Welcome

It may sound over-the-top, but civil and environmental engineering professionals do in fact help create and maintain the quality of life that our society has come to expect; even take for granted. Think about the standard of living we each enjoy on a daily basis: clean water to drink, safe roads to drive, proper sanitation, and buildings that serve our needs and protect us from environmental hazards. Our national intermodal transportation delivers people and goods in an expeditious and safe manner each and every day. These realities are the result of civil and environmental engineers working to protect the health of individuals and the welfare of society by developing the national infrastructure upon which our safety and prosperity are so dependent.

Protecting the public’s health and welfare are important aspects of civil and environmental engineering practice. The socioeconomics of our society are influenced by the projects and professional activities of the engineers who practice in the technical areas construction, environment, geomatics, geological systems, materials, structures, transportation, urban planning, and water resources. Without effective resource management to ensure community growth is sustainable, make available efficient transportation networks to support the movement of goods and services, and provide an infrastructure to facilitate economic development, our communities’ potential for growth and development becomes markedly limited.

Recognizing this responsibility, the faculty and staff of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Mississippi State University feel that our first calling is to help the graduates of our program become the most successful professionals they can, whether that’s professional engineers or even doctors, lawyers, elected officials, business managers, or teachers. We believe preparing a person to become a technically, ethically and professionally competent engineer provides our graduates with an education and a level of personal development that will allow them to be successful in whatever they choose to do.

On behalf of the faculty, staff and students of the Mississippi State Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, I would like to express our appreciation for your interest in our department. I invite you to tour our website for information about our profession and our organization. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one or more of us for more information.

Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., P.E., DEE, F.ASCE, F.NSPE
James T. White Chair, Department Head, and Professor