Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science Building

Civil & Environmental Engineering

College Wide Faculty Positions

Civil and Environmental Engineering is seeking candidates for the following open tenure track faculty positions:

College Wide Faculty Positions

Our Vision

To be known for employing the most advanced experimental and computational technologies in a sensible way to produce outstanding research, provide holistic education, and implement the created knowledge to serve society and the environment broadly.

Our Mission 

To provide the tools, information, and talented engineers to build a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable future that supports and enriches daily life with efficient use of resources.

ABOUT THE MASEEH COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

Civil and Environmental Engineering is one of five departments within the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. At the Maseeh College, we offer academic programs that provide transformative opportunities within the classroom and beyond. If you join our college, you'll be connected to Portland’s growing, innovative industries and prepared to gain competitive jobs in engineering and computer science. Our close ties to leading tech companies give you the opportunity to build your professional skills through internship programs while you complete your degree. You can participate in research, community-based learning projects and opportunities to develop your own ideas from proposal to prototype through our innovation programs. Our students are in demand in the Portland job market and beyond, and they report the highest annual earnings of all PSU graduates one year after graduation.

CEE Programs

Undergraduate Programs

Our undergraduate programs offer students real-world experience in an urban setting.

Undergraduate Programs

Graduate Programs

Our graduate students conduct cutting edge research in state-of-the-art labs, under the direction of internationally renowned faculty.

Graduate Programs

B+M Pathway

The B+M Pathway allows currently admitted PSU BSCE or BSENVE junior-level students to get a head start on their Master's degree.

B+M Pathway

Honors Program

Students in the CEE Honors Program work closely with faculty to choose a research area of interest and complete a thesis

Honors Program
Previous Next

Recent CEE News

Christian Galiza smiles into the camera. He has short dark hair and brown eyes, and poses against a gray portrait background.
January 6, 2023

Student Spotlight: Christian Galiza, PSU Civil Engineering

Christian Galiza is a senior in civil engineering. He is the Vice President of Communications for Portland…
A color illustration of a group of people, a dog, and a cat, waiting to cross the street at a signalized intersection. One adult is using a wheelchair, three of them wear glasses, and one talks on a cell phone. A child holds hands with another adult. The group is standing in front of a bank, facing the street, which has cars driving on it and several road signs visible.
January 6, 2023

Moving From Cars To People: A Comic About Transportation and Land Use

A new transportation comic, "Moving From Cars To People (PDF)," offers a succinct and fun…
Cameron Bennett stands in front of his e-bike poster at TRB 2022. He has long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and wears a face mask, with a white shirt and dark jacket.
December 22, 2022

PSU Masters Student Cameron Bennett Receives Second Eisenhower Fellowship

We are proud to acknowledge Portland State University engineering masters student Cameron Bennett, who has been…
See all news

Upcoming events

Bachelor's + Master's Pathway Information Session

CEE Juniors admitted to the BSCE or BSENVE Upper Division are invited to join the Bachelor's + Master's (B+M) Pathway Info session this Monday, Feb…
Add to my Calendar 2023-02-06 12:00:00 2023-02-06 13:00:00 Bachelor's + Master's Pathway Information Session CEE Juniors admitted to the BSCE or BSENVE Upper Division are invited to join the Bachelor's + Master's (B+M) Pathway Info session this Monday, Feb 6th from 12-1 PM in EB 310. Donuts and coffee will be provided. The B+M Pathway is a great opportunity for CEE students to get a head-start on their Master's degree. Learn more about the details of the program by checking out our B+M website. EB 310 CEE staff at ceedept@pdx.edu CEE staff at ceedept@pdx.edu America/Los_Angeles public

MS Thesis Defense Announcement: Ayush Bhandari

The CEE Department is pleased to announce Ayush Bhandari's MS Thesis Defense: "Uncertainty Quantification and Fragility Development of Deteriorating…
Add to my Calendar 2023-02-07 13:00:00 2023-02-07 15:00:00 MS Thesis Defense Announcement: Ayush Bhandari The CEE Department is pleased to announce Ayush Bhandari's MS Thesis Defense: "Uncertainty Quantification and Fragility Development of Deteriorating RC Bridge Piers" Date: Tuesday, February 7th, 2023 Time: 1:00 PM Location: EB 202L (CEE Conference Room) or virtually on zoom (https://pdx.zoom.us/j/7821766563) Advisor: Dr. David Yang Abstract: "Corrosion can reduce structural capacity and increase the risk of bridge damage/failure under extreme events. The impact of corrosion on seismic fragility of bridges has been well studied. However, the methodology used in most existing studies requires detailed information on the structural design and condition of a bridge, which is a major hindrance in conducting seismic risk assessment for a large population of bridges. Furthermore, existing studies do not adequately address the time-dependency of uncertainties associated with fragility curve development. This study presents a methodology to generate time-dependent seismic fragility curves for deteriorating highway bridges based only on the limited information available from National Bridge Inventory (NBI) and the HAZUS technical manual. As a result, the methodology can be implemented for a large number of bridges and potentially be integrated in existing bridge management practice. Despite the limited information required, a full probabilistic analysis was conducted in this study to develop these fragility curves, accounting for various uncertainties in material properties, geometric imperfection, corrosion development, and model error of seismic capacity/demand models. The methodology was implemented as an example for highway bridge class 5, as defined by the HAZUS technical manual. Results showed that during the 100-year service life, corrosion can potentially cause 30% decrease in median seismic capacity and 20% increase in capacity-side uncertainty. However, the effect of corrosion hinges on the corrosion models and model parameters." EB 202L (CEE Conference Room) or virtually on zoom (https://pdx.zoom.us/j/7821766563) CEE staff at ceedept@pdx.edu CEE staff at ceedept@pdx.edu America/Los_Angeles public

