Environmental Engineering
With only one world to live in, environmental engineers are helping make sure we handle it with care. The skills of environmental engineers are
becoming increasingly important as we attempt to protect the fragile resources of our planet. Students in Environmental Engineering will have the
opportunity to apply science and engineering principles to improve the environment, water, air and land.
In Civil Engineering you can prepare for a great future with an environmental engineering career that offers a remarkable opportunity to positively affect the quality of life in our communities, our country, and our planet. Check out the Environmental Engineering area and join in on the excitement! You will have opportunities for research and education in a wide range of issues, including remediation of contaminated soils and sediments, industrial and solid waste treatment, water and wastewater treatment, air pollution measurement and control, urban and agricultural air and water quality management, understanding the environmental fate of pollutants, and sustainable engineering. Other options are also available through the
Division of Environmental and Ecological Engineering.
Our Environmental Engineering faculty have leadership roles and participate in numerous national and campus centers and institutes. We offer flexible academic options and research opportunities in our top
environmental facilities for undergraduate students, as well as MS and PhD graduate degree programs. The Purdue Air & Waste Management Association also offers opportunities for student involvement in the advancement of environmental knowledge.
Spotlights
April 11, 2018
President Mitch Daniels on Monday (April 9) surprised Larry Nies, professor of civil engineering and environmental and ecological engineering, with a One Brick Higher Award to thank him for his heroic work in helping save the life of a colleague earlier this year.
January 26, 2018
CE grad student Peyman Yousefi has been awarded the Andrews Environmental Travel Grant in support of his graduate research. This highly competitive and prestigious award, which was established to support research focused on improving the world environment, supports travel for research relating to the environmental issues.
December 8, 2017
A group of Purdue students in partnership with the Rotary Club of Lafayette are preparing to go Wednesday (Dec. 13) to the Dominican Republic to work on a project implementing water treatment systems.
July 31, 2017
New research is calling for immediate safeguards and the study of a widely used method for repairing sewer-, storm-water and drinking-water pipes to understand the potential health and environmental concerns for workers and the public.
July 1, 2017
Dr. Chad Jafvert, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University, was recently awarded the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Outstanding Publication Award for his influential 1992 paper "Reaction Scheme for the Chlorination of Ammoniacal Water." The award is a commendation for a "landmark environmental engineering and science paper that has withstood the test of time and significantly influenced the practice of environmental engineering and science."
May 31, 2017
Chad Jafvert, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering, has been named a Purdue University Teaching Academy Fellow, one of 12 faculty inductees for 2017.
March 6, 2017
You know that sharp odor of chlorine from the swimming pool you can recall from earliest childhood? It turns out it's not just chlorine, but a potent brew of chemicals that form when chlorine meets sweat, body oils, and urine. Prof. Blatchley offers his insight in this NPR health news article.
February 2, 2017
Low-flow building water systems designed to conserve water pose potential health hazards because they may cause an increase in disease-causing organisms and harmful chemicals. A new EPA-funded project led by Purdue University strives to help solve the problem.
January 30, 2017
Inez Hua, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering, is a recipient of the 2016-17 Learning Community Real-World Experience Award given by the Learning Communities program.
November 30, 2016
CE and EEE Professor Chad Jafvert is part of a Purdue-affiliated startup that has developed a low-cost, low-maintenance slow sand water filter technology to better provide clean and safe drinking water to schools and communities in developing countries around the world.
May 9, 2016
Professor Chad Jafvert, along with three co-authors including two PhD alumni, were awarded a 2015 Scientific and Technological Achievement Award (Honorable Mention) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for authorship of a paper entitled: "Photoreactivity of Unfunctionalized Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Involving Hydroxyl Radical: Chiral dependency and Surface Coating Effect," published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
April 19, 2016
Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering Prof. Chip Blatchley was featured in WalletHub’s recent study examining 2016's greenest states, lending his insight into eco-friendliness at the household, government and global levels.
March 24, 2016
Once a week for two hours, students in majors ranging from agricultural economics to nursing to engineering gather in Armstrong Hall and work toward a common goal: designing, building and implementing water treatment systems for small, impoverished communities in the Dominican Republic. These students are all a part of the course "Water Supply in Developing Countries."
March 24, 2016
Larry Nies, professor of civil engineering and environmental and ecological engineering, has been named the recipient of a 2016 Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award in Memory of Charles B. Murphy. Nies was surprised with the news on Wednesday (March 23).
November 4, 2015
Ph.D. student Hamed Zamenian is the recipient of a $2000 scholarship from the Indiana Chapter of the International Air and Waste Management Association for his active participation and outstanding leadership as a student member and former Vice President and Treasurer of the Purdue Student Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association (PAWMA).
October 20, 2015
A new mathematical model allows researchers to better understand and plan the designs for infrastructure to account for human factors in systems ranging from small-scale agriculture to urban infrastructure.
September 10, 2015
A new study reveals a pressing need to better understand water use in America's rivers, with implications for drought-stricken regions of the country. Findings from the study showed that virtually all of the water entering the Wabash River in Indiana during summer months is withdrawn and then returned to the waterway.
August 28, 2015
Instructions given to the public by water companies and other authorities in the aftermath of chemical contaminations are inconsistent and not validated by science. So says Prof. Andrew Whelton and other scientists in the US who are developing models to understand complex plumbing systems to ensure consumers get the best guidance on how to regain access to safe drinking water.
August 10, 2015
A new study provides guidance to health officials and drinking water providers on how to decontaminate plumbing systems.
May 12, 2015
Professor Chad Jafvert recently completed a $600,000 research project funded by the U.S. EPA on the environmental fate of carbon-based nanomaterials. This is one of the first studies to report on the environmental fate of this emerging nanomaterial.
