Civil and Environmental Engineering Department

Contact Information

Dr. Molly M. Gribb, P.E.
Head and Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Civil/Mechanical 122
(605) 394-1697
E-mail: Molly.Gribb@sdsmt.edu

Faculty

Professors Amos, Bang, Fontaine, Gribb, and Kenner; Associate Professors Christopher, Stone and Surovek; Assistant Professors Arneson-Meyer, Benning, Cetin, Fick, Nam and Robinson.

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Civil and environmental engineers are problem solvers, meeting the needs for environmental stewardship, renewable energy, sustainable design solutions, and community planning for a better tomorrow. Civil and environmental engineers serve the public by designing a wide variety of infrastructure systems such as dams and waterways, harbors, bridges, buildings, water supply and wastewater systems, highways and airports, tunnels and pipelines, and renewable energy facilities.

Students interested in a career in civil or environmental engineering follow a curriculum that culminates in a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering that is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

The undergraduate curriculum provides a comprehensive education for students who wish to pursue a professional career directly after graduation. The B.S. program in civil engineering also serves as a preparation for graduate study in any of the specialized branches of civil and environmental engineering, construction management or other professional degrees such as medicine or law.

Curriculum

The civil and environmental engineering curriculum begins with students gaining fundamental understanding of humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and basic sciences. Courses in the engineering sciences begin the transition from theory to creative application. Students complete required courses in environmental, geotechnical, structural, water resources, sustainable and construction engineering. Students interested in environmental engineering may follow a curriculum specifically tailored to this important subdisciplinary area, and may also pursue a minor in environmental engineering or sustainable engineering . In the senior year, a two-semester capstone design course allows students to work in multi-disciplinary teams to develop alternative solutions, incorporate sustainable design principles, perform feasibility and economic analyses, and create detailed designs. The capstone design experience culminates with a formal final written report and a presentation to the faculty and the students’ peers.

Graduate programs in civil and environmental engineering or construction management afford opportunities for motivated students to pursue advanced studies. An accelerated Master of Science (B.S./M.S.) degree program is available for qualified seniors enrolled in engineering B.S. programs at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The accelerated master’s degree program allows B.S. engineering students to take up to nine (9) graduate-level credits to simultaneously meet undergraduate and graduate degree program requirements. For more information about the accelerated master’s degree program, see the Civil Engineering M.S. section of the catalog or contact CEE Graduate Coordinator Dr. Scott Kenner (Scott.Kenner@sdsmt.edu).

Department Approved Electives

The undergraduate curriculum includes 12 credit hours of Department Approved Electives (15 for environmental emphasis students) that students may use to gain knowledge and skills in a specialized area to meet their individual career goals. Students may participate in undergraduate research or scholarship, which may include international design projects, design activities associated with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) steel bridge or concrete canoe competitions, or cooperative education. Students must apply for the cooperative education program prior to starting work. For more information about the cooperative education program, contact Dr. Scott Amos (Scott.Amos@sdsmt.edu).

Department Approved Electives include the following:

At least 6 credits of CEE 400 level coursework not applied to another CEE graduation requirement.
Up to 6 credit hours of CEE 498 (Undergraduate Research/Scholarship), CEE 491 (Independent Study) or CP 497 (Cooperative Education); not more than 3 credits may be CEE 491 or CP 497.
Up to 6 credit hours of 300 or 400 level courses in engineering, science, math or computer science not applied to another CEE graduation requirement (9 credits for environmental engineering emphasis students).

Professionalism

Students are encouraged to participate in the ASCE student chapter, Engineers and Scientists Abroad, CAMP, (Center of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing and Production) that involves designing, building, testing, and competing in a variety of engineering challenges, or any other of the many student organizations on campus. During the senior year, students are strongly encouraged to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (F.E.) examination. Passing the F.E. examination is the first step toward registration as a Professional Engineer (P.E.). The second and final step in the registration process is the successful completion of the Professional Engineering examination, which is normally taken after working under the supervision of a P.E. for at least four years.

Minor in Environmental Engineering

Environmental engineers design systems and solve pressing global problems in all areas related to the environment and public health: sustainable design of drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment, and solid and hazardous waste disposal systems; development of air quality monitoring and pollution prevention programs; design of site remediation and mining reclamation programs; and development of ecosystem protection and restoration efforts, among others. For more information, contact Dr. James Stone (James.Stone@sdsmt.edu).

Environmental Engineering Minor

Minor in Sustainable Engineering

Sustainable Engineering is a developing field that seeks to move traditional engineering practice toward approaches that can solve complex classes of emerging social problems such as competition for limited supplies of resources and water, land conservation, global climate change, and human exposure to toxic chemicals in air, water, and food. For more information , contact Dr. Jennifer Benning (Jennifer.Benning@sdsmt.edu).

Sustainable Engineering Minor

Minor in Geospatial Technology

Geospatial technology is a rapidly expanding field that covers the management and analysis of spatial data from many sources, such as satellites, airborne remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), surveying, and more.

Geospatial Technology Minor