Civil & Environmental EngineeringCivil & Environmental Engineering

Mark Oakeson, P.E., has spent his career building more than projects — he has built teams, systems, and leadership capacity across some of the region’s most complex construction efforts. As Commercial Division Manager at Wadsworth Brothers Construction, Mark oversees multimillion-dollar projects for both public and private clients, drawing on expertise in scheduling, estimating, structural engine…

For graduate students, faculty, and staff in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Courtney Phillips is often the first resource that many of us turn to. Whether trying to navigate graduate remedial courses, finding classroom spaces when resources are limited, or needing to know which university partner to reach out to, Courtney usually has […]

Graduate teaching assistants play a vital role in mentoring students and supporting their academic success. This spring, Ph.D. candidates Jeremiah Adejube and Marcor Platt were recognized with the Department's Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for their exceptional contributions to student learning. Through their dedication, accessibility, and passion for engineering education, both have left …

Ronald H. Dunn, SE, Chairman and Principal of Dunn Associates, Inc., has built a career defined by turning ambitious ideas into built reality. As the 2026 Distinguished Alumni honoree from the University of Utah’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CvEEN), Dunn’s impact on the structural engineering profession—starting in Utah and spreading across the United […]

For Rupesh Uprety, earthquake engineering isn't just an academic discipline—it's personal. When the 2015 Gorkha earthquake devastated his home country of Nepal, Uprety was a second-year undergraduate student. Witnessing the destruction inspired him to dedicate his career to designing safer, more resilient buildings for communities in earthquake-prone regions. Today, as a Ph.D. student at the [&#8…

Luis Ibarra, assistant professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, is one of six professors from the University of Utah that have been named Fulbright Scholars for the 2026-27 academic year. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education, the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program selects over 800 […]

Republished on June 17, 2026 from the One-U Responsible AI Initiative. Behind every AI prompt is a chain of physical infrastructure—from data centers and power grids to cooling systems, mined minerals, and discarded hardware—with consequences for people and the planet, University of Utah researchers reminded the campus community during an Earth Month panel discussion. “We […]

To many drivers, construction along the west side of I-215 may seem like another seasonal traffic delay. For researchers at the University of Utah, however, the project represents an opportunity to study cutting-edge pavement technology with the potential to reshape how highways are built and maintained. Last week, members of Dr. Romero’s research group visited […]

Developing new cancer treatments requires more than breakthrough medicines. It also depends on the ability to safely produce medical isotopes—the specialized radioactive materials that make those therapies possible. Improving access to these critical medical isotopes remains one of the field’s most significant challenges. At the University of Utah, Ph.D. candidate Nicholas Becker is dedicating hi…

The University of Utah was proud to host the 2026 ASCE Intermountain Southwest Student Symposium on campus in April, welcoming civil engineering students from across the region for a weekend of competition, collaboration, and innovation. One of the highlights of the symposium took place in the Union Ballroom, where students competed in the Timber-Strong Design […]

Xuewen Luo is helping shape the future of transportation through her research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. Her work, grounded in both technical rigor and a clear societal purpose, recently earned her recognition as a 2026 Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) Utah Chapter Scholarship Winner, along with a $3,500 award honoring her […]

As the global demand for clean energy grows, so does the need to safely manage nuclear waste and ensure the secure transportation of nuclear materials. At the University of Utah, this challenge is being addressed through a unique interdisciplinary model—where nuclear engineering is integrated within the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CvEEN), connecting energy […]

Supathorn Phongikaroon, Professor and Energy Solutions Presidential Endowed Chair, and Director of the Nuclear Engineering Program (UNEP), recently participated in the Nuclear Engineering Department Heads Organization (NEDHO) Day on Capitol Hill. This annual event brings together academic leaders in nuclear engineering from across the country to engage directly with federal policymakers on issues…

Civil & Environmental Engineering students from the University of Utah earned top honors at the 2026 Water Environment Association of Utah (WEAU) Student Design Competition, held during the WEAU Annual Conference in St. George on April 18. The team’s project focused on global water stewardship, developing innovative and sustainable water treatment solutions for the city […]

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering concluded its Spring 2026 Seminar Series with a full house for a seminar by Dr. Rachel Brennan, Department Head and Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University. The strong turnout of students, faculty, and members of the engineering community highlighted continued interest in cutting-edge research […]

The One-U Responsible Artificial Intelligence Initiative (One-U RAI) at the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute (SCI) has selected a new cohort of faculty fellows — including Dr. Ryan Johnson from our Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CvEEN). Johnson was recognized under the “Environment” thematic area for his work combining AI, hydroinformatics, and sustainability in [&…

Robert Sperling’s fascination with cities began long before he stepped into an engineering classroom. As a child, he designed miniature communities with Plasticville buildings, train layouts, and model bridge and roadway sets. As he got older, he began studying maps to imagine the city’s highways, buildings, and public spaces. “My aspirations were always to be […]

Dr. MacLaughlin shared highlights from over 30 years of research  in geotechnical engineering at our April 3, 2026 Seminar Series. Dr. Mary MacLaughlin is the Goldcorp Professor and Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at Montana Tech. A highly respected expert in geotechnical engineering and rock mechanics, MacLaughlin has decades of research and academic […]

Ph.D. student Ripon Chandra Malo is driven by a passion for advancing geotechnical engineering through data, computation, and innovation. His research focuses on granular material compaction and the application of artificial intelligence to improve how engineers interpret subsurface conditions—bridging the gap between complex geotechnical data and real-world decision-making. That work recently ea…

On March 24, our Distinguished Structural Engineering Seminar with Ron Klemencic brought together a highly collaborative and engaged engineering community. We were proud to host a full room of students, faculty, industry professionals, and colleagues from neighboring institutions — including four professors from Utah State University and one from Utah Valley University. The strong turnout [&#8230…