Message from the Department Head
It may sound trite, 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. If one thinks about the standard of living we each enjoy on a daily basis, we probably would count things like clean water to drink, safe roads to drive, proper sanitation, and buildings that serve our needs and protect us from environmental hazards. Most people don’t realize the complexity of our national intermodal transportation which delivers people and goods in an expeditious and safe manner each and every day. We don’t expect our houses to flood, our bridges to collapse, or our dams to break. These expectations are the result of civil and environmental engineers working to protect the health of individuals and the welfare of society. These efforts manifest themselves in the form of a 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 resources management to insure community growth is sustainable, efficient transportation networks to support the movement of goods and services, and the construction of 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 (CEE) at Mississippi State University feel that our first, best calling is to help the graduates of our program become the best possible professional engineers they can. That does not mean that all of our graduates become professional engineers. Our graduates have become doctors, lawyers, elected officials, business managers, teachers, and more. However, 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 and our website. I invite you to surf the site for information to answer the questions you might have about our profession and our organization. If you do not find answers for the questions you have, please do not hesitate to contact one or more of us.
Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., P.E., DEE, F.ASCE
James T. White Chair, Department Head, and Professor
