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2024 - 2025 Annual Report Out Now
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Introducing our new — completely online — M.S. in Construction Engineering
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Distinguished Seminar Series
Welcomed Dr. Yafeng Yin on March 21 -
Dr. Ramesh Goel Leads $1.6M EPA Research on PFAS
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Our Research is Building a Better Future
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Research Shaping Utah's Asphalt Industry
Join us in Welcoming our New Department Chair, Dr. Tong Qiu
After an extensive national search, Dr. Tong Qiu has accepted our offer to lead as our department chair, beginning July 1. An ASCE Fellow, Dr. Qiu is currently a professor of Civil Engineering at Penn State University where he has risen through the ranks since 2010.
Welcome, Dr. Qiu!
Uncover the Impact in the 2024 - 2025 Annual Report
In this inaugural annual report—replacing our traditional fall newsletters—we invite you to explore highlights of our year, including our expanding faculty, innovative curriculum updates, nationally recognized research, and our growing partnerships with industry and alumni.
Recent News
Industry in Action: ASME Brings National Board Meeting to the U
The event, organized by Professor and UNEP Director Supathorn Phongikaroon, underscored the University’s growing role as a hub for collaboration between academia and industry.
University of Utah Welcomes AI in Civil Engineering Workshop
Three CvEEN faculty played a key role in hosting the workshop, with Professors Chenxi Liu and Cathy Liu serving as workshop co-chairs, and CvEEN Department Chair Dr. Tong Qiu as a featured speaker.
University of Utah Researchers Achieve First EPA-Approved Carbon Monitoring Plan
A milestone in the state’s efforts to advance responsible carbon management, the approval paves the way for rigorous tracking of carbon dioxide storage while enabling federal support.
Utah Students Earn Top-3 National Finish at Transportation Tournament
A team of University of Utah Civil & Environmental Engineering (CvEEN) students represented the U at the 2025 Transportation Technology Tournament (TTT), earning recognition as one of the top three teams in the nation.
New Publication Outlines How UNEP's TRIGA Reactor Will Be Used for Faster, Smarter Radiation Hardness Testing
Published in IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, the study presents a faster, more efficient way to simulate radiation damage—cutting simulation time by up to 100x.
CAREER Award: Shahrzad Roshankhah is Cracking the Code on Rock Slope Failure
Roshankhah has recently been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award to advance the understanding and quantification of the behavior of jointed rock slopes.
Dr. Mastren's Research on Alzheimer's Disease Earns $100K from its prestigious Mars Shot Fund
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) has awarded Dr. Mastren and her team $100,000 from its prestigious Mars Shot Fund, which supports bold, potentially game-changing ideas in nuclear medicine.
Top-20 Program Builder Named Director of Nuclear Engineering Program
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Supathorn (Supy) Phongikaroon, a highly respected figure in the nuclear engineering field, will join the University of Utah as the EnergySolutions Foundation Presidential Endowed Chair in Nuclear Engineering and Director of the Utah Nuclear Engineering Program.
Nuclear Detective: U of U Professor’s Research is Enhancing National Security
Supported by a $400,000 grant, Dr. Ed Cazalas’s project will leverage the unique properties of 2-D materials and quantum dots to enhance radiation detection.
Graduate Student Arman Malekloo Named 2025 Lifesavers Traffic Safety Scholar
Arman is one of only 29 students across the U.S. selected through a competitive application process for this prestigious program of transportation industry professionals.
Dr. Tianfu Xu Presents at Inaugural Distinguished Seminar Series
Dr. Xu is the chief developer of the widely-used TOUGHREACT simulator, a tool crucial for applications such as CO2 sequestration, geothermal energy development, nuclear waste disposal, and environmental remediation.
Breakthrough Study in Nuclear Medicine Earns DOE Recognition
This recognition by the U.S. Department of Energy underscores the significance of our nuclear engineers' contributions to nuclear medicine and isotope science.
Nominate a Distinguished Alumni
Do you know alumni of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering you'd like to see featured in our newsletters, website, or social media? Nominate them here.
$35 Million in Department of Energy Grants to Transform Utah's Carbon Storage Landscape
Three major grants secured by CvEEN faculty will contribute to the DOE’s carbon emission reduction initiative, an effort focused on managing carbon emissions in Utah and throughout the United States.
Dr. Hong's Research, Recently Featured in @theU, is at the Forefront of New Nanobubble Technology
In collaboration with Dr. Lewis and Dr. Fleming of the University of Utah Health Sciences and fellow Environmental Engineering professor Dr. Jennifer Weidhaas, Dr. Hong has a patent pending for this new and innovative energy-efficient process.
Department of Energy Grant Secured to Advance Research on Enhanced Geothermal Systems
Dr. Shahrzad Roshankhah and collaborators were recently awarded a $4 million research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop geothermal reservoir efficiency and better monitoring of reservoir conditions.
Research in Reducing Construction's Carbon Footprint Receives National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant
The NSF awarded Drs. Tong Qiu and Shihui Shen approximately $450,000 to transform the critical process of soil compaction—a cornerstone of civil infrastructure.
Mapping Landslide Susceptibility using Physics-Guided Machine Learning
Traditional methods for predicting landslides often fall short due to the complexity of terrain and the inadequacies of landslide data. To tackle these challenges, researchers are utilizing the Physics-Guided Machine Learning (PGML) framework. Recently published in Acta Geotechnica, Dr. Tong Qiu, is innovating the field with PGML.
Fighting Forever Chemicals: Dr. Ramesh Goel Leads $1.6M EPA Research on PFAS
Dr. Ramesh Goel‘s groundbreaking environmental engineering research is supported by a nearly $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The project will address the PFAS crisis in agricultural, rural, and tribal communities.