Message from the Chair of Civil Engineering

I would like to welcome you and to share some of the highlights of our program and the civil engineering profession in general. I invite you to read on and to get in touch with us to learn more.

Civil engineers strive to improve the quality of life and public health through infrastructure design in collaboration with professionals in other fields and as such, they are in the forefront of addressing engineering grand challenges brought on by accelerated human development and the impacts of climate change. While civil engineers are mostly known for designing and constructing buildings, bridges and transportation infrastructure, there are numerous additional less known aspects of this profession that are equally important in supporting a well-functioning society such as providing clean water, cleaning up environmental pollution, controlling floods and landslides or designing solid foundations for structures, among others.

When you join our program, you will become part of a tight-knit and supportive community where you will learn technical content related to both the readily apparent as well as the less visible aspects of civil engineering work. You will develop solid design and technical communication skills along with an entrepreneurial mindset with a focus on innovation, sustainability and systems thinking. You will do this in state-of-the-art laboratories and while engaging in research both in and outside of the classroom. You will also have countless opportunities to interact with our highly-engaged industry and community partners.

Whether you are interested in working on updating our aging infrastructure, designing green buildings, finding ways to sustainably reuse waste materials, using sensor technologies that support innovative civil engineering work or in another topic related to this field, at UW Tacoma you will learn skills that will enable you to become a thriving engineering professional ready to meet the challenges of creating a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future in our region and beyond.

We have a team of highly engaged faculty and staff who look forward to guiding you through your journey and a vibrant professional community in the South Puget Sound region and beyond who are eagerly waiting for you to join their workforce. Do not hesitate to reach out to us to learn more. We look forward to getting to know you!

Sincerely,

Dr. Emese Hadnagy

Chair of the BS Civil Engineering program

School of Engineering and Technology

University of Washington Tacoma