about.from the chair

Welcome to the Website of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University, the oldest of the four engineering departments that make up the Pratt School of Engineering. We are pleased to share with you some of the exciting activities taking place in the department.

Whether you are visiting this website as a prospective student, alumni or just interested in learning about what we do, I hope you will find these pages informative. Like other departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering you will see that a wide range of activities are covered, with a general unifying theme of infrastructure providing a common thread.

We have an undergraduate program in civil engineering with truly outstanding students who are dedicated to making a difference in the world. On this website you will find descriptions of “Rebuilding from Ruins” and “Engineers without Borders,” two examples of the altruistic outlook of our students. We have an active student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and our alumni have gone on to provide leadership in a variety of careers.

Basic and applied research is being conducted across the breadth of Civil and Environmental Engineering, with the main thrust of research activity characterized within mechanics, structures, and geotechnical; water resources and hydrology; and chemical and biological processes. Duke in general, and the department in particular, supports an impressive range of interdisciplinary research.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any further information. We are always happy to hear from you, and share with you our plans for the future.

Lawrence Virgin
Professor and Chair