This past year has witnessed a great deal of change at all levels--in our department, within the College of Engineering, and at the University. Although change can be a source of uncertainty and anxiety, I think the changes we've undergone have served to trigger excitement and anticipation about the future and what it holds.

Last July, Patrick Harker, former dean of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, became the 26th president of the University of Delaware.  A civil engineer by training, Harker has already brought new energy to our institution.  Believing strongly that UD should be a well-known gem rather than a well-kept secret, he immediately launched a strategic planning initiative that has resulted in a map for UD’s “Path to Prominence.”  Six new initiatives cover the full range of elements from undergraduate and graduate education to global impact, green technologies, and arts, culture, and community partnerships.  We’re excited to have Harker as our new President and delighted that he has an appointment in our department.

Three months after Harker's appointment, our Chair, Michael Chajes, became Interim Dean of the College of Engineering, and I became Acting Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Michael has since been appointed permanent Dean, and plans are underway to appoint a permanent Chair by the fall of 2008. I have enjoyed serving as Acting Chair during a period when a lot of exciting things have happened in the department.

On the student front, our recently established chapter of Engineers Without Borders, led by Prof. Steve Dentel, has made three trips to Cameroon, where they are implementing a potable water supply project. Our Steel Bridge team took top honors at the Mid-Atlantic regional competition at Lafayette College in April, with an overall first-place finish as well as firsts in four of the six award categories. During Winter Session 2008, we ran two very successful Study Abroad trips with a CE focus, one to Greece in engineering mechanics and the other to Australia in transportation engineering.  And one of our graduate students, Nicole Walsh, was the recipient of this year’s prestigious Laird Fellowship, which awards $25,000 for enriching activities of the winner's choice. 

Our faculty have also been in the news.  Associate Prof. Pei Chiu, in collaboration with faculty members in the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, is credited with developing a novel technology for safeguarding drinking water that was among the top advances for 2007 highlighted by NASA Tech Briefs magazine. C.P. Huang, Donald C. Phillips Professor, was recently named the 2008 recipient of the Francis Alison Award, the University’s highest faculty honor.  Huang also received the 2008 Wesley Horner Award from the Environmental Water Resources Institute for a paper documenting a novel sonochemical method to treat wastewater. In addition, a new University Transportation Center focusing on corridor resiliency and led by prof. Sue McNeil was established in our department during the past year, providing faculty and students with a focal point for research, education, and technology transfer that will improve our ability to plan, design, construct, manage, and maintain an advanced transportation infrastructure.

These news stories are just highlights of the many exciting programs ongoing in our department. We invite you to explore our web site further and to contact us with any questions you may have. Applications for admission (undergraduate and graduate), course descriptions, and maps and directions to the department are available on line, as are directories for our faculty and staff. We encourage you to come and see for yourself the educational opportunities we have to offer, through either one of the University of Delaware's visitation weekends or a personally arranged tour.

Harry W. "Tripp" Shenton
Chair, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

06/18/08