Environmental Engineering and Science (EES)
Area Coordinator: Prof Kimberly Gray
Environmental engineers are the technical professionals who identify and design solutions for environmental problems. They seek to shield the environment from the harmful effects of human activity, protect human populations from adverse environmental events such as floods and disease, and restore environmental quality for ecological and human well-being. Traditionally, environmental engineers provided safe drinking water, treated and properly disposed of wastes, maintained air quality, controlled water pollution, and remediated sites contaminated by hazardous substances. They continue to do this as well as monitor the quality of the air, water, and land and develop new environmental control technologies. The EES program also offers a dual MS/MPM degree.
Geotechnics (GEO) and Environmental Geotechnics (EGE)
Area Coordinator: Prof. Charles Dowding
Geotechnics builds knowledge of the engineering properties of soil and rock to ensure the strength and stability of structures built in or of these natural materials. Current research at Northwestern includes advanced laboratory testing and field evaluation techniques; modeling of soil, rock, and groundwater behavior to predict and control unwanted movement of structures; methods of ground improvement; remote measurement of landslides in rock and soil with time domain reflectometry; and prediction and construction control of deformation from deep excavation in soft soil.
Mechanics of Materials and Solids (MMS)
Area Coordinator: Prof Isaac Daniel
Mechanics of Materials and Solids uses analytical, experimental, and computational methods to study the mechanical behavior of solid materials. Applications include a wide range of problems, such as the assessment of structural integrity through methods of fracture mechanics and nondestructive evaluation, the simulation of vehicle crashworthiness, the behavior of composite materials, the development of new computational methods, and the mechanics of earthquake instabilities. Among recent projects are constitutive models for geomaterials, fracture mechanicsbased structural integrity assessment of aircraft and bridges, and development of novel finite-element techniques and new computational methods, such as the element-free Galerkin method and the natural element method.
Please note: Mechanics of materials and Solids (MMS) and Structural Engineering and Materials (STR) are highly cross-disciplinary enough so to be informally named Mechanics of Materials and Structures.
Structural Engineering and Materials (STR)
Area Coordinator: Prof Surendra Shah
Structural Engineering and Materials applies knowledge about materials and loads to designing, constructing, and predicting the behavior of unique structures such as buildings, bridges, dams, and tunnels. Research at Northwestern is focused on understanding and using properties of materials, particularly cement-based materials, in structural applications. Current work includes development of extruded fiber-reinforced concrete, studies of fracture using computer vision and microtomography, life-cycle prediction of concrete infrastructure, fracture and size effect in concrete and composites, failure analysis based on micromechanics, and effects of the colloidal structure of calcium-silicate-hydrate on concrete durability.
Transportation Systems Analysis and Planning (TRN)
Area Coordinator: Prof Frank Koppleman
Transportation Systems Analysis and Planning addresses ways to provide efficient, safe, and environmentally sound mobility for people and goods. Transportation research is strongly analytically based and includes advanced, activity-based models to predict traveler behavior in urban and intercity contexts; dynamic models of network operations for logistics and traffic management; safety studies of the consequences of operator fatigue; relationship between land use, site design, and travel behavior; and studies of the impacts of policies, technologies, services, and programs on travelers and transportation systems.
Project Management
Area coordinator: Prof Raymond Krizek
If you are seeking a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering in the area of Project Management, you will be required either to already have an MS degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering, or to have successfully completed the Master of Science in Project Management (MPM) degree here at Northwestern before being considered for PhD studies.
In addition, the PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering in the area of Project Management will be responsible for their own tuition and financial support.
Before you apply for the PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering in the area of Project Management, please review the MPM program requirements at http://mpm.northwestern.edu/ to formulate your questions. Then feel free to email (please include your phone number) the MPM program's Director, Prof Raymond Krizek for discussion and details.
Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (TAM)
Area Coordinator: Prof Isaac Daniel
Theoretical and Applied Mechanics is an interdisciplinary field of engineering that combines the fundamental physical sciences with powerful mathematical, computational, and experimental techniques to develop advanced structures and materials with optimized loadcarrying capability and improved resistance to failure. Research projects include applications of computational mechanics tools, such as finite-element and meshless methods, fracture mechanics, and mechanics of materials, to problems of shape-memory alloys, geomaterials, composites, and nondestructive evaluation.
Master of Science in Project Management (MPM)
Director: Prof Raymond Krizek
Unlike a typical MS degree, which enhances technical knowledge in a specific area as a preparatory degree for PhD research, the Master of Science in Project Management is intended to be a professionally-oriented terminal degree offering a holistic overview of a technical area within a practical business prospective needed by project managers. While its primary objective is not to prepare for a research-oriented PhD program, several MPM graduates have successfully gone on to obtain a PhD.
The program consists of core managerial courses (finance, accounting, project scheduling, engineering law) complemented by a chosen specialization within Construction Management; A/E/C Business Management; Environmental Management; or Infrastructure Management. Classes are taught by University faculty and practicing professionals who bring a wealth of real-world experience to the course offerings.
MPM is managed under the auspices of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, but is not part of the Northwestern University Graduate School. Therefore, do not apply to the Northwestern University Graduate School; go to the MPM website and apply directly to the program.
