USC Viterbi Sonny Astani Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

The next generation
of innovators is here

Our Strategic Vision
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Engineering a better
world
for all humanity

Our strategic vision

The department's vision guides our work and impact. We leverage interdisciplinary research in five distinct areas.
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The Energy-Water Nexus

Sustainability expert Sanders’ focus is the energy-water nexus — the idea that producing a safe and reliable water supply requires a lot of energy, while producing a safe and reliable energy supply requires a lot of water. She has studied ways to optimize this relationship between energy and water services for nearly a decade.

News

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
USC Viterbi Faculty Elected as American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellows
March 28, 2025

Two leading researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering join the ranks of AAAS fellows, one of the most prestigious honors in academia.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
What Can Our Sewage Tell Us? For a USC Engineering Professor, A Lot
March 18, 2025

USC Viterbi’s Adam Smith monitors wastewater in some campus dorms and apartments to keep students safe from COVID, the flu and the stomach flu.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
A Naming Gift for USC Viterbi’s Construction Management Program
February 25, 2025

Alumnus Jonathan Emami has made a contribution to transform the Construction Management Program

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
Building A More Resilient City of Angels, Part 2
February 3, 2025

From fire response robots to retardant firing artillery, USC Viterbi engineers offer potential solutions for the future.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
Why Do Wildfires Increase Flood Risk?
January 29, 2025

An expert on fluid dynamics shares how engineers can help mitigate flooding after major wildfires.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
Building A More Resilient City of Angels, Part 1
January 29, 2025

As Angelenos brace for “fire years” rather than “fire seasons,” USC Viterbi engineers offer potential solutions for the future.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
Alumni Engineers Reflect on Building USC’s Newest School
January 21, 2025

Two alumni of the USC Sonny Astani Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering were instrumental in the design, construction and project management of the new home for the USC School of Advanced Computing.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
80 Years of the USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic Research
December 10, 2024

The Foundation is recognized as a leading expert on backflow prevention and cross-connection control to protect public health.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
Newly established Antevy Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fund Empowers the Solution of Grand Challenges Addressed with the Civil and Environmental Engineering Disciplines
November 13, 2024

The newly established fund inspires students and faculty at the USC Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) to transform their research into high-impact solutions.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
From Fungi to Fuel: Student Startups Tackle Environmental Challenges
November 6, 2024

USC Civil and Environmental Engineering students are harnessing the powers of the natural world to develop innovative technologies that solve real-world problems.

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CEE Student Voices


Research @ CEE

We are pioneering new fields of research and bringing disciplines together to tackle the grand challenges of our time.

Research Spotlights

Faculty Member
Building the world of tomorrow
Today!

CEE @ USC goes beyond academics.
It's a hub for sustainability-minded innovators and makers who work on bold new ideas that will transform our world.

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Academics​

Explore our interdisciplinary programs.
Undergraduate
Master
Ph.D.
Undergraduate minors

Straight from the Source
Conversations with Current Faculty and Students

Have you ever wondered where a civil and environmental engineering degree will take you? Or what life in a CEE research lab is like? Or are you just curious about what your friends are working on? Be CEEN gives you the inside scoop on the world of CEE @ USC Viterbi.

Be Ceen Podcast
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What makes
us unique

  • Top 10 engineering school in the nation
  • Multidisciplinary research, integrating A.I., computing and CEE
  • Global innovation programs
  • Academia + industry partnerships
  • Los Angeles City is a living lab; it is one of the largest and most diverse metropolitan cities in the world