USC Viterbi Sonny Astani Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

The next generation
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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
Behnam Jafarpour Receives Prestigious SPE International Data Science Award
September 24, 2024

Jafarpour is a professor in the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and an expert in subsurface energy technology.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
The Art of Carbon Ju-Jitsu: Transforming Carbon Dioxide into Useful Products
September 12, 2024

USC Viterbi researcher K. Leslie Gilliard-AbdulAziz is at the forefront of advancing technology for carbon capture and utilization.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
The ReWater Center will Revolutionize Resource Resilience
September 5, 2024

The Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) is at the forefront of research for the treatment and reuse of one of our greatest resources: water.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
Professor Bora Gencturk Appointed to NASEM Committee
August 18, 2024

The USC professor will apply his expertise in high-performance concrete for water infrastructure as part of a committee led by the National Academies of Sciences.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
Entrepreneurial Engineers Pitch Ideas for Social and Environmental Startups
June 27, 2024

The Das Family Innovate x LA Student Competition challenges students to develop high-impact urban solutions and compete for a $20,000 prize.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
From Dreams to Degrees: USC Viterbi Class of 2024 Graduates Shape Tomorrow, Today
May 11, 2024

At the forefront of engineering and technology, graduates like Christian Bryan redefine potential with degrees in cutting-edge fields and a commitment to lifelong exploration.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
Master’s Class of 2024: “The Best So Far”
May 11, 2024

At the USC Viterbi master’s commencement ceremonies, Dean Yannis C. Yortsos praised graduates’ resilience, ingenuity and integrity

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
A Graduating Engineer’s Solutions for Global Water Challenges
May 8, 2024

Ana Luiza Behisnelian is using her environmental engineering degree to take on the mission of protecting one of our planet’s most important resources – water.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
No More Burnout: Mohamad Awada Wants to Optimize your Workspace
May 8, 2024

Mohamad Awada, a graduating Ph.D. student in USC Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, reflects on five years of research developing dynamic environments for modern workspaces.

Behnam Jafarpour recieves award
Najmedin Meshkati Testifies Before Senate Committee on Boeing
May 3, 2024

International expert in safety culture and human factors, Meshkati spoke before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation as part of the FAA independent expert panel reviewing Boeing’s safety processes.

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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.

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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