The Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering
Whether you’re headed for teaching, research or industry, advanced degrees advance careers. Here are four important reasons why a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from Lehigh can go a long way toward advancing yours.
#1: Research relevant to our times
From the microscopic to the tectonic, the problems of our planet are the active research pursuits of CEE's environmental engineers. Through advanced laboratory and field projects, accomplished faculty work with graduate students to create new knowledge, innovative technologies, and practical solutions that balance societal welfare and economic growth with the issues affecting our global environment.
In addition to the CEE environmental engineering program, the department also offers advanced course work in the specialty areas of geotechnical engineering and water resources engineering. What new knowledge will you contribute to our research efforts?
#2: Funding that paves your way
The department of civil and environmental engineering (CEE) offers a variety of financial support packages to students making good progress toward their degree.
Research assistantships receive funding from a specific project to subsidize the work of a graduate student.
Teaching assistantships are funded by the CEE department to support the educational mission of Lehigh University.
Fellowships are awards made by the CEE department to recognize high achievement and academic promise.
In general, CEE support packages include graduate tuition and a 9- or 12-month stipend.
#3: Faculty reputations that span the globe
Ask a CEE graduate student why they came to Lehigh, and invariably they’ll point to the reputation of our faculty. The diversity of faculty research and interdisciplinary initiatives here offer students expansive opportunities to pursue a topic that matches their passion. Here’s a sampling of our faculty’s current endeavors:
- Professor Arup SenGupta has developed an ion exchange filtration system that removes toxic levels of arsenic from well water. His award-winning research has dramatically improved public health in the Indian subcontinent.
- Professor Sibel Pamukcu is building wireless sensor networks that can identify properties of subsurface media while monitoring geo-events as diverse as landslides and chemical spills. A grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) is funding the work.
- Associate Professor Kristen Jellison is working to control waterborne diseases through a better understanding of pathogen ecology. Her current EPA-funded research is advancing a practical, affordable solution to decontaminating drinking water in developing nations.
- Associate Professor Derick Brown is examining the interactions between microorganisms and the surfaces with which they come into contact. He has published extensively on the subject, such as in this recent study about how the process of bacterial adhesion affects cellular metabolic activity. Dr. Brown's research is currently funded through multiple NSF grants.
#4: Facilities few schools can match
Lehigh's environmental engineering program is housed in the brand-new STEPS building, which opened in Fall 2010. This state-of-the-art laboratory and classroom facility provides unprecedented opportunities for graduate education and research.
The historic structure that is Fritz Engineering Laboratory occupies a venerable place in the story of civil and environmental engineering. Originally built in 1909, additional construction in 1955 added two high-bay testing areas to the research facility. Housed within Fritz is the Imbt Hydraulics Laboratory, which is a unique facility that consists of a number of meso-scale (~10 meter) flow systems. These systems allow the study of field-scale issues in surface and subsurface water flow and contaminant fate and transport under controlled conditions.
"The professors at Lehigh are very approachable and friendly.They inspire you to challenge ideas, voice your opinion, and think outside the box. They affirm why I've always wanted to be a professor—you can learn and teach so much at the same time. Professors have tremendous power to change lives."
—Lynal S. Albert
B.S., Biochemistry, University of Madras (India)
M.S., Biotechnology, University of Madras
Ph.D. in environmental engineering candidate
Expected graduation 2012
Member, Dr. Derick Brown's research group
How to apply to the program
For detailed information on admission to graduate study through the P. C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science (PCREAS), consult pp. 55 – 60 of the University Course Catalog.
Click here to access an online application. Send transcripts and supplemental materials to:
Prisca Vidanage, Graduate Coordinator
Lehigh University
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
13 E. Packer Avenue
Bethlehem, PA 18015-3176
For general information about the CEE graduate program and current course descriptions, consult pp. 176-180 of the University Course Catalog. For specific questions, call Prisca at (610) 758-3530 or e-mail her at pmv1@lehigh.edu.
