engineering established an undergraduate program in architectural engineering. 1990 International Honors Program established for all undergraduates. 1992 Engineering building (Old Red) named Hudson Hall to honor Fitzgerald S. "Jerry" Hudson E'46. 1998 Engineering In The Future Committee established by the Provost to assess the School and make recommendations for future growth. 1999 Duke University School of Engineering named the Edmund T. Pratt Jr. School of Engineering for Edmund T. Pratt Jr. E'47. 2002 Construction began on the Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences. 2004 Pratt dedicated new Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences for alumns Michael and Patty Fitzpatrick. 2005 Pratt established Helicopter Observation Platform user facility. Advisory Board To assist the department, we have enlisted the resources of scientists and engineers involved in research and practice from consulting firms, research laboratories, and faculty members from other institutions, to serve on our Departmental Advisory Board. The members of the Board provide an external perspective on our educational practices and offer opinions on how to improve them. Our current advisory board comprises: