Environmental Engineering at UCSD

The newly founded Environmental Engineering program within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at UCSD is a modern interpretation of this rapidly changing field. Unlike the classical environmental engineering topics (e.g. water sanitation, brownfield remediation) many new environmental engineering and sustainability challenges require strong quantitative skills. Renewable energy technologies require skills in material science and physics, climate change research requires individuals trained in fluid mechanics and environmental transport, sustainable building design requires deep knowledge of heat and mass transfer in complex geometries. 

Increasing industrialization and urbanization places increasing stresses on the environment. Governments react to these issues through regulatory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board. The scientific and policy questions that underlie these issues are interdisciplinary, but the solution to many questions is environmental engineering. More efficient use of natural resources, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, industrial safety, transport, urban air and water quality rely on technological innovations based on a sound knowledge of the underlying processes. 

For many years, MAE has offered a world class program of teaching and research to provide training for mechanical, aerospace, and chemical engineers in the fundamental scientific disciplines. We expand upon this program with specific environmental engineering classes that teach the skills to develop new clean technologies for the future. The interdisciplinary nature of environmental problems is addressed through links with other departments at UCSD such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Departments of Chemistry, and the majors in Urban Studies and Planning and Environmental Systems. 

Undergraduate students can participate in these activities through internships and independent research leading to awareness of the cutting edge of real-world environmental engineering challenges that can be ported to the private sector. Our students are trained very versatile to work in various engineering fields in the industry. They also receive an ideal preparation for more specialized Masters and Doctoral Programs in Environmental Engineering at other universities. 

The UCSD campus is a world-leader in applications of environmental technology and has received the San Diego Excellence in Energy Award for three consecutive years. The campus managers are embracing environmental sustainability going far beyond the already ambitious targets set by the University of California:

• ·                                 All new buildings are LEED certified for low resource use. Ocean water will be used for building cooling.
• ·                                 A large shuttle fleet runs on clean-burning compressed natural gas saving thousands of miles of commuter traffic every day.
• ·                                 The campus electrical plant will burn waste gas off of a nearby waste water treatment plant to generate self-sufficient and sustainable electricity and heat for the campus.
• ·                                 The largest solar pholtovoltaic plant on a university campus in the world will be installed in 2008/2009 with 2.3 MW of electrical power.

The Environment and Sustainability Initiative advises the campus and local government on sustainable planning.

For more information, click here.