PSU Transportation Seminar: Transforming Commercial Arterials…

Transportation Seminars at Portland State University have been a tradition since 2000. Formerly known as the Friday Transportation Seminar series, we…
Add to my Calendar 2023-02-09 12:00:00 2023-02-09 13:00:00 PSU Transportation Seminar: Transforming Commercial Arterials into Bicycle Highways: Using Count Data Transportation Seminars at Portland State University have been a tradition since 2000. Formerly known as the Friday Transportation Seminar series, we've opened up PSU Transportation Seminars to other days of the week to better accommodate in-person attendance. You can also watch online via Zoom. See more upcoming PSU Transportation Seminars. REGISTER HERE TO WATCH ON ZOOM THE TOPIC  Count data for cyclists and pedestrians is considered an essential tool for city builders to inform, justify and manage active transportation infrastructure. When automated bike counters are strategically deployed across an urban area, a clear picture emerges of how cyclists move around the city. This presentation focuses on how count data can be used to illustrate modal shifts in response to improvements made to a city’s bicycle network. In November 2020, the City of Montreal introduced the Reseau Express Velo (REV), or Express Bike Network, effectively transforming a network of arterials throughout the city into Complete Streets by repurposing vehicles lanes into dedicated AAA bicycle pathways. Using data from automated bicycle counters installed throughout the city, it was found that the REV bicycle paths became the most highly used facility in the entire city within six months of installation. Using count data from automated pedestrian and bicycle Eco-counters, as well as open vehicle count data from the City of Montreal, both collected before and after the REV was deployed on Saint-Denis Street, Eco-Counter performed a study to reveal new transport habits and assess modal shift. Sales data collected by the City of Montreal was also used to support the changes. KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES How to strategically deploy bike/ped counters - identifying locations, choosing the right time, etc. What to do with data, and how to use it to tell your story. The power of building high-quality infrastructure. How high-quality bicycle infrastructure can increase users and sales in commercial corridors. SPEAKERS Nicholas Smith, Client Consultant, Eco-Counter Nicholas is a native Montrealer who loves walking and cycling all year round, regardless of the weather. He is passionate about the power of data to support better cycling and walking infrastructure. Nicholas helps governments and groups design counting programs that lead to actionable insights for programs, projects and plans that support active transportation.  PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT This 60-minute seminar is eligible for 1 hour of professional development credit for AICP (see our provider summary). We can provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance. Photo by Cait McCusker Portland State University's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) is home to the U.S. DOT funded National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), PORTAL, BikePed Portal and other transportation grants and programs. We produce impactful research and tools for transportation decision makers, expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engage students and professionals through education and participation in research. Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1oI-LHFsTqG02GvAv0SKyA asktrec@pdx.edu asktrec@pdx.edu America/Los_Angeles public

PSU Transportation Seminar: Transportation Safety Culture: Where…

Transportation Seminars at Portland State University have been a tradition since 2000. Formerly known as the Friday Transportation Seminar series, we…
Add to my Calendar 2023-02-16 12:00:00 2023-02-16 13:00:00 PSU Transportation Seminar: Transportation Safety Culture: Where we are and what it means Transportation Seminars at Portland State University have been a tradition since 2000. Formerly known as the Friday Transportation Seminar series, we've opened up PSU Transportation Seminars to other days of the week to better accommodate in-person attendance. You can also watch online via Zoom. See more upcoming PSU Transportation Seminars. REGISTER HERE TO WATCH ON ZOOM   THE TOPIC  Like any healthy professional community, the transportation safety community is not homogenous or without constructive conflict. The increased attention on systems thinking – most commonly known, if not necessarily well understood, under the “Vision Zero” approach – has sparked debate among engineers, planners, academics, public health professionals, advocates, and others about where our attention should be focused to reduce the epidemic of traffic violence. The built environment? Drivers? Engineers and planners? Car culture? What IS car culture? Dr. Goddard brings together her research conducted with colleagues on police crash reporting processes, NHTSA crash investigations, attitudes and effects of the language and framing around crashes, and recent examples of the “systems vs people” debate to recommend some shared definitions, research directions, and questions for practitioners, advocates, and anyone interested in reducing traffic injuries and deaths. KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES Define car culture, windshield bias, and related terms Identify how “systems thinking” versus focusing on individual behavior affects approaches to problem definition, data collection, and approaches to changing behavior Evaluate how transportation safety culture affects approaches in their role or organization SPEAKERS Tara Goddard, Texas A&M Tara Goddard is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning at Texas A&M University. After earning a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from UC Davis, she worked as an Associate Transportation Planner for the City of Sacramento and then served 2007-2011 as the Bicycle/Pedestrian Program Coordinator for the City of Davis, CA. Realizing she was a research geek at heart, Dr. Goddard returned to school and earned her PhD in Urban Studies at Portland State University. She joined the faculty of Texas A&M in 2017, where her research focuses on transportation safety, particularly the interactions of transportation culture, behavior, and infrastructure on differential experiences and safety outcomes for people who walk and wheel.  PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT This 60-minute seminar is eligible for 1 hour of professional development credit for AICP (see our provider summary). We can provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance. Portland State University's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) is home to the U.S. DOT funded National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), PORTAL, BikePed Portal and other transportation grants and programs. We produce impactful research and tools for transportation decision makers, expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engage students and professionals through education and participation in research. Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7ziJLDBwQVSfJfY8Zfrj4w asktrec@pdx.edu asktrec@pdx.edu America/Los_Angeles public
See full events calendar