Messages from the Department Head

Summer 2024 - Highlighting Our Successes

Dear Alumni and Friends of CEE,

 

Another semester draws to a close, and what a beautiful fall it has been on campus! As always when the leaves begin to turn, I reflect on what has come to pass for our department in the past year. The ensuing pages of our CEE magazine will delve into much of the innovation, accomplishments and triumphs our faculty and students have had a hand in throughout the summer and fall months, but allow me here to pay special attention to some of the highlights:

This fall, we welcomed the largest first-year class in our department’s history. This is, no doubt, partly due to our inaugural class of first-year students in the B.S. environmental engineering program. We have been anxiously anticipating their arrival since the announcement of the program and are excited to watch them grow into capable and solution-focused environmental engineers. This first-year class is 74 students strong, and notably, 56% female. I am especially proud of this last figure, as growing the number women in engineering is something we take very seriously as a department. Alongside our outstanding enrollment among first-year environmental engineering students, our total undergraduate enrollment also reflects a growing presence of aspiring female engineers, with our undergraduate student body now 36% female across both the civil and environmental degree programs. This percentage is the highest it has ever been, and if this year’s strong representation is any indication of how the environmental engineering program will boost female interest in our engineering programs, I think we have much to be excited about!

We have also made our triumphant return to the #1 civil engineering graduate program as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. What an achievement! After several years as the #2 program, we are immensely grateful to see our track record of excellence in research, education, students and faculty recognized as we regain the coveted top position. I consider the ways in which we must work to maintain this position and I envision a two-pronged approach: First, we must continue to provide the world-class education, faculty and facilities that are hallmark of the CEE at Illinois program. On top of that, we must also embrace opportunities for growth that will keep our students prepared to take on the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

One of the ways in which we have strived to create new opportunities is through our Industry Partner Program (IPP). Later in the magazine, you’ll hear from our Interim Associate Director for Industry Partnerships on the state of the program, and ways to get involved in our growing effort. You’ll also see a first-hand example of how membership connects you to high-quality students in the search for internships and job opportunities, and additionally learn how joining the IPP can enhance student-focused programs your company may already have. Though still young in its development, the IPP’s growth in the last year has been remarkable, and I am confident in saying this is just the beginning for many fruitful partnerships between CEE at Illinois and our counterparts in industry.

On my final note, I circle back to two other outstanding figures concerning our undergraduate enrollment this fall. First, of our first-year class, 20% are first generation students. We owe this promising number to the generosity of our alumni and friends, and the commitment of our faculty and staff to recruit students from all backgrounds across the state of Illinois and beyond. We strive to increase our first-generation enrollment each year, and I truly believe this starts with growing the scholarship funds available to these students though your continued support.

Second, I would like to note that our overall undergraduate student body totals 72% in-state students. As a land-grant institution, we take great pride in our ability to give back to the state in which we exist, and that starts with positioning ourselves as the premiere educational institution for Illinois-born civil and environmental engineers. Each one of these students have been impacted by the work of civil engineers in our state, from the water running through their household taps to the roads they drive on every single day. They now find themselves uniquely positioned to learn about and impact those very same systems, and we are grateful to afford them that opportunity.

We are proud to be called home by so many Illinois-born students, and equally as proud of the other ways in which we serve our state. Our faculty play a large part in this, through the numerous projects and research endeavors they take on each year in collaboration with state institutions. As a featured story in this issue, we have compiled a small snapshot of recent, on-going and upcoming projects our faculty have participated in to benefit quality of life across many different sectors throughout the state- a phenomenon I like to think of as our “Illinois Impact.” The importance of this work cannot be overstated. It may have even impacted you, our dear readers who call the state of Illinois home, in ways you have never realized!

Though not exhaustive, I hope this forward emphasizes what we strive to convey with each edition of the CEE Magazine: that the state of our department is stronger than ever. With gratitude I acknowledge the stalwart support of our alumni and friends, and with excitement I look towards another year of innovation and growth within our department.

Go Illini! 

-Ana P. Barros
Donald Biggar Willett Chair of Engineering
Department Head, Civil and Environmental Engineering