Page 56 - civ_env_sust_eng

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering (2014/02/09)
______________________________________________________________________________________

2. Impact Assessment, Life Cycle Evaluations, and Industrial Ecology

3. Environmental Economics and Social Indicators

Four possible specialty tracks:

1. Alternative and Renewable Energy Technology

2. Watershed Sustainability

3. Environmental Sustainability

4. Sustainable Infrastructure and Built Environments

Interdisciplinary certificate programs are offered in:

1. Nonlinear Dynamics and Control

2. Sustainable Engineering

3.18. Wayne State University

Founded in 1868, Wayne State University is a nationally recognized metropolitan research institution offe-

ring more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 29,000 students. Wayne

State’s main campus in Midtown Detroit comprises 100 buildings.

3.18.1. Sustainable Engineering Certificate Program

The concern for preserving the environment and its resources has created a growing demand for engineers

specializing in sustainable practices.

Beginning in fall 2009, the Wayne State University College of Engineering is offering a graduate certificate

program in sustainable engineering that will position the university at the forefront of sustainability educa-

tion in southeast Michigan.

Sustainable engineering is a way of engineering that meets the needs of the present, preserves the environ-

ment, and considers the possible needs of future generations.

Carol Miller, professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, together with

Yinlun Huang, professor of chemical engineering and materials science, worked on creating the program.

"Sustainable engineering strives to create buildings, processes and systems that do not degrade the world
around us," said Miller. "It requires a lifecycle analysis so you can take into account not only the immediate

costs and effects, but also the resources required to prepare the materials and the resources needed to main-

tain them."

The program will satisfy students interested in learning sustainable practices as well as employers desiring

this specialty in graduates. "As our students enter the workforce, they are being asked to accommodate for

sustainability," Miller said. "This program meets the demands of employers. We need engineers with this ex-

pertise because many engineering projects now require the sustainability component."

Miller notes that a sustainability program is especially appropriate at Wayne State for several reasons. One is

location. "We're in the heart of the largest freshwater resource, and we need to be good stewards of it," says

Miller.

______________________________________________________________________________________

56 / 76