Department Chair

Dr. Andria Costello Staniec, 151 Link Hall, costello@syr.edu, 315-443-2311

Program Directors

Civil Graduate Program Director: Dr. Andria Costello Staniec, 151 Link Hall, costello@syr.edu, 315-443-2311

Environmental Graduate Program Director: Dr. Svetoslava Todorova, 335C Link Hall, stodorov@syr.edu, 315-443-2577

Faculty

Riyad S. Aboutaha, Michael Ammoury, Elizabeth Carter, Ruth Chen, Andria Costello Staniec, Min Liu, Yizhi Liu, Eric M. Lui, Sinead Mac Namara, Aaron Mohammed, Zhao Qin, Fabrizio Sabba, Baris Salman, Yilei Shi, Svetoslava Todorova, John Trimmer, Kun-Hao Yu, Teng Zeng

Program Description

The graduate programs in civil and environmental engineering at Syracuse University have earned a reputation for superior quality and placing students at the center of attention. Degree recipients working in the public sector, private industry, and academic institutions have made important contributions to the profession. The civil and environmental engineering programs provide coursework and research opportunities in structural and materials engineering, geomechanics and geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, and construction engineering and management.

In addition to these core areas, the students and faculty in the civil and environmental engineering programs engage in interdisciplinary teaching and research, expanding the opportunities available to graduate students. The department is home to the Center for Environmental Systems Engineering, which serves faculty in environmental, chemical, and mechanical engineering with a shared interest in environmental systems. The Geofoam Research Center and the Institute for Sustainability Engagement are also administered in the department. We also have a collaborative degree program with the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and we engage in joint teaching with faculty in the School of Architecture, the Whitman School of Management and SUNY-ESF.

The Department offers the Ph.D. degree to students interested in research and teaching.  The primary focus is on the development of skills needed to pursue original research in careers in academia, public sector, private industry, or research institutions. 

Admission Requirements

1. B.S. in Civil Engineering or B.S. in Environmental Engineering or other acceptable field from an accredited institution, or
2. M.S. degree from an accredited institution, and
3. B+ average in M.S. program coursework, and
4. Satisfactory grades on all required graduate entrance examinations. A TOEFL score of 80 or higher is required for international students
5. Demonstrated potential for excellence in research

Advising

The candidate, with advice from the CEE Department Chair and/or the Graduate Program Director, selects a dissertation advisor, whose consent must be obtained. The candidate and the advisor together select the members of the candidacy examination and dissertation committees. Subsequent to the candidacy examination, the candidate, in consultation with the advisor and dissertation committee, may select additional coursework appropriate to the research and scholarly interests of the student.

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Current Research Areas

• Accelerated and fast track construction
• Application of geosynthetics in dewatering and containment
• Applications of molecular biology to environmental engineering
• Applied environmental microbiology
• Applied surface chemistry
• Aquatic chemistry
• Biogeochemistry
• Bioremediation
• Bridge retrofit with CFRP composites
• Changes in microbial communities in response to anthropogenic disturbance
• Composite and hybrid systems
• Construction project management
• Construction safety and health
• Decentralized treatment processes
• Earthquake engineering
• Economy of preventive maintenance of highway bridges
• Environmental geostatistics
• Experimental investigation of structural concrete and steel systems
• FRP reinforced concrete structural systems
• Geotechnical engineering
• Global biogeochemical cycles
• Green materials  for contaminants removal and containment
• In situ testing
• Infrastructure asset management
• Investigation of structural failures
• Lean and green construction
• Microbial fuel cell technologies
• Microstructure of soil and geosynthetics
• Natural and polymeric fibers in soil erosion mitigation
• Natural organic matter
• Non-destructive testing
• Nonlinear structural theories
• Numerical modeling
• Potable water supply
• Properties and applications of geofoams
• Renewable hydrogen production
• Resource recovery from wastewater
• Slurry wall containment systems and movement of organics in soil/rock systems
• Soil chemistry
• Solid-liquid separation processes
• Steel structures
• Structural dynamics
• Structural rehabilitation of civil infrastructure
• Structural stability
• Sustainable Infrastructure Systems
• Tactile sensing
• Transportation engineering
• UAS applications
• Water quality modeling

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Formulate and analyze difficult engineering problems using fundamental and advanced mathematics, science and engineering tools
2. Conduct literature surveys, to think critically and creatively in planning and designing a research program
3. Conduct independent laboratory and/or field research using state of the art sensing systems and testing facilities
4. Understand and use specialized computer programs to model experiments, represent engineering systems and process big data inputs in research and extended monitoring programs
5. Demonstrate abilities for documenting research procedures, organizing and archiving research results, preparing detailed reports and explaining findings; culminating in a dissertation

Degree Requirements

Ph.D. students are required to take a minimum of 42 credit hours of coursework beyond the B.S. level, or at least 12 credit hours of coursework beyond the M.S. level.

For students with an M.S. degree, at least 9 credits of the Ph.D. coursework must be at or above the 600 level, and no more than 3 credits of the coursework can be independent study (CEE 690 Independent Study).

Ph.D. students are required to maintain an average GPA of B+ (3.333) in all Ph.D. coursework, and they are required to participate in the faculty/student seminar program (CEE 660 Seminar Civil Engineering).

For students with a B.S. degree, at least 24 credits of coursework must be at or above the 600 level, and no more than 6 credits of the coursework can be independent study (CEE 690 Independent Study).

For students with a B.S. degree, at least 15 credits of coursework must be taken from CEE.

No dissertation credits are required.

Be in good standing.

Successful completion of a qualifying examination.

Successful completion of a candidacy examination.

Successful defense of a dissertation in an oral examination.

Definition of Good Standing for a PhD Student

For Ph.D. students, it is essential to be in good standing with the University and the CEE Department. In addition to meeting the criteria set forth in the Syracuse University Student Conduct System Handbook, which states that “Good standing includes a requirement that all matters pending before the University Student Conduct System have been fully and finally resolved (including, but not limited to, full satisfaction of any sanctions imposed)”, CEE Ph.D. students are required to meet the criteria outlined in the CEE Graduate Handbook.

Examinations

1. Qualifying Examination:
   Students are required to take their qualifying examination by the end of their third semester. Requests to take exams outside of this time frame require a petition, endorsement by the primary advisor, and approval of the Department Chair. The qualifying examination is composed of two parts: a written exam followed by an oral examination covering materials from at least three graduate-level classes that the student has taken at Syracuse University, as well as relevant materials from undergraduate coursework. The purpose of this qualifying examination is to assess the student’s background knowledge in their primary subject area(s) and their preparedness for Ph.D. level research. The exam committee shall consist of at least three faculty members. The majority of the qualifying exam committee membership shall be faculty members from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Syracuse University. For the candidate to pass this examination, a majority of the committee must vote favorably. If the student does not pass this examination, they can request to retake the examination one more time in the following semester. In the event that the student fails the examination for the second time, their Ph.D. program of study will be terminated.
2. Candidacy Examination:
   1. Deadlines
      1. Students are expected to present their research proposal to the candidacy examination committee after completion of the student’s required Ph.D. coursework, but no later than the end of their fifth semester (for students entering with a M.S. degree) or seventh semester (for students entering with
         a B.S. degree) after admission into the Ph.D. program. Furthermore, the candidacy exam should be completed early enough to allow for substantial time (at least one year) between the exam and the dissertation defense.
   2. Candidacy Exam Committee
      1. The candidacy examination committee will consist of a minimum of five members,
         including
         •The Research Advisor;
         •Three tenured or tenure-track faculty members with at least 51% appointment with the department; and
         •The Chair of the candidacy examination committee.
         The Chair of the candidacy examination committee must be a Syracuse University tenured or tenure-track faculty member from outside of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department.
         Upon approval by the research advisor and the department chair, one committee member (internal or external to Syracuse University) who does not satisfy the second bullet above is allowed to serve on the examination committee provided they hold a Ph.D. (or comparable doctorate) degree and
         have the relevant expertise. This candidacy examination committee is expected to transition to the student’s dissertation committee after successful passing the candidacy exam.
   3. Exam Process
      1. The candidacy exam is initiated by a summary of the dissertation research proposal and progress to date by the student. Following the presentation, the dissertation committee members ask the student questions concerning the research proposal. Following the exam, the dissertation committee confers to determine if the student is a suitable Ph.D. candidate based on their performance on the candidacy examination, as well as to determine if the student should be required to take additional coursework beyond the minimum required for the degree.
   4. Exam Outcomes
      1. If the student successfully completes the candidacy examination by receiving an affirmative vote by the committee, the advisor notifies the student and the Graduate School, and the student is considered a Ph.D. candidate. If the student does not successfully complete the candidacy examination, the exam
         committee determines whether the student will be permitted to retake the examination within a period of six months or whether the student’s PhD program should be terminated.
3. Dissertation Defense:
   1. The Oral Dissertation Defense and submission of the dissertation document to the Syracuse
      University Graduate School are the final requirements of the Ph.D. program. Defense paperwork must comply with the Graduate School’s guidelines, including formatting.
   2. Preparation
      1. The Ph.D. candidate needs to form the dissertation committee within 6 months after successfully completing the candidacy exam. It is recommended that the Ph.D. candidate communicates regularly with their dissertation committee to review dissertation progress. The candidate should not distribute
         the final draft of the dissertation to the defense committee until the advisor is satisfied with its quality. The defense committee should be presented with a polished draft that has been proofread,
         paginated, and contains professional quality tables and figures with captions.
   3. Deadlines
      1. The official Request for Examination form must be signed and submitted to the Graduate School at least three full weeks prior to the oral defense date. A copy of the dissertation document must be delivered to all members of the defense committee at least two full weeks prior to the oral defense date. Any committee member who receives their copy fewer than 14 calendar days prior to the defense may ask for a postponement of the defense.
   4. Defense Committee
      1. In addition to the Syracuse University Graduate School Thesis/Dissertation Defense Checklist, the defense committee will consist of a minimum of five members, including
         •The Research Advisor;
         •Three tenured or tenure-track faculty members with at least 51% appointment with the department; and Three tenured or tenure-track faculty members with at least 51% appointment with the department; and
         •The Chair of the Oral Examination Committee.
         The Chair of the Oral Defense Examination Committee must be a Syracuse University tenured or tenure-track faculty member from outside of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department. Upon approval by the research advisor and the department chair, one committee member (internal or external to Syracuse University) who does not satisfy the second bullet above is allowed to serve on the defense committee provided they hold a Ph.D. (or comparable doctorate) degree and have the relevant expertise.
   5. Defense Process
      1. The dissertation defense is a formal evaluation of the Ph.D. candidate. It consists of an oral presentation summarizing the research outcomes, followed by an open question and answer segment from the audience. The presentation and general Q&A is open to the public. When this is completed, the candidate is privately questioned by the defense committee members. At least 3 hours should be scheduled to allow sufficient time for questions. For the candidate to pass the dissertation defense, a majority vote on the quality and originality of the research, the quality of the dissertation, and the performance of the candidate at the examination is required.