| |
|
Environmental Engineering Program |
.gif)
| Program: | Environmental Engineering | | Overview of Field: | A broad definition of environmental engineering is provided by the Environmental Engineering Division of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as follows: Environmental engineering is manifest by sound engineering thought and practice in the solution of problems of environmental sanitation, notably in the provision of safe, palatable, and ample public water supplies; the proper disposal of or recycle of wastewater and solid wastes; the control of water, soil and atmospheric pollution, and the social and environmental impact of these solutions. Environmental engineers are actively involved in the design of systems and processes used for pollution control and mitigation. Physical, chemical and biological aspects of treatment processes are investigated and developed.
| | Program Overview / Advantages: | The mission of the Environmental Engineering program at GW is to develop highly qualified Environmental Engineering professionals who can serve and lead the growing profession of Environmental Engineering in academia, industry, government, and consulting in both national and international arenas.
The Environmental Engineering program at GW prepares students to specialize in pollution control, hazardous waste cleanup, and water and wastewater treatment systems, with strong foundations in computers, mathematics, physics, chemistry, human sciences, social sciences, and engineering methodology. The Civil and Environmental Engineering program at GW is nationally recognized and accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
The wide variety of environmental design, pollution control, water and wastewater treatment, solid waste management, environmental policy, emerging technology, and applied science courses offered in the Environmental Engineering program, combine research and state-of-the-art industrial practices and technology to groom both graduate and undergraduate students into future leaders of the Environmental Engineering profession. The faculty in the environmental engineering program provides individual attention to students and mentors the students to develop strong academic, research, and practical skills. | | Specific Program Notes: (Links to and information about design projects/ technical papers, field trips, seminars, student activities, partnerships) | The Environmental Engineering program is designed to provide students with a theoretical background as well as exposure to activities in the real world. The following are some examples of how that is done. Research Projects: Students are required to conduct in-depth research on a project, provide a written report and make a power point presentation of their research results. Field Trips: Students have to participate in field trips to local water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants and industries that generate hazardous wastes. The students have visited the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, Arlington Water Pollution Control Plant, Fairfax County Water Plant, and Lehigh Portland Cement Company among others. Internships: Students can participate in internships at local water treatment plants and other environmental companies. As a result of the collaboration of Dr. Riffat with the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC WASA), a large number of students have completed paid internships at Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Washington, DC. This has provided them with valuable practical experience, which has enabled them to obtain employment with world renowned environmental companies. | | Program Topics: | - Principles of Environmental Engineering
- Environmental Chemistry
- Environmental Microbiology
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes
- Advanced Sanitary Engineering Design
- Environmental Impact Assessment
- Hazardous Waste Management
- Industrial Wastes
- Advanced Treatment Processes
| | Notable Area Companies/Employers: | The career potential and placement for GW environmental engineering graduates is very high. The setting of GW in the nation’s capital gives GW graduates a strategic edge over other university graduates. The Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area provides a unique combination of research, practicing, and academic atmosphere. In addition to all Federal Government offices located in this area, a number of the multinational engineering companies are also headquartered in this region with some of the most outstanding research and development facilities in the nation. These include: | | Research Areas: | - Removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater
- Chemically Enhanced Primary Treatment
- Toxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons to anaerobic microorganisms
- Use of Halophilic methanogens for anaerobic treatment of saline wastewater
- Environmental impact assessment
| | Research Projects: | - Investigate the Feasibility of Using Alternate Substrates to Methanol in Denitrification Processes, sponsored by DC Water and Sewer Authority.
- Determine the Effects of Chemicals and Polymers on Enhanced Primary Clarification, sponsored by DC Water and Sewer Authority.
- Feasibility Study of Implementing a Masters Degree Program at the Eurasian National University in Kazakhstan, sponsored by Eurasia Foundation.
| | Faculty: | Dr. Rumana Riffat: Dr. Riffat is the coordinator of the Environmental Engineering program. Dr. Riffat specializes in the area of anaerobic biotechnology, nutrient removal and hazardous wastes. Her research interests are in biological treatment of wastewater, process kinetics, chemically enhanced primary treatment, nitrogen removal from wastewater, and toxicity of hazardous wastes. Dr. Riffat is a nationally respected Environmental Engineering professional and is the author of a number of publications in the area of Environmental Engineering. She has led a number of sponsored research projects in the water-wastewater areas. | | Facilities: | Environmental Engineering Laboratory
The following are some of the capabilities: - Chemical analysis of water
- Biochemical analysis of water
- Gas Chromatography
- Atomic Absorption Spectophotometry
|
|
|
|
|
|
