Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) conducts cutting-edge research and education to design, build, and manage the natural and built environments. Uniquely positioned as a joint department within both the School of Engineering and the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, CEE sits at the vibrant intersection of advanced engineering and global sustainability. The department's mission is to expand engineering knowledge to create resilient, smart, and sustainable systems that support human society while preserving Earth's vital ecosystems.

Comprehensive Academic Programs

CEE offers comprehensive academic pathways opens in a new tab spanning undergraduate, coterminal, and graduate levels, leading to Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Master of Science (M.S.), Engineer (ENG), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. The department’s curriculum and research are organized around three primary, interconnected programs:

• Atmosphere/Energy opens in a new tab: Integrates atmospheric science with energy engineering to address climate change and air pollution through renewable energy resources, grid integration, and energy-efficient building systems.

• Environmental Engineering opens in a new tab: Focuses on water quality, wastewater reclamation, resource recovery, environmental fluid mechanics, hydrology, and the impacts of environmental contaminants and pathogens on human health.

• Sustainable Built Environment opens in a new tab: Dedicated to the lifecycle design, construction, and operation of resilient structures and infrastructure systems. This program features two main subprograms:

  • Structural Engineering and Geomechanics (SEG): Advances performance-based earthquake design, structural health monitoring, geomechanics, computational mechanics, and disaster resilience.

  • Sustainable Design and Construction (SDC): Focuses on construction management, energy-efficient building design, sustainable urban systems, and the financing and governance of infrastructure projects.

Pioneering Research and Facilities

CEE’s research is supported by world-class laboratories and interdisciplinary centers that translate academic discoveries into field-scale applications. The department maintains extensive collaborations with major campus institutes, including the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the Precourt Institute for Energy. Key departmental facilities include:

• Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Science Labs: Includes the Bob and Norma Street Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (EFML), the Environmental Engineering and Science Laboratory (EESL), and the William and Cloy Codiga Resource Recovery Center opens in a new tab (CR2C) for testing mobile, pilot-scale clean water and resource recovery technologies.

• John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center: A premier facility conducting research on seismic risk assessment, advanced sensing, innovative materials, and disaster-resilient structural engineering.

• Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE): A leading academic-industry partnership employing advanced information technologies and virtual design-construction concepts to improve the lifecycle sustainability of the built environment